BANGALORE: With the opening up of the insurance sector,
healthcare has become the new focus of IT vendors. During the last six months,
three vendors have launched healthcare solutions in India--HFCL, TCS and SISL.
SISL managing director Anil Laud says, "The healthcare industry is expected
to revolutionize healthcare delivery in India."
Besides the insurance sector, the arrival of corporate hospitals in India too
has given a fillip to the healthcare segment. It has led to increased
expectation in the quality of services provided. "There is an increasing
awareness of healthcare and people are demanding quality healthcare," says
Laud. HFCL CEO Informatics division Rajeev Shah echoes both the sentiments.
The estimated market size for healthcare software in India during 1999-2000
is Rs 50 crore. Hospitals like the Apollo Group and Escorts Group have gone in
for massive IT investments. The HFCL Hospital Management System, called
MediSoft, which offers centralized database and customer-care services, has been
implemented in the Indraprashtra Apollo in New Delhi. SISL's product, Health
Information Systems, which bagged the best product in IT.com '99 held at
Bangalore, has found customers in Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi,
Krishna Heart Institute in Ahmedabad, and Bhopal Trust Hospital.
Additionally, corporate India too is planning massive investments in the
healthcare segment. Max India, for instance, has announced its foray into the
healthcare sector. Vendors have also attributed a noble angle for its focus in
the healthcare segment. According to Shah of HFCL, uplifting the quality of
healthcare provided in India is one of the prime reasons for its foray into this
segment.