Here's how you can save lives without being a doctor

GURGAON: Healthcare management is one of the fastest growing sectors, which is evident by the large number of students opting for it instead of traditional branches of management. Two institutes in Gurgaon - IBMR Business School and Ansal University offer undergraduate courses in healthcare management.
"With a population of over 125 crore, India needs 80,000 new hospital beds every year.One bed demands five direct jobs and 25 indirect jobs. The healthcare sector is going to experience a boom in the country," says Dr Mohammad Miraj, director, healthcare management, IBMR Business School.
Tanvi, a member of the management at Fortis Hospital, said, "When I had taken up a programme in healthcare management, I was a little apprehensive. My parents were not sure if this programme is as good as other fields like human resource management and marketing. However, I bagged an internship offer immediately after completing the course. For administration and database management, many hospitals now prefer trained personnel instead of doctors."
While IBMR Business School prefers students with a background in biology, students from any stream can opt for a B.Sc in health information & administration at Ansal University.
"We just want students to have basic knowledge of computer and interest in the healthcare sector. Students from commerce and economic backgrounds can also add value to this field. As far as medical terms are concerned, we will train students in everything ranging from patient relationship management to database management and branding and promotion," said Dr Nagpal.
Talking about the prospects of healthcare management, Pawan Jain, director, IBMR said, "Gurgaon has now become a hub for healthcare. An increase in medical tourism is a major driving force. The city has healthcare giants where medical tourism is an important segment. Foreign patients expect professional services in every field, be it medical or management. This opens several opportunities for young aspirants."
Healthcare insurance is another growing segment. "After about five years, healthcare insurance will emerge as one of the biggest employment sectors in the country. Students who are now opting for healthcare management will therefore have more opportunities," says Dr. Miraj.
Vikram, a student of healthcare management at IBMR Business School, said "All students from science background can't become doctors and engineers. Healthcare management is a field that offers more jobs than pure medical field. We are learning about ICU management, OPD management and other important areas in the healthcare sector. Though it is different from a course in pure sciences, I am finding it quite interesting."