KRISHNAMURTHY RAMALINGAM - AN INNOVATOR & FORWARD THINKER.... 

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Cloud has infused endless possibilities in the Healthcare ecosystem, especially for countries like India that is still catching-up with delivering Healthcare in real-time. However, despite our Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi creating a level playing field for startups and creating several opportunities for Healthcare sector in the country, the ecosystem still limps due to inadequate enlightenment about the potential technologies like cloud hold for them.

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Amending this fix and creating some of the best opportunities for the healthcare sector in India is Galactic Medical DataBank Pvt Ltd. Under the leadership of Krishnamurthy Ramalingam (CEO & MD), the Company have achieved wonders in just few years of its existence. From offering consulting, technology and outsourcing solutions to co-creating breakthrough solutions in the field of Mobility, Sustainability, Big-Data and Cloud Computing, Krishnamurthy has been steering the wheels in the right right direction. In an exclusive conversation with CEO Insights, he delves deep about himself, his achievements and the strategies. 

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Q1. Give us a brief overview about your education & professional background prior to establishing Galactic Medical DataBank Pvt Ltd. Also highlight your unique skill-sets and strength?

I hold an Masters in Computer Systems Engineering from University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, US. I have spent around six years of my initial career at US companies in Silicon Valley including Fujitsu, 3COM, Extreme Networks, Yodlee and much more. Post this, I spent next six years at Amrita Insitute of Medical Sciences, kochi developing medical softwares and heading Telemedicine Department. My next six years were associated with Infosys, working in various divisions including Education & Research, Microsoft Technology Group & Healthcare Solutions Division. 

In 2013, I left Infosys to pursue my own dream and since then have been heading my startup healthcare company - Galactic Medical Databank. Leveraging my project management from PMI, US and aligning it with my strong project management experiences along with my strong technical knowledge in Microsoft Technologies, Client Presentation, strategy & marketing planning and strong team building skills, I have created a powerhouse of knowledge and expertise in just seven years of Galactic's establishment. 

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Q2. What are your professional facets you are much proud of?

Over the span of 25 years of my professional career, I have achieved a number of milestones. One of which I am really proud of is our product "GMDCLOUD", which won the Best Innovative Healthcare product from Govt of Karnataka in 2015. 

I am also proud of achieving the unexpected when with Infosys as part of the Pre-Sales team, I worked 16hrs/day including weekends for almost 10 months in 2012 towards responding to the RFPs to the U.S. Government's Obama Care Healthcare proposals across 40 US states. This won us the "District of Columbia" RFP of $100 Million project in 2012. 

While at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, as Chief of Telemedicine Technical Services, we  were able to provide specialist tele-consultations to about 64 Telemedicine centres across India. We also remotely provided Tele-Cardiology services to Sabarimala Cardio Intensive Care Unit from AIMS, Kochi. 

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Q3. As an Industry veteran, your views, recommendations and suggestions hav graced several ehealth magazines. Do you think Government of India have taken seriously your recommendations? Any more suggestions? 

Yes, Government of India have taken our recommendations too seriously. AYUSH gets a separate Ministry and boost. 2.5 percent of GDP is allocated to Health; several AIIMS institutes are coming up in several states of India. Healthcare policy 2017 is a big step towards healthcare reformation in the country and healthcare standards guidelines were architected for our nation. 

However, we still need to implement the Healthcare Policy 2017 effectively throughout our nation. Telemedicine & CME needs boost from the Government of India. Health Insurance needs to cover AYUSH too. Digital health needs boost. Startups need support and help from Government and MNCs to be part of all government projects. Public Private partnership (including NGOs) in healthcare sectors needs boost in PHCs, SHCs, & THCs. 

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Q4. What are the challenges that startup companies like yours face in India?  Also, how did you manage to overcome?

Right from the very beginning, challenges were at the door. We had to sell our properties to raise funds to start and maintain the company till date. On the other hand, several Healthcare Institutions want us to implement our product free since we are startup company. Government Healthcare Institutes have a lot of rules and regulations which prevent startups like ours to implement our innovative product. We cannot even walk into the Government Healthcare Institutes without knowing influential person to talk about our product to the management. We are always thankful to our advisor V.V.Bhat (former secretary to Government of India) who was always guiding us throughout our journey. 

 

Q5. How do you ensure to update yourself with the latest trends and technologies in the field of healthcare?

I always keep learning new technologies like Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Extended Reality, 5G in Telemedicine, Robotics, Computer & Machine Vision, Wearable Tech, Genomics, 3D Printing, Digital Twins, and more, and try to incorporate these new technologies into our product. Attending International Healthcare conferences helps me to know the current trends and technology advancements across the globe. 

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Q6. How has been the support and inspiration from your family in your journey so far?

I always grateful and thankful to my family, relatives, and friends for the support and help they have provided to me in my professional life right from the beginning. 

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Q7.  Are your engaged in any sort of mentorship programs outside your organisation to share your industry experiences with peers? 

Yes, I am involved in PMI Volunteer program providing mentorship to startups, NGOs and schools. 

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