Welcome to MMHRC/MMH
Meenakshi Mission Hospital and Research Center (MMHRC/MMH) was started 18 years ago by its charismatic founder, Dr. N. Sethuraman, who is the current Chairman. The hospital has transformed to become a major multicare facility in the state of Tamil Nadu and is by far the largest in Madurai. Today, it ranks among the top ten hospitals in India among some specialties, has over 1500 staff, through university partnerships and runs many academic programs in nursing and health sciences (its in the process of starting a MBBS program.
What is special about the hospital is the close relationship it has with the community. Through charities and fund raising activities, it has been able to provide free and subsidized care for needy patients, free meals for poorer patients and family members taking care of them, and runs at least a dozen other programs, such as providing free surgery for children with heart disorders, cataract surgeries etc. Relatives of patients are welcome to share the corridor and hallways as they care for their loved ones. On any day or night, you will find hundreds of family members making the hospital their home. Many patients and staff consider the chairman a demigod.
With India’s liberalization in health care and the quest for new commercial opportunities, five new corporate hospitals are starting operations in Madurai. This results in a highly competitive environment and MMHRC can no longer rely on its benevolent ideology for patient acquisition. Because of its free and subsidized programs, and its association with poorer patients, wealthier patients don’t consider MMH as an appropriate place for their own treatment. Other patients still visit Chennai or one of the branded hospitals despite the high quality of physicians, modern medical equipment, and caring staff in MMHRC.
MMHRC is lucky to have many outstanding staff who work long hours tirelessly and are motivated by the vision of the founder. A year ago, outstanding professional managers have been recruited to run the hospital. This brings new opportunities and challenges.
My main project will be in the brand positioning of the hospital. I am also working in at least a dozen projects in marketing, information technology, grant writing.
Madurai, Tamil Nadu:
Madurai is about four hundred and fifty kilometers south from Chennai (formerly Madras). The main attractions are the Meenakshi Temple which dates back 3500 years and has been the hub of the city to date. Legend maintains that a farmer saw Indra (King of the Gods) in the Kadambavanam forests worshipping a swayambhu under a Kadamba tree. When this sighting was referred to King Kulaasekara Panday, he cleared the forest and built a temple at the spot and a city was planned with the temple at the center. (More about Madurai and its people in a later posting)
Temperatures: 38 degree centigrade (because it is close to the Equator, there is no cold day in Madurai)
Some observations about local customs:
It is common for people to list their names and degrees in their apartments/homes, and if they have their degrees from foreign counties, will also list the country where they received the degrees.
After Tamil women get married, their last name is replaced by the first name of their husbands.
Marrying maternal cousins is accepted here.
Many companies, including my hospital, work six days a week, Monday through Saturday.
People refer to automobiles by the number of tyres. A car becomes a four-wheeler, a motorcycle, a two-wheeler.
