- Scope and Quality of Services
The scope of services spells out what you plan to do
and what you plan not to do. It defines the services that will be offered to clients.
It covers the range of competencies or skills you intend to put on display. To
be successful, you should define the scope of service you are going to offer.
In defining your scope, ask yourself these
questions; what skills do I have or intend to provide to the community? What
services are already available in the community? Do I plan to improve on
existing services, innovate or create something entirely different? What do the
people really need? How will I differentiate my business from others already in
existence?
Honest answers to these questions will help you
define your scope. You will also be able to differentiate your services which will give you a comparative
advantage over existing competitors. This makes your hospital distinct and
attracts clients to try out your service for the first time.
When they do come, it is important to make a positive first
impression to keep them coming back. This is where quality comes in to play. Quality is the ability to provide service of
the highest and finest standard at all times.
Cost
of Services
Many developing countries lack social security
safety nets like health insurance; especially among the millions in the
informal sector living in suburban areas. The cost of your services is
therefore a decisive factor in determining patient turn out. Too low prices may
be unprofitable. Too high prices may also be prohibitive and limit the patient
inflow. Prices must therefore be set at an affordable rate for the majority of
people. Though prices can be used to differentiate your services, it is wiser
to remember that a suburban area has many residents who may not afford high
prices.
The good news is many government workers also live
in suburban areas and commute to the city daily. The uptake of health insurance
among this group of residents is probably over 95%. In addition, there is a renewed
drive by the government of developing nations to increase the uptake of health
insurance among those in the informal sector. It will therefore be necessary
for you to get your hospital registered with the National Health Insurance
Scheme in your country. This gives you a steady flow of monthly income (called
capitation) irrespective of patient turn out. What you need to do is to ensure
as many patients as possible choose your hospital as their healthcare provider.
In addition, there are a few private sector
individuals living in suburban areas who can afford their health bills. The bad
news is many of them will rather go to bigger cities for health care because
they erroneously believe that bigger cities have better doctors and better facilities.
I recall an incidence I had while in Medical School. My Mum had a gynecological condition that
required her to undergo an Examination under Anesthesia (EUA). I discussed with
a friendly Gynecologist who had over 25 years experience behind him. But her
elder sister (my aunt) would have none of it. Though, my school was located in
a big city, her elder sister was a Chief Nursing Officer in a bigger city and
felt her hospital could provide a better service. She requested that my Mum be taken to Lagos for an EUA!! Finally, I had my way and the helpful Consultant performed the procedure. I have seen this same
scenario play out over and over again. Some patients always feel that because a city is bigger, it will have better health facilities than a suburban area. Though, there may be some truth in this belief, it is not always the case.
The question facing you is how to offer services at
a cost that such people can appreciate and yet others can afford. You shouldn't be too cheap else they will think you are not giving them the best. In my
opinion, this may be resolved in 3 ways.
a. . Define
your target market and stick to it. Who would you rather cater to? The few
private individuals or the many government workers and informal artisans?
b.. Do
a market survey when developing your business plan. This will give you an idea
of what your target patients will pay for particular services. Then look at the
cost of providing that service. After which you can fix a price that may be
acceptable to the majority of residents.
c. . Hire
an advertising agency to help you brand your hospital. Create a brand for your
hospital. Be known for something; Starbucks is known for good coffee, Google is
known for search engines, Coca-cola is known for quality soft drinks. What will
you be known for? Don’t forget that there is a chance that clients outside the
suburban area may also access your services if you have a good brand.
Skill
set
Finally, ask yourself the following questions. What skills do you possess? Can you provide
the services you are promising to offer? Are you going to employ someone with
the skills you intend to use? Though, you certainly cannot provide all the
skills you need to function, but it is wise that you have training and
certification in the core services of your business. This is because human
beings are unreliable and the labor turnover rate in small scale hospitals in
suburban Africa is quite high. You should therefore train to be a ready back up
if for example, the Sonologist goes AWOL for two weeks.
Establishing a hospital in a suburban area can be a risky venture but the dividend is worth the risk. It is a venture worth getting into.
Best of Luck!!
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