Viren Shetty - Unpacking India’s Healthcare Crisis | The Mave Health Podcast EP-01

In this candid conversation, Viren Shetty, Narayana Health Hospital's executive vice-chairman and healthcare visionary, sits down with Dhawal Jain, founder of Mave Health, for a chat that’s equal parts insightful and inspiring!

Together, they unpack the complexities of India’s healthcare system and the challenges it faces—from the gaps in administration to the stigma around mental health that still looms large. But it’s not just about the struggles. Viren and Dhawal talk about why building a business in the healthcare sector is so tough, sharing insider stories about startup life, navigating red tape, and the unique hurdles of innovating in a space where lives are at stake.

It's not all work and no play—this video is packed with relatable life lessons, big wins, and a look at what it takes to succeed in healthcare entrepreneurship. They also get personal, reflecting on their experiences growing up with working parents, how that shaped their work ethic, and what drives them to make an impact today.

Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a healthcare professional, or just someone curious about the future of health in India, this conversation is packed with wisdom, real talk, and plenty of lightbulb moments! 💡

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00:00 - Top Moments
01:23 - Introduction
02:06 - Viren's transition from being an engineer to managing hospital chains
04:48 - Being exposed to the realities of death in hospitals and tackling them
12:18 - Physician Burnout
17:12 - What led Viren to launch a 24/7 mental health care team for doctors?
20:00 - Did Dr. Devi Shetty's long hours inspire the launch of the 24/7 care team?
21:27 - Why didn't Viren choose to become a doctor?
24:26 - What’s the mood at home after a loss of life at the Operation Theatre?
25:58 - Are there conflicts at home between your father's patient-centric and your business growth approach? How do you manage them?
28:31 - Viren's take on patient experience
33:28 - Why do Hospitals not publish total number of deaths?
37:01 - What accounts for the cost difference between hospital room types?
42:13 - Viren on why he established Narayana Health in the Cayman Islands
47:03 - The remarkable success of Narayana Health in the Cayman Islands
49:15 - How do the operations work at Naryana Health?
50:14 - Viren on sudden rush of PE investments in Indian Hospitals
56:30 - Why would anyone choose a hospital that tracks its revenue from patients?
58:57 - How does Viren balance impact-driven goals with profitability?
1:02:26 - Why don’t single-specialty psychiatric hospitals exist?
1:12:10 - Viren on Angel Investing
1:13:33 - Viren's advice to upcoming entrepreneurs.

[aksurve]

Viren is humble, rooted and extremely fit as well - remember few years back I used to do CrossFit WODs at Namma CrossFit in Koramangala

[vaikharisonawane]

My mom's a physician, and physician burnout is SO real. Also, this was crazy insightful. Thank you, Mave :)

[raghuraj]

Found this podcast useful from a medical students point of view .
Need more like this

[AmanKumar-tuog]

Amazing insights on the challenges in India’s healthcare system! 👏
And Love how they addressed the mental health stigma in India. Much needed! 💡

[roshanverghese]

Very good podcast, and viren replies instantly no delay whatsoever.
Bt you missed the most important question to ask him what does he think about dr B M HEGDE and his opinion on what he talks about medical field😅

[shreyaheda]

This is so well executed for the first ever podcast by Mave. Kudos!

[drecoli]

Wait.. I thought inpatients charges for investigations were higher than opd patients.. Because inpatient is inpatient because he is sicker than opd pt and get investigation done on a priority basis 1st than opd patient and hence price is on higher side for inpatient..?

[Indiebull]

Surge pricing/price discrimination as popularized by cab hailing apps is to make a cab available to you in "not so favorable conditions" quicker than the rest - as a user, it improves your probability to fetch a ride. How can this be justified when hospital has only one or two CT Scan units and all patients need to wait for the same machines. This is a very weak argument from VS. I am sure he can do better.

[fingers_crossed_]

Why is he looking like that one dancer 😦

[shiverbay]

This argument is absolutely bulshit. Every product or service should be priced according to what it costs to deliver and make a profit for the entrepreneur. Imaging going to a restaurant or a barber shop and they charge you more coz you are rich to subsidise the poor. Nobody would visit such a restaurant or barber. The way this cross subsidization is already done is through taxes. The reason hospitals do this is coz they can take advantage of emergencies when people's emotions take charge n can't make rational decisions. Opd charges are the same because they are not emergencies in general and there is repeat business, so people make rational choices. Many people go bankrupt or into deep debt due to their overcharging. He is just selling his own snake oil argument to justify taking advantage of people.