The diagnostic industry in India is one of the fastest-growing service industries and over the next five years, the estimated $9.5 billion domestic diagnostic market is anticipated to increase at a CAGR of 11 percent. Despite the fact that the Indian diagnostic market is expanding and more women are entering the healthcare sector, they are underrepresented at the highest levels of leadership, particularly at the executive and board levels. Dr. Rekha Radhesh is a doctor and entrepreneur who is breaking the mold by running a diagnostic chain and bringing forth a revolution in the industry. Currently, she is the Laboratory Director at Celara Diagnostics, a NABL-accredited laboratory. Celara also offers services in Radiology, Cardiology, Pulmonology, Neurology, Gastroenterology, and speciality consultation services.

How have your educational journey and prior industry experience shaped you for your current role as a doctor and an entrepreneur?

After finishing school, I moved to Bangalore to study medicine, a subject that really fascinated me. Thereafter, I completed my MBBS from Bangalore Medical College and was part of the first batch of post-graduate students of MD Pathology at St John's Medical College in Bangalore. I then worked in various hospitals and diagnostic centers to learn the ins and outs of the industry and realized that despite diagnostic services providing 70 percent of the information required to make crucial clinical decisions, the Indian diagnostic industry was unorganized and fragmented. This was when we decided to start our own integrated diagnostic setup offering radiology and laboratory services as by then I had understood the need for such a setup and saw how different modalities can work together to offer an accurate diagnosis. Thus was born Clumax Diagnostics, Bangalore in 2005 which was at that time, one of the few integrated diagnostic centers, offering the best of diagnosis and healthcare under one roof.

Being a Director of a Diagnostic Center entails considerable responsibility and accountability. Would you mind sharing your current priorities as Celara's Director?

Working in the medical field is a challenging task but to start each morning knowing that you’re doing a good job and  contributing to patient care is satisfying. In addition to my professional responsibilities as a director of Celara, I manage quality assurance, internal audits, training, and professional development of junior doctors and technologists, while also working towards company growth.

The medical field goes through rapid changes and developments and being in the industry you can’t afford to miss out on those. I am always trying my best to keep abreast with recent changes and trends occurring in the diagnostic sector so as to adapt to market demands and serve people better.

Share a brief overview of Celara Diagnostics with us. Tell us about the company's core principles and some of its most distinctive aspects.

Celara Diagnostics, which stands for Centre of Excellence in Laboratory and Radiology, was established in Bangalore in 2017 with the aim of offering personalized patient care while becoming the best and most reliable integrated diagnostic brand. Our center offers customers first-class amenities, strictly complying with international medical standards.

We at Celara offer "insights like never before" with our knowledge, new and updated technology, sophisticated processes, and a team of skilled, experienced, and committed employees. Because of our early investment in future technology, Celara undertakes advanced MR Imaging such as elastography, cartilage mapping, and cardiac MR, along with other advanced studies such as molecular biology which enables quicker treatment and faster recovery.

What are Celara's most noteworthy accomplishments, and what are the factors that have helped the center to be successful in the industry?

We built Clumax Diagnostics into a reputable and trustworthy brand despite having no prior business management experience and used the information we learned here to launch Celara Diagnostics. Celara is currently operating a flagship center in Basavanagudi and a fully functional second center on Infantry Road.

 "All of this has been possible due to sheer commitment, dedication, hard work, & team effort"

At Celara, we have a team of over 200 people, of whom more than 50 percent are women and this is by far the greatest accomplishment ever. Personally, to see women taking part and thriving in their roles as medical professionals is quite satisfying. When it comes to being successful as an organization, the credit goes entirely to our employees’ unwavering commitment, dedication, and hard work. Sure, it’s been a tough journey, faced with many roadblocks but together we have overcome them.

As a pioneer in the field, what was your source of inspiration to venture into this sector? Describe some of the difficulties you encounter as a medical practitioner and how you deal with those challenges.

Diagnostic centers are capital-intensive and need to keep pace with rapidly changing technology. Hence the goal was to set up a center with the motto of, "Patient First" and "Service Above All.” My intent is clear; I want to provide the very best in diagnostics under one roof, where people have access to the best equipment, technology, and expertise because as a doctor I know how important a role early diagnosis plays in any treatment.

The biggest challenge our sector faces is a lack of skilled technicians and we at Celara, offer on-the-job training to address this issue.

Dr. Rekha Radhesh, Director At Celara Diagnostics

Dr. Rekha has a degree in M.B.B.S and has done M.D Pathology. She is a medical practitioner and entrepreneur who believes Genomic Sequencing and Artificial Intelligence are going to transform the diagnostic space and will ensure early treatment and better recovery.