Medical tourism is a fledgling industry across the world. Some of the most common factors behind people looking for medical treatment overseas include cost-effective treatments, advanced hospitals, experienced doctors, travel opportunities, and the availability of specific treatments. However, it takes a lot of research to choose the best and most suitable country that can give the essential healthcare services, as well as visa arrangements, accommodation, and assistance, among many other things. Kaveri Amal, an Indian resident of UAE has identified this gap in the country and is working with her team to bridge it through her medical tourism company, Ortil Healthcare.

Kaveri Amal, an Electronics and Telecommunications graduate turned entrepreneur, is the founder and CEO of Ortil Healthcare. Through Ortil Healthcare, she ensures that patients have access to the best and most affordable medical treatment options across the globe. Kaveri and her team work together to find the right healthcare options available and provide end-to-end services right from online consultation to air medical services. The Women entrepreneur team had a chance to interact with Kaveri and here are excerpts from a conversation about the company and her professional journey.

Give us a brief overview of Ortil healthcare and the various areas of specialization that the company is known for.

Ortil Healthcare is a medical tourism company that assists patients who wish to travel to another country for medical treatment. We work with hospitals all around the world to assist patients to find a solution for their medical conditions and provide almost all end-to-end services. We have doctors on board who analyze patients' conditions so that we can choose the best hospital for them. We also handle visas, travel, and accommodation.

The company has translators on hand to assist patients with communication in other countries. We've partnered up with a few air ambulance companies. For patients who can't travel, we have an online consultation platform. Ortil Healthcare is currently concentrating on wellness therapies that are customized to individual countries.

Take us through your early educational and prior industry experience. What motivated you to foray into the field of medical tourism?

I went to school in Kerala and got a bachelor's degree in electronics and telecommunications from University of Kerala. I began my career as a Project Engineer at Wipro Technologies and worked there for two years. Following my marriage, I relocated to UAE and began working for the ADNOC Group, a petroleum corporation. Later, as an executive director, I joined the Al Zaabi Group. I learned management & administration and perceived MBA from University of Northampton UK.

Teamwork is working Together & Working together is Success. Though there were failures at the earlier stages, those gave me the confidence to venture on my own. We just began with a primary healthcare center but now we have a cosmetic medical centre, ayurvedic medical centre, and a chain of pharmacies.

“Teamwork is working together and working together is success”

What have been some of the most challenging aspects of running Ortil healthcare so far? How did you successfully counter these roadblocks?

Ortil Healthcare was started in India, but after the covid-induced lockdown, India was shut down, so I decided to go global with a thought that even if one region remains closed, we will have other possibilities. Now we have tie ups with the hospitals from various countries and so far it is going well. 

Nowadays, everything is done online, and people prefer online for everything, and due to the lockdown we also went online with a platform for consulting patients.

As the founder, how do you drive growth within the organization? What is your leadership mantra?

Teamwork is my leadership mantra for success. I believe that every employee has a hidden skill, and it is the leader's responsibility to bring it out. Your team should be motivated in such a way that your vision and mission become theirs as well. The success of your company is determined by how well your team works together. They, too, have their own growth ambitions, which the organization should support.

I don't believe in dictatorship; instead, I believe in giving people the opportunity to express their suggestions and ideas. Once you accept their suggestions, it becomes their responsibility too to carry the project forward.

How do you strike a balance between your work and home life? What would you advice women aspiring to become business leaders in the future?

Balancing job and family life is one of the most crucial and stressful aspects of life, particularly for women. I used to have a hard time managing the business and my family. But, with the support of family, I was able to get through it. I put a lot of emphasis on time management. Prior to my busy schedule, I will have an open discussion with my family about my plans. I also make sure that I don't miss any important days with my children.

I've met a lot of Indian women in the UAE, and I believe that society has limited women's ability to dream big. Women are expected to choose their families over her career and that kind of mentality has to be changed; people should respect women's choices. If looking after a family is her priority, no offence, but don't expect a woman to just look after her family over her career. Family support plays a major role in women success. I advise women to choose their priorities, be it a family or work and start working towards that.

Kaveri Amal, Founder & CEO, Ortil Healthcare

Kaveri Amal, an Indian resident of UAE has identified this gap in the country and is working with her team to bridge it through her medical tourism company, Ortil Healthcare.