All credit to female leaders, they are slowly but surely closing the gender gap. Today, women are flourishing in leadership positions across a number of historically male-dominated industries. One such leader transforming the diagnostics space is Dr. Shailaja Muniraj, Chief Radiologist and Managing Director at Prima Diagnostics.

Founded in 2017, by Dr. Gururaj Rao HT, and in 2018, Dr. Shailaja Muniraj became one of the investing partners and managing director. Prima Diagnostics is focused on integrated diagnostics. Prima Diagnostics is backed by highly-skilled staff specialized in diversified testing. The company provides the best diagnostic centres with the help of state-of-the-art imaging technology and highly-skilled doctors. Over the past few years, Prima Diagnostics has expanded its presence across Bangalore and Mysore to lead with light so that its customers can rely on them in times of need.

Can you brief us about the diagnostic labs and their most unique features? What are the areas of roles and responsibilities that you shoulder?

Prima Diagnostics was established with a vision to deliver all types of diagnostic tests under one roof. This helps patients get good care and accurate diagnosis while saving time. Most of the patients prefer Prima because of its cost-effective pricing, timely and accurate report delivery, and great ambiance. We are equipped with the latest technology and are always on par with the latest technology. I engage myself actively in reporting CT/ MRI cases and interventional radiology. I overlook end-to-end patient care, logistics, administration, and customer grievances.

What are the challenges that you encountered as a female MD and radiologist? And how do you tackle those challenges?

The challenge is that people are judgmental about women in any field and you have to constantly strive to prove yourself equal or better. We improve our quality of services based on data-driven studies, live experiences, and feedback from our clients. Whenever there is a need for problem-solving, we discuss it in detail and decide to take further action. Our objective is to help the communities achieve optimum health and enjoy the best quality of life possible. We also help in educating people about preventive healthcare.

Prima’s chain of Diagnostic Centres challenges the limits of conventional diagnostics through innovative technology and groundbreaking procedures that help diagnose the medical condition with more incredible speed and precision than ever before. By combining technological excellence with the expertise of skilled medical professionals and support staff, Prima helps every customer get accurate and reliable results. Luckily I have been blessed with the best and most supportive parents, in-laws, and husband. Of course huge credit to my entire team, they are my second family.

What makes your lab different than other Diagnostics centers?

With best-in-class infrastructure, and high-end equipment from top global suppliers like GE, Philips, Siemens, and Beckman Coulter, we can guarantee premium healthcare. Our team works together to deliver the highest standard of diagnostic care. The doctors provide expert interpretation of a broad range of high-end diagnostic services. With the mark of excellence, Prima Diagnostics follows best practices, and error-free processes, with strict compliance to quality standards. We are also ISO, NABH AND NABL accredited.

What's that one thing that motivates you to work more and achieve your goals?

My goal is to balance the clinical and economic outcomes for patients while improving the access to healthcare. We don't want any patients to skip out on getting their blood test or investigations completed due to cost, a negative experience, or an inaccurate report. The centre point for everything is the patient experience and the best clinical outcome for the patient.

"Prima’s chain of diagnostic centres challenges the limits of conventional diagnostics through innovative technology and groundbreaking procedures that help diagnose the medical condition with more incredible speed and precision than ever before"

What would your advice be for more and more women who are aspiring to venture into the field of Diagnostics or medicine?

I would say never quit and keep upskilling yourself. You should always know when to give up and when to try something else. Whenever your company is going through a rough patch, you have to invest time in reinventing the entire company instead of giving up. Do not be afraid to make decisions and make mistakes. Don't be afraid to seek out the advice of others who are knowledgeable. Simply said, an expert is someone who has more experience than you have. It does not imply that they always have the solution.

What are your future dreams in the field of healthcare?

Basic health tests, whether preventive or diagnostic are a form of birthright and should be accessible to all our citizens at an affordable cost. This is particularly important for remote areas of our country. I have always believed in technology-enabled healthcare and currently, we are on the brink of a new era in radiology artificial intelligence. This is the future and it is for mankind. AI will ASSIST radiologists, and reduce human errors and has been showing promising results and this is something I am actively working on.

Dr. Shailaja Muniraj, Chief Radiologist Managing Director, Prima Diagnostics

Dr. Shailaja is a radiologist by profession. She has accumulated 10 years of experience. She has completed MD in radiology. Immediately after completing her MD in radiology, she began working for Sakra World Hospital, Clumax Diagnostics, and Rainbow children’s hospital. And there she pursued purely a radiology job. She is passionate about technology-enabled healthcare, the medical field, and artificial intelligence.