Is Clinical Test Outsourcing the new venture for India?


Looking back at the number of new avenues in the world of outsourcing, the latest question, which seems to be raising its head is-“ Is clinical test outsourcing the prospective new venture for India?” The question came into picture when Fortis Healthcare, a Ranbaxy Promoter group company is already known to be supplying clinical test results from outsourced British samples to a well known, unnamed private British hospital chain.

However, Britain is trying furiously to distance itself from reports that are on the point of agreeing to co-opt India as the world’s next outsourcing medical laboratory in a deal potentially worth just under one billion pound. If the U.K.’s NHS, the third largest employer in the world after the Chinese army and Indian Railways were to take up the Indian offer, Indian pathologists may become the new foot soldiers in the so called third phase of the hard fought outsourcing battle.

Observers are of the opinion that clinical tests outsourcing would make Britain’s medical unions up in arms about the potential loss of livelihood for an estimated 15,000 U.K. pathology workers. The Blair government is thought to be fighting shy of provoking yet another unions backlash, just 10 months before the expected general election.

Jesmine

Outsourcing Teleradiology To India


Outsourcing healthcare services like medical billing, coding and transcription has been common for some time now. As offshore outsourcing continues to grow and evolve there are an increasing number of services that are being outsourced. Services like teleradiology-the outsourcing of radiology reading, are on the rise as an acute shortage of radiologists has resulted in a longer period of waiting for diagnosis and treatment of patients. This is one area where outsourcing does not make financial sense, but is also essential to handle the extra work and provide quality healthcare to an ever-increasing number of patients.

There is a growing demand for radiologists in countries like the U.S and U.K. as the number of patients waiting to be diagnosed is on the rise. Outsourcing radiology doesnot simply involve cost savings, which is usually cited as the primary reason for offshore ventures, but also addresses the issue of timely diagnosis and treatment for patients. The time factor is critical here and outsourcing clinical services like radiology, faster turns around time for patients and proves to be cost effective as well.

Jesmine

Outsourcing To India To Rise Further


Offshore outsourcing to India will grow by at least 30 percent during 2004 keeping in mind the criteria of increased offshoring by bigwigs like IBM, EDS and Accenture, according to information technology research firm Giga. These companies are likely to increase their presence in India to compete against the major Indian vendors. Using India as an offshore outsourcing destination has quickly developed into an optimization strategy rather than a pure cost containment initiative due to the quality and productivity benefits being realized.

Analysts are of the opinion that India will continue to dominate as the preferred offshore outsourcing destination and Indian vendors will retain their leadership in the outsourcing marketplace. India will remain the best option for North American companies during 2004. But Indian vendors will continue to develop facilities in other low cost nations like China and Eastern Europe. Chinese language skills and remote management processes are not yet ready for the Western market, but they are well suited to support close neighbours like Japan.

Jesmine

Britain Extends Full Support to India On The Issue of Outsourcing


Unlike the U.S., Britain has recently assured India that it would extend full support to India on the issue of outsourcing. Unlike in the U.S., they have taken a different stand on the debate revolving around job losses and outsourcing to India. They have attempted to bring together trade unions and businesses to highlight that the processes will save rather than lose jobs.

Britain has understood the fact that, outsourcing one more job to India does not mean one job less in Britain. India is currently on its way to become the youngest country in terms of demographics in the next ten years, because of a large population in the working age group of 19 to 59. The issue of job losses due to outsourcing to India is meaningless, as there may not be enough people to do the work in Britain. Referring to the future of economic reforms in India, the CII President asserted that the process of liberalization would be carried forward.

Jesmine