Bhubaneswar, Odisha: In healthcare, financial decisions extend far beyond balance sheets, operating costs and investment returns. They can determine whether advanced medical equipment reaches patients on time, whether hospitals remain financially sustainable and whether quality treatment is accessible to families across economic backgrounds. For CA Bidhu Bhusan Nayak, Director–Finance at Sparsh Healthcare, these considerations must ultimately serve one fundamental priority: saving lives.
A Chartered Accountant by profession, Nayak has spent approximately two decades working in healthcare management, bringing financial planning and strategic decision-making into a sector where operational efficiency directly affects patient services. In a recent conversation with Interview Times, he discussed the relationship between financial viability and affordable treatment, the challenges facing public healthcare infrastructure in Odisha, the importance of professional management and the opportunities emerging from technology and entrepreneurship.
An Unplanned Journey into Healthcare Finance
Born in Cuttack and an alumnus of Ravenshaw University, Nayak initially imagined a career very different from the one he eventually pursued. His father hoped he would become a doctor, while he was fascinated by the idea of becoming a fighter pilot. A friend’s suggestion to study commerce introduced him to finance, eventually leading him to Chartered Accountancy.
His entry into healthcare was not the result of a predetermined ambition to work in the medical sector. Rather, his financial expertise gradually brought him into healthcare management, where he has spent around 20 years working at the intersection of business operations and patient services.
He explained that healthcare requires contributions from professionals across disciplines, including finance, human resources, biomedical engineering and clinical practice. While doctors and nurses deliver medical care, the institution supporting them must also manage infrastructure, human resources, equipment, investment and operational costs.
For Nayak, this distinction is central to understanding hospital management. Financial leadership is not separate from healthcare delivery; it helps create the conditions under which medical professionals can provide treatment effectively.
“Life First”: When Financial Decisions Become Human Decisions
One of the clearest principles emerging from Nayak’s discussion was that financial considerations must not precede emergency patient care.
He explained that when an accident victim arrives at a hospital, the immediate priority is stabilisation and necessary treatment. The patient’s circumstances and the cost of treatment can be assessed after urgent medical needs have been addressed.
When patients cannot afford treatment, the hospital may explore available assistance, including support through corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds, depending on the circumstances and available resources. Where a complex procedure cannot reasonably be provided within the patient’s financial means and the necessary arrangements are available elsewhere, referral to an appropriate public healthcare facility may be considered.
His position reflects a difficult responsibility for healthcare finance professionals: maintaining the financial viability of an institution while recognising that medical emergencies cannot always be approached like ordinary commercial transactions.
For Nayak, the objective is not to disregard costs but to ensure that financial constraints do not become the first consideration when a life needs to be saved.
Preventive Healthcare Must Reach Beyond Hospitals
Nayak believes healthcare should not be limited to treating people after they become seriously ill. He advocates a stronger emphasis on preventive services, regular health check-ups and free health-check initiatives that can bring medical attention closer to communities.
He argued that patients generally do not enter hospitals by choice; illness, accidents, environmental conditions and other circumstances often compel them to seek treatment. This makes prevention and early detection essential components of a more accessible healthcare system.
He expressed this approach through a simple idea: hospitals should also make efforts to reach people, rather than expecting people to approach hospitals only after their health deteriorates.
His argument also raises a broader question about healthcare accessibility in India. The availability of advanced facilities does not automatically make them accessible to everyone. The challenge is to ensure that quality treatment is available at costs that patients can reasonably afford.
Quality, Affordability and the Economics of Hospital Care
According to Nayak, maintaining affordability requires a realistic understanding of the costs involved in delivering medical services. Hospital expenditure includes equipment acquisition, maintenance, consumables, electricity, technical personnel, nursing staff, specialist doctors and regulatory requirements.
He explained that even apparently straightforward diagnostic services involve multiple cost components. The price of a scan, for instance, cannot be assessed independently of the machine’s purchase cost, useful life, maintenance arrangements, consumables and staffing requirements.
He also questioned the application of identical treatment tariffs across hospitals with substantially different infrastructure, investment levels and clinical expertise. In his view, pricing frameworks should consider these differences while maintaining appropriate standards of quality and affordability.
Nayak argued that government agencies and private healthcare providers need meaningful consultation when treatment tariffs are determined, particularly under government-funded healthcare schemes. If reimbursement rates do not adequately account for the costs of delivering a service, hospitals may face financial pressure that affects their capacity to invest and expand.
At the same time, he emphasised that financial sustainability must not justify compromising treatment quality or treating patients differently because of their economic circumstances.
He advocated greater consistency and transparency in healthcare pricing, suggesting that hospitals could be categorised according to factors such as infrastructure, investment and capacity, with reasonable pricing ranges established accordingly.
For him, the objective is to maintain a balance between the financial viability of healthcare institutions and the affordability of treatment for patients.
Odisha’s Public Healthcare System: The Challenge of Execution
Discussing healthcare access in Odisha, Nayak pointed to delays in implementing infrastructure decisions as an important operational challenge. He referred to the state’s public healthcare network, which includes community health centres, primary health centres, district headquarters hospitals and medical colleges.
During the interview, he estimated that the public healthcare system provides approximately 70 per cent of healthcare services, underscoring its importance in reaching the wider population. This figure reflects his estimate during the conversation.
He argued that the challenge is not always the absence of a policy decision or budget allocation, but the time taken to translate decisions into functioning services.
Healthcare equipment can lose technological relevance when procurement and installation take too long. Even when equipment is installed, it cannot serve patients effectively without trained technicians, appropriate staffing and regular maintenance.
Nayak also raised concerns about delays in procurement and supply-chain processes, including the delivery of essential equipment and consumables. In his view, the effectiveness of a healthcare facility depends on the coordination of infrastructure, personnel and technology.
A hospital may possess advanced machines but lack the technicians required to operate them. Equally, trained doctors cannot provide the intended level of care if appropriate equipment is unavailable.
He therefore stressed that decision-making, procurement, recruitment and maintenance must move at a pace consistent with the urgency of healthcare delivery.
Technology and Skilled Professionals Must Grow Together
For Nayak, investment in healthcare infrastructure involves two closely connected priorities: modern equipment and qualified human resources.
He explained that technological advancements can improve precision and reduce the time required for certain treatments. However, technology alone cannot deliver results without professionals who possess the necessary expertise to use it effectively.
He also highlighted the need for businesses and professionals to adapt to the growing influence of artificial intelligence. In his view, AI is increasingly shaping business decisions, making continuous learning and upskilling essential across industries.
The level of expertise required may differ according to a person’s responsibilities, but professionals must develop the knowledge needed to remain relevant in changing work environments.
Rather than resisting technological change, Nayak encouraged people to understand it and adapt their skills accordingly.
Professional Management and the Future of Entrepreneurship
Beyond healthcare, Nayak discussed the importance of entrepreneurship and professional management in strengthening the wider economy.
He encouraged individuals with promising ideas to explore ways of turning them into commercially viable ventures. However, he noted that an idea alone is insufficient: entrepreneurs must assess capital requirements, develop an appropriate business structure and build the human resources necessary to execute their plans.
The choice between a proprietorship, partnership, private limited company or public limited company, he explained, should depend on the nature of the venture, its funding requirements and its operational needs.
He also highlighted the distinction between ownership and management. Investors may retain control over the composition of a company’s leadership without necessarily managing its daily operations.
In his view, professional managers bring specialised knowledge and the ability to respond to changing technology, policies, competition and global developments. Businesses that fail to adapt their management practices may struggle to deliver the results expected by investors.
He identified both financial capital and human capital as essential to sustainable enterprise development, encouraging the upskilling of workers and the creation of opportunities for entrepreneurship, startups and small businesses.
Sparsh Healthcare’s Expansion and Long-Term Priorities
Nayak’s approach to healthcare finance is closely connected to Sparsh Healthcare’s stated commitment to providing quality treatment at affordable costs. According to the organisation’s official website, Sparsh Healthcare operates hospitals in Odisha alongside pharmacy and nursing education services.
Reflecting on the organisation’s journey, Nayak said its commitment to affordable, quality healthcare had remained central since operations began in 2007.
During the interview, he stated that a third hospital was under construction and a fourth project was under negotiation. These plans, as described during the conversation, reflect the organisation’s intention to expand its capacity and reach more patients. Their current status should be confirmed before publication.
He also expressed the ambition to make advanced medical procedures and technological developments available to patients in Odisha at reasonable costs, rather than allowing access to depend entirely on economic status.
For Nayak, expansion is not simply about increasing the number of hospitals or beds. It also requires investment in modern equipment, qualified specialists, efficient management and systems capable of maintaining quality as the organisation grows.
Financial planning, in this context, must account for future demand, existing capacity, patient occupancy, competition and the facilities expected to enter the market. Expansion decisions cannot be made in isolation from these factors.
Advice to Young Professionals
Offering advice to young professionals interested in healthcare, Nayak returned to the sector’s fundamental purpose: serving people and saving lives.
His own career demonstrates how expertise developed in one professional field can contribute to another sector with wider social implications. Finance, he suggested through his discussion, has an important role in making healthcare institutions sustainable, supporting infrastructure and enabling the delivery of medical services.
For aspiring entrepreneurs and professionals, he emphasised the importance of developing relevant skills, adapting to technological change and understanding the practical requirements of turning ideas into viable ventures.
His perspective also reinforces the importance of recognising that healthcare is a collaborative undertaking. Clinical expertise, financial planning, technology, infrastructure and responsible management must work together to produce meaningful outcomes.
Beyond the Balance Sheet
CA Bidhu Bhusan Nayak’s perspective on healthcare finance brings together two responsibilities that are often discussed separately: ensuring that hospitals remain financially sustainable and ensuring that patients can access the treatment they need.
His argument is not that financial discipline should be abandoned, but that it must operate within the larger purpose of healthcare. Reasonable returns support continued investment, while transparent pricing, efficient administration and preventive services can contribute to broader access.
As healthcare systems confront rising costs, technological change and increasing expectations, the challenge will be to translate these principles into everyday decisions about treatment, staffing, equipment and expansion.
For Nayak, the starting point remains clear: financial decisions must support the purpose for which healthcare exists. Saving lives comes first; the financial sustainability of the institution must then make it possible to continue serving patients.
