Selling French savoir faire
Entrepreneurial medical experts, architects, managers and other professionals have combined to develop hospitals and healthcare worldwide.
Understandably, any development or re-design of a healthcare institution is multi-faceted, and, given the changes in healthcare delivery and politics,
legal issues and much else, this is not a field for the inexperienced or faint-hearted. In recent years this need has resulted in a rise in consultancy, restructuring and engineering groups who, with the right expertise, can lift the burden from the shoulders of healthcare providers, whether private or public.
Paris-based IRIS (www.iris-conseil.com), a relatively young but now well-established international consultancy, was founded by its present Managing Director, Gerard Adda, an energetic, entrepreneurial surgeon (Laureate of the Paris Medical Faculty, who also has a masters in marketing and management, and is a well-known commentator on healthcare issues).In 1996, HospiConseil, which develops master plans (logistics, medical requirements, etc) for the construction of public and private hospitals, was acquired by Ideal Medical Products (IMP), a large group specialising in hospital engineering and medical equipment. This was an ideal ‘marriage’ to further expand their mutual activities in healthcare. As a subsidiary of IMP, Hospiconseil, with its team of researchers, project planners, managers, engineers, etc. combines well with IMP’s expertise - resulting in the construction of turnkey laboratories and hospitals.
Then, last year, IMP further expanded by adding IRIS Conseil Santé to its acquisitions.
The enterprise has worked on 50% of the public hospitals in France and, says Dr Adda, ‘We see no reason why we can’t be used in any other country.’ Indeed the company is already highly active worldwide, with completed projects including Serres Hospital, Greece; Pandan Hospital, Malaysia; Soldasky Maternity Hospital, Russia, for example, and current ones, such as those Tunisia, Turkey and Scotland (a hospital move to a green-field site), etc.
Working with the European Commission and the World Bank, the group is also reorganising primary care in two world regions. ‘Our think tank is unique,’ Dr Adda points out. ‘I don’t know of another that does what we do. We have something to sell, not only in Europe, but in eastern countries and elsewhere. We are selling our savoir faire.’
30.04.2003
