Combining Psychiatry and Management for globally effective Healthcare
‘The needs of the last person in the last line have to be met before we can rest’ – quotes the dynamic Dr. Nachiketa Sinha
Guided by the principles his parents taught him – to treat everyone with dignity and respect – Dr. Sinha has emerged as a Global Force in the field of Mental Health. An acclaimed Psychiatrist, he is the Regional Chief of Staff, Horizon Health, Canada; Past President and Distinguished Fellow of Canadian Psychiatric Association; 3 times Past President of Provincial Psychiatric Association; Canadian Certified Physician Executive (CCPE); and a bestselling Author.
Nachiketa’s interest in psychiatry goes back to his medical college days. After his schooling at St. Michael’s, Patna, he studied medicine from Bijapur, Karnataka (India). He then trained in Psychiatry from the UK, moved to Canada in 2006, and completed an MBA from Sauder School of Business, Vancouver.
“I am a practicing Psychiatrist who also has an Executive role in Management. I always found the subject interesting, and the more I took interest in it, the more I realised how much impact mental health services can have on an individual and on a community as a whole. I started taking interest in Healthcare Management to help find solutions to systemic issues starting with local concerns.”
In a journey spanning 17 years, Nachiketa moved to Canada and started working for River Valley Health which later became Horizon Health as a Consultant Psychiatrist, later becoming the Chief of Psychiatry at Moncton Hospital. Currently, he serves as the Regional Chief of Staff, Horizon Health Network.
With a diverse experience honed over 3 continents, Nachiketa has played a significant role in advancements and innovations in mental health across the global community. He has led from the front by heading various roles, initiatives, and speaking engagements. He has also been honoured on international platforms with prestigious awards such as ‘Top 100 Global Healthcare Leaders’.
Speaking about his passion for the field, he says, “Being a physician has been a ‘way of life’ for me, but in my management role, I can see the ability to impact change at a larger scale. These are responsibilities that I enjoy and draw my energy from.”
Living with the mission – ‘Appropriate Access to Appropriate Care’, Nachiketa believes that healthcare will need to look at more efficient and resourceful ways of providing care. “Innovation will be an inseparable part of healthcare delivery like never before. I believe technology leaders in business will play a crucial role in ensuring that healthcare delivery is maintained in a changing world.”
To this effect, he also feels that while Covid-19 had a major global impact, it also allowed the rapid integration of virtual care in clinical practice. This integration has enabled increased access to care and would have taken several years if it hadn’t been necessarily sped by the needs that the pandemic created.
“A healthy population contributes to its community in many ways. One of these contributions is being gainfully employed and participating in the economy of community and country. A healthy country is a prosperous country.”
Nachiketa pooled his wisdom and global experience in the form of an internationally recognised self-help book – Empowered and Strong: Navigating safely through the storms of life. Borne out of requests by patients and colleagues, the book transcends the boundaries between East and West, and offers a Global perspective on issues that affect us all.
Those who know him, are quick to credit Nachiketa’s ability to connect with people and put them at ease. Not only is he an advocate of patientcentered care, but also a strong team player. “I believe one should enjoy the work they do, then it doesn’t feel like work rather it becomes the source of your energy. I find happiness in doing my work. But one also needs to understand that at best, one is the tip of a team and there are a lot of people supporting me as I pursue what I do. My perceived successes would be unattainable without my team that supports me. So, my successes aren’t really my own, they belong to my team.”
Leaving us with a message, he says, “Respect and dignity is the least you can offer to the person in front of you, and sometimes, it could be the only thing, so make sure you know how to do that.”
