VPS Healthcare ventures into medical coding

KOCHI: VPS Healthcare, the healthcare conglomerate with a chain of hospitals in india and the Gulf, has ventured into medical coding by launching a new group company named Dynamed Healthcare Solutions at Infopark phase-2 in Kochi.

Medical coding is the transformation of healthcare diagnosis, procedures, medical services, and equipment into universal medical alphanumeric codes. The diagnoses and procedure codes are taken from medical record documentation, such as transcription of physician's notes, laboratory and radiologic results, etc.

Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, chairman, VPS Healthcare, said recently the UAE has made medical coding mandatory while Saudi Arabia and Qatar are likely to follow suit. “Initially, Dynamed Healthcare will cater to the requirements of the VPS Healthcare’s own hospitals in the Gulf, which is handling around 3 million patients every year now at its eleven hospitals, one day-care centre and eleven medical centres. In phases, we would like to cater to the overseas requirements as well,” Dr. Vayalil added.

“At the new 17,500-sq ft state-of-the-art facility in Kochi, Dynamed currently employs 85 people and would be increasing the strength to 250 in three months’ time,” Vayalil said.

At present, there are more than 50,000 coders working in Chennai and Hyderabad each, while there are more than 20,000 coders in Bengaluru, more than 10,000 in Coimbatore and approximately 3,000 in Thiruvananthapuram, all are working for countries in the West.

“With our strong presence in the Middle East, we stand a good chance to tap the markets opening up there,” Vayalil added.