Business pumps through Vayalil’s veins: Shamsheer Vayalil

Shamsheer Vayalil believes business is in his blood. He is driven by a need to serve the global community and built VPS Healthcare to deliver excellence in patient care. He says he is driven by "the zeal to do something extra, walk that extra mile and serve the community." This is what pushed him to foray into business. "We always have to help our fellow brothers and sisters," he says. 

Shamsheer’s motivations are often philanthropic, and he says he draws inspiration from his family. "My elder brother is a doctor, and during my teen years I saw his passion for helping others and the respect he had for his work from the community. So I decided to become a doctor. After working for about a year, I realised that I could serve many more people through pursuing business rather than working as a radiologist.

"At that time, the healthcare industry was moving towards the insurance model and we felt that there was a gap in the way medical care was being delivered. After considering all the prevailing circumstances, we decided to open our first hospital to address some
of the gaps in the market and in health care. We have been very fortunate and there has been no looking back since."

Disrupting healthcare

10 years ago, VPS Healthcare was born as Lifeline. Shamsheer says the company’s growth has been non-traditional: "We grew by creating different hospital brands like LLH, Burjeel, Lifecare, Medeor and other ancillary facilities. To streamline processes and the business, we decided to form the corporate office, and subsequently the group came to be known as VPS Healthcare."

In the next 10 years, he’s expecting a shake-up in the industry. "We are about to enter another golden age of health care. The future hospital will be a ‘one patient, one clinic’ model, personalised for well-informed individuals with unprecedented insights through self-quantification technologies.

"The healthcare industry has been long overdue for disruption, and I believe that we are on the cusp. 5 years ago, no-one would have thought that the industry would be revolutionised at such a rapid pace, and especially not by companies like Apple, which are not primarily associated with health care."

Patient first

Despite the rate of change, VPS Healthcare is well positioned to stay at the fore. "The UAE health sector has evolved at a rapid pace, and we have been running shoulder to shoulder with the trends. New regulations continue to be introduced every now and then, and just like all of the other private healthcare providers, we too modify our approach as per the regulators’ decisions.

"The competition has grown rapidly, especially over the past 5 years, and there is now an over-saturation of beds in some areas, whereas the optimal quantity of beds is lacking in others. Given the conditions, we believe that it is time to consolidate the existing services and streamline the processes."

Shamsheer firmly believes in the old adage ‘prevention is better than cure’, and this has been key to VPS Healthcare’s success. "We have been actively involved in raising awareness about various health conditions like breast cancer. We also believe in helping the community in any manner and sticking to our beliefs. Our approach has always been ‘patient first’ and providing the best medical care at affordable rates."

Social good

VPS Healthcare’s work has been widely lauded, yet Shamsheer remains deeply affected by the social good his organisation delivers.

"At the completion of our ‘100 Free Heart Surgeries Initiative’, we had a small get-together with the patients and their family members in Bengaluru. I interacted with the parents of kids as young as 2 years old, and the joy and gratitude in their eyes is something I will never forget. I had never met these people before and was truly moved by experiencing the love and affection bestowed upon me.

We also believe in helping the community in any manner and sticking to our beliefs.

"That is one of the reasons we extended our initiative, as we believe that the need for medical care is significant and we should do all in our power to ensure that everyone gets the care they need and deserve. I continue to be humbled and feel great pride thanks to the support and recognition given to me by the UAE government and by the local community here."