New Delhi: Increasing women’s participation in healthcare leadership is not merely a diversity objective but a healthcare delivery imperative, industry leaders said during the session, “Women in Leadership in Healthcare”, at the 6th edition of ETHealthWorld’s Healthcare Leaders Summit.
Moderated by Vikas Dandekar, Editor-Pharma & Healthcare, The Economic Times Group, the discussion examined why a sector with a large female workforce continues to see relatively fewer women progress into senior decision-making roles.
Dr. Shuchin Bajaj, Founder and Director, Ujala Cygnus Hospitals, said women’s leadership is critical to delivering healthcare effectively, particularly in smaller towns and underserved communities.
“For me, it is not at all a diversity conversation. It is a healthcare delivery conversation,” he said.
Bajaj argued that hospitals cannot improve women’s health awareness or access without women participating in leadership and decision-making. He also highlighted the importance of hiring local talent, building visible career pathways and offering flexibility during major life transitions.
“It is not enough to have women in the room. We need them to be driving the room,” he said, adding that policies succeed only when local managers actively implement them.
Retention needs flexibility and career progression
Dr. Evita Fernandez, Chairperson, Fernandez Foundation, highlighted the challenges hospitals face in retaining nurses, particularly as marriage, relocation, overseas opportunities and government jobs influence career decisions.She said healthcare organisations need to invest more deliberately in training and progression. “You find potential leaders, nurture them, and they rise into management places,” Fernandez said.
She also advocated team-based clinical models that provide doctors with greater work-life predictability. Flexible scheduling, extended support during maternity and other life stages, and workplace safety can make a significant difference to retention.
“Do women feel respected, valued, and do they feel safe?” she asked, describing these as critical factors in whether women remain with an organisation.
Bias must be tackled at the managerial level
Shefali Tomar, Vice President, People and Culture, C.K Birla Hospital, said unconscious bias continues to shape hiring and career progression.
“There are pretty much a lot of unconscious biases which exist,” she said, citing concerns around marriage, maternity and continuity that can influence recruitment decisions.
Tomar argued that organisations need gender-agnostic processes for hiring, performance evaluation, compensation and promotions, supported by managers who are trained to make decisions based on talent and contribution.
She also described examples of employees moving from frontline roles into senior operational and patient-experience positions through structured mentoring, cross-functional exposure and succession planning.
The panel’s message was that healthcare organisations must move beyond representation targets. Building women leaders will require flexible systems, visible career paths, fair evaluation and managers who actively create opportunities for women to progress and lead.
