Dr. Garima Sawhney On Building An End-To-End Care Delivery Service For Elective Surgeries

In the vast landscape of healthcare innovation, some stories stand out not only for their transformative impact but also for the unique journey and cultural shifts they bring about.

One such narrative is the inspiring journey of Pristyn Care, a unicorn in the healthcare sector, founded by the dynamic trio of Dr. Garima Sawhney, Mr. Harsimarbir (Harsh) Singh, and Dr. Vaibhav Kapoor.

Pristyn Care has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Trifecta Capital, Kunal Shah, Peak XV Partners, Tiger Global Management, and Hummingbird Ventures.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Pristyn Care, a healthcare unicorn, emerged from the vision of Dr. Garima Sawhney and her co-founders, focusing on transforming elective surgeries with a patient-centric approach.
• The journey reflects the trio’s commitment to addressing gaps in the surgical sector, leveraging their diverse backgrounds and experiences.
• Pristyn Care’s success lies in cultivating a culture that values empathy, understands patient pain points, and prioritizes customer needs throughout the organization.
• Fundraising milestones, from initial bootstrapping to unicorn status, highlight the team’s resilience and ability to navigate challenges, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The innovative asset-light model of Pristyn Care emphasizes end-to-end, hassle-free patient experiences, streamlining everything from initial consultation to post-surgery follow-ups.
• Dr. Garima Sawhney’s insights into overcoming gender stereotypes encourage aspiring female entrepreneurs to prioritize self-confidence, view challenges as strengths, and maintain work-life balance.
• With a clear vision for the future, Pristyn Care aims to expand into new cities, diversify specializations, and eventually become a public company, symbolizing the next wave of innovation in healthcare startups.

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About Dr. Garima Sawhney:

Dr Garima Sawhney is the co-founder of Pristyn Care and a practicing Senior Gynecologist with an experience of over 15 years.

She holds an MBBS degree from Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, Aurangabad, Maharashtra and an MS (Obstetrics & Gynaecology) from Bhartiya Vidyapeeth Medical College and Hospital, Pune, Maharashtra.

Garima has previously worked with Max Healthcare and CK Birla Hospital. She is an industry leader who has been an early adopter of the latest technological advancements in Laser and minimally invasive treatment procedures.

Garima has performed over 10,000 surgeries and is now a successful entrepreneur and the co-founder of Pristyn Care India’s leading healthcare unicorn.

Connect with Dr. Garima Sawhney:

• RocketReach
• LinkedIn
• Crunchbase
• Zoominfo

Read the Full Transcription of the Interview:

Alejandro Cremades: All righty hello everyone and welcome up to the dealmakerr show. So today. We have an absolute rockstar entrepreneur joining us. You know I think that what she’s been able to build is really remarkable. You know we’re gonna be talking about the way that she went about building the business which is a unicorn also culture. Thinking about customers thinking about employees how they went about raising money why you know their business is different. Their model is different and also how to think about healthcare when it comes to India what an incredible country and and the growth that they’re experiencing too and then also how to look forward and think about the. Vision and the future you know of the operation of their business so without further ado. Let’s welcome our guest today Dr Garima Sahani welcome to the show.

Dr. Garima Sawhney: Hi Elandro I’m very proud to be on this platform today. It’s great to connect with you and to your audience.

Alejandro Cremades: Thank you so much. So so so for the people that are listening to really get to know you a little bit give us a walk through memory lane. How was life growing up in India in a small town there.

Dr. Garima Sawhney: Ah, so I was born in India in a very small town you can say in Harana that’s called hissar um, moved to multiple places you know my father was initiallyina sowiz job and then he started with his own business in a small town in bihar and you know. Because he bootstrapped his idea he was into agricultural manufacturing thing so he used to travel a lot and you know at that point of time my mother was like someone who was a housewife and was taking care of ah 2 of their kids me and my brother you know. And and I have seen both of them sacrificing a lot you know for us and for whatever dream dream they had seen in their career so have seen my parents struggling sacrificing working hard since childhood you know and. Somewhere you know at that point of time in our country I would say every parent wanted a child to be either a doctor or an engineer. Ah so my father used to be like that. What if you become a doctor and your brother becomes ah an engineer so somewhere that thought you know stayed in my mind and.

Dr. Garima Sawhney: I always like from my childhood was very clear that I want to become a doctor though it was a hard hard journey because so you have to go through law of entrance, exams and stuff but something was there and and 1 thing was that looking into looking into the population in the country and doctor patient ratio in our country and and. Somewhere the personal thought was also there that I was like if something goes wrong with me I would I should know what’s happening with me so that thought made me become like have made me go through my mbbs journey you know after finishing off with my mbbs. Um, ah. The the the second thought was doing the specialation again. My the role of my father came in and he was like see Garama you you are the only doctor in the family and no one else is like a doctor so I come from a non-doctor background means the first and the last doctor of my family. Ah, so he was like what if you start doing something which is there in the female line and and the best branch or the best specialiality you can choose is become is becoming a gynecologist because that is something where the risk is low for you. So that’s how I ended up becoming a gynecologist. You know I finished off with my masters in 2013 worked in various hospitals till that time in various institutes. Ah government hospitals private hospitals.

Dr. Garima Sawhney: And in 2013 I joined a corporate hospital worked there as a junior doctor. So while while I was working as a junior doctor over there. You know? Um, um, you you go through a lot of things you meet lot of patients and and and I can say from very beginning. I feel I am a very empathetic and empathetic. Kind of a person who loves talking to patients. so ah so I I still remember if even the night I was doing some delivery I used to get emotional emotional seeing the birth of the baby and then used to talk to a lot of patients even in the nighttime. And and you know they’re they’re the you know you can say the patient side of issues used to come towards me though I was doing all these things being being a junior doctor in one of the bigger corporate hospitals. The path of becoming a successful doctor was something which which loop tough. You know because ah there is you can say the senior will remain senior for life and you being junior will remain junior for life. So ah that that that thing used to pinch me a lot and you know with with that thought I started with my own practice I started with a small clinic. Um, in 2017 where I started with all the challenges where in being a doctor I was not knowing how the marketing thing happens how how to get the patients because patients in India usually come um to a doctor with with the name you know the word of mouth is there.

Dr. Garima Sawhney: Then the patient only comes and being a junior doctor a new doctor in the city. It was very hard to bring in patients so learn lot of tricks and techniques that how can I bring in patient but the most difficult was that how to retain them with me. You know, um, you will see the patient but what if you are not having that experience. You are not having gray hairs. Um, so. Why will a patient stay with you so learn, learn that thing from patients only like wherein I used to hear their problems I used to tell them about the right treatment options which they can have and that is how I developed my practice so when when you know we were. I was practicing my own clinic and seeing a lot of patients over there taking their feedbacks and also seeing the life of other doctors similar similar to me you know day in spite of knowing a lot of surgeries and skills and everything. They had to be in the same boat. You know they they have even if they have the surgical hand and skill they were not someone who were getting an opportunity to see their own patients. So they they will remain junior doctors ah for for lot of their years of life so ah you know the struggle was there everywhere struggle was there towards the doctor’s side. The struggle was there towards the patient’s side wherein patient wanted that personal touch a doctor’s sympathy a right treatment a right diagnosis you know with these ideas you know with my two friends.

Dr. Garima Sawhney: 1 is a Dr Dr Weov and second hish we started this organization Pristine Carein 2018 where and we identified 20 areas where we can solve the job solve the journey of the patient in the surgical sector. You know we we we were.

Alejandro Cremades: And before and before before going deeper into this walk us through how you know the cofounding Team. You know, get to got got together and and that moment where you know you guys were like oh you know like this could be an interesting path to follow and then all of a sudden. You know it becomes fully clear to you all that it was worth it to take action and what that action looked like towards you know, bringing the company to life.

Dr. Garima Sawhney: Um, so first I will tell you how we 3 came together. So um, you know my other two co-founders Mr. Harsh and Dr Webe ah they are childhood friends. You know they they they were born in small city in India louisiana they they did their schooling together from kagey to 12 standards so they were in same school so they were like kindergarten friends you know and ah Hersh opted non-medical wherein. He ended up becoming an engineer. Web of became a doctor and I in Weber were mbbs batchmates you know and so spite of being and mvbas matchmates we are also husband and wife you know so we we both were going through the same journey. You know, same? Um, ah life struggles same. Same doctor troubles same patient troubles. We were seeing those things and ah hersh himself like had done 3 startups in the past and he he was someone who was always passionate of doing something new. So it was like we we 3 ah were very close friends because I got to know Hersh during my mbbas days. So we we we knew each other like me and herrsch knew each other since last over 15 twenty years now right? and hersh and we now I would say they know each other since more than 35 years so ah

Dr. Garima Sawhney: When then we were together in gurnavi both were practicing. He was working here. We used to meet every day we used to talk about. Ah, everyone’s struggle and somewhere I can I can say that the common thing was there in the head everybody ah 3 of us wanted to prove. Something in life. You know one wanted to be a successful doctor one wanted to be a successful entrepreneur. The third one like I as I said that I come from a non-doctor background my I have seen my father into agriculture business wherein. Um, he he always used to tell me that you don’t have to be a doctor for classes. You have to be a doctor for masses so that thought was always there in the head. So ah when when we 3 decided so we used to meet every day we used to tell about our schedule what kind of patients we saw what kind of. Ah numbers of op pds we have done what kind of surgeries we are doing so we thought that let’s do a pilot because we at that point of thought time I would say that was the real ah problem which which we could see in healthcare you know healthcare has been always challenging in in India you know. So ah, that gap in the surgical sector was so clear that when a patient comes in the right information has to be given insurance is a big issue. You know that needs to get cleared up. You know if if an old couple is there and they need some kind of a treatment.

Dr. Garima Sawhney: And the family is not here how that couple will come to the hospital and get the treatment done. So all those issues we try to solve and it was something wherein. You can say we were we three were at our peak of careers and we thought let’s let’s try this because this looked like to be a genuine problem and. So we said okay, fine. Let’s do a pilot for six months let’s see whether we succeed or not because none of us. Um, means being doctors you know at that point of time it was something wherein. We were having that confusion in head that whether we get funding or something like that or not so. The the success of which we were forecasting at that point was very low. The success rate of having ah this kind of a build-up organization. We had not thought about it. but um but I think the problem which we identified in the way we executed. The way we founded our team I would say that that led to the success of this particular organization.

Alejandro Cremades: So talking about pristine care for the people that are listening to really get it. What is the what ended up being the business model. How do you guys make money.

Dr. Garima Sawhney: So um, pristine care is something which is around elective Surgeries. You know we do surgeries but in elective side I Hope people do understand what is elective in emergency but I will still Explain. Electcive surgeries are basically planned surgeries. It’s not like an emergency kind of a situation wherein a person rushed to the hospital and gets to know something which is at that point of time is life-threatening and the person needs a surgery at that immediate moment and those surgeries are like we can say Appendicitis. Deliveries. All these things are or pain off a Kidney stone All these kind of surgeries are emergency surgeries but there are certain type of surgeries like if you have gall bladder Stone If you have problems like piles fisure. Um, you have any other issues like any female is having. Some guy need problem and needs a uterus removal or someone wants an aesthetic kind of a surgery. These are some some kind of surgeries which are always planned so pristine care is about doing blind Surgeries. So this this is something which we started and and I would say we are currently doing 50 Diseases right now in this segment and you know, ah the idea what we actually do is We are an asset light model Wherein. We don’t build our own Hospitals. You know? Ah, but we have our own clinics. We have our own doctors Now these doctors.

Dr. Garima Sawhney: Are exclusively working for pristine care and they sit in one of ah the clinics which we assign to them. We have our own central team marketing team wherein. We um, get in touch with a lot of patients on daily basis. And there is a care coordinator who is in touch with the patient so suppose a person needs a kind of a treatment supposed for a gall so gall bladder stone you know the person will come on our platform that person will get connected to 1 of our care coordinator that care coordinator will speak with that patient. Will understand what kind of issues that person is suffering with you know the whole detail means that person is not a doctor but has been trained about that particular disease in detail has been explained that how empatheticly that person needs to talk to the patient. You know. So that person will listen to that patient completely and as for the comfort of the patient the person, the care coordinator will book the appointment with the nearby doctor. The doctor of the choice who is like the doctor of pristine care now that patient will go and show to the doctor in the clinic you know and if suppose the doctor needs the surgery. The rest of the thing starts. You know the the rest of the thing is supposed. The person has an insurance. Usually what happens in our country is if someone has an insurance. You know it is it is something wherein a person needs to visit hospital multiple times. 1 time they have to go fill up the form next time they have to.

Dr. Garima Sawhney: Actually get to know whether the insurance got approved or not so all these backend hassles of insurance is something which is taken care centrally by pristine care. So a person just me the patient just needs to summit all the documents and the care coordinator will help that person to ah. Means help that person to clear off a declarance clearance of the insurance and the type of hospital the person needs now but whatever like whatever the type of insurance in the hospital we get which is like 1 of the partner hospital with pristine care. Um. All that like the hassle of coming to the hospital. So we do a cab booking from home to hospital um to and fro so the cab will be booked. The attendant will come along, um, everything like will be told to the patient in advance what time the surgery is going to be there. Ah you can say um. Like before even coming to the hospital. The room is all set means it’s it’s like web check-in for patients you know before you enter you don’t have everything related to your admission is done by us. So you don’t have to go and stand on the admission desk and then the room will be allotted and then you will be shifted within 15 minutes just but like after doing certain formalities like ten fifteen minutes you are allotted with the room. Everything happens in the room. The doctor comes meets you there take you to the operation theater. Do your surgery post-top care happens.

Dr. Garima Sawhney: All discharges related to insurance hassles and everything is taken care by us and then the patient is sent back home. This is not just the end of the surgery we we believe that um the surgery is complete once like we say the follow up is done so we we strongly believe in the. Post-surgery follow up wherein. We want our patients to come to come back to the doctor and show how that person is doing so what we have done that we we don’t charge for followups even because in in India Oppids are not something which is insurance covered. So um, the patient if. That patient comes to the doctor again and number of times that person can come and we don’t charge that person so this is like end to end care a hassle free care. Um, ah wherein the complete support in an asset life model is. Something which is given to the patients.

Alejandro Cremades: So also for this I mean you need capital to really support the operations and I know that in in your guys’ case, you’ve been able to pass by the unicorn you know status you know I think that I’ve seen reports of one point four billion and and and so forth and up you know so I guess for the um. For for. Also I mean the the founders that are listening. You know, perhaps you know you could be female founders. He could be founders. You know, let’s say in India outside of the us how has it been the fundraising journey for you guys I know that you have raised one ah 77000000 so that’s quite a you know an achievement too being able to raise all that money. So what was the journey of going through the different financing cycles for you guys.

Dr. Garima Sawhney: Ah, well, it’s a very good question I would say and it was very interesting. You know as I said that we 3 were not sure whether whether people will actually fund in us or not but I think initially what what investors look for is a good good idea. You know a real problem which a founder has to solve. A good team and and and and the inside knowledge about the problem which they are going to solve and I think initially we we we had not raised any kind of seed rounds or something we were bootstrapped initially and directly we went for c day funding and that point of time seoia. Ah, help us in raising the fund so that happened in 2019 and ah means for 3 of us I would say it was not something we expected and it was not something we we I would say that we experience I experienced it personally I would say for the first time. So. A very different kind of an experience but learnings what there you can say means for me I would say I being a doctor at a point of time I learned a lot of new things that but at that point of time you can say so um, that was that happened in 2018 and the idea was. That once we get it so initially we were just in one city that was delhi and siar in in in India and we were sure about our problem statement and the model which we were inculcating so we wanted to expand so the rays happened to expand it to other cities. So after that we moved on to 2 more cities.

Dr. Garima Sawhney: And we realize that whatever we are doing. We are doing great and then then the next round happened post in in 2019 itself of post like six seven months and then um covid happened so you know when covid happened.

Dr. Garima Sawhney: 2020 we were actually doing approximately you can say 1400 surgeries a month so when we raised our first round we were doing close to hundred surgeries a month and by the time covid happened we were close to doing 1400 surgeries a month and you know as as it happened. Ah, everything got stopped everything was on hold means we we went back to doing two hundred surgeries a month again but you know what convinced us to continue was that though we are into elective surgeries. It is not emergency. Kind of a thing which we are doing. But. Elective surgery doesn’t mean that the patient will not get it done so they might need a pause and and but finally the final treatment is surgery so they will definitely comfort it so you know we we that so that was in March Ninety Twenty and June twenty I think we came back because we realized that this can take a pause but this this will not stop forever and again the growth growth curve started and the next series of fund happened ah and the idea of raising those funds was.

Dr. Garima Sawhney: Just like for expansion of more cities and to add on more specialities. You know, initially when we started we were just doing 2 specialities that was gynecology and general surgery. But once like we raised fund. We started in other specialities. So um, the last cities. Cities e happened in 2021 December when we also became unicorn um and I think the initial initial round was about proving what you are doing and the next comes ah that how the growth is happening. Now I can see the post era for post covid era is more not about just growth. It is also about profitability.

Alejandro Cremades: I Hear you I mean Absolutely absolutely I think that you know as we’re thinking about investors and this journey to obviously vision is a really big one on the way that you guys are thinking about the Future. So in a world. Let’s say where you were to wake Up. Let’s say you go to sleep tonight. And you wake up in a world where the vision of pristine is fully realized what does that world look like.

Dr. Garima Sawhney: So um, and if if that’s going to be a true thing then I would definitely say that pristine should be the first choice for any patient for any kind of elective surgeries so that that is. That is a dream. We look forward. We. We want everybody to trust us and want them to come to us for any kind of a treatment. You know that is one second. Definitely next five years of time. Ah so v vc pristine to becoming a public company. You know we want to be listed and that’s that’s I so that’s why I said that profitable path is important and getting listed is something which which which reach I feel that definitely it is possible in next five years time

Alejandro Cremades: And how many employees right now I mean anything that you can share in terms of like the scope and size of the operation around you know numbers that you’re comfortable or maybe like numbers of employees that you think you know you could disclose with us. Why you could share with us. You know to give people listening a sense of how big pristine is today.

Dr. Garima Sawhney: Um, see ours is a very operation heavy kind of a thing you know there is there is a person who is calling up a patient and then then then once once everything is fixed. You know then then there is the surgery day which happens and lot of things happens on that day as well. So we have a central team of approximately 1400 folks sitting in the headquartered office in Gurao and then as we are present right now in 40 cities. We have a team of people. Ah you know, ah you know working there around around like 10 folks in each city. So a total team strength of around 1500 folks. Other than that we have a team of close to 4 5 four fifty doctors who work with us and so you can say the team that people were working with us is around 1500 and the doctor’s strength is around four fifty

Alejandro Cremades: So what would you say then are the fundamental building blocks that sustain the culture of pristine to be able to get everyone all those employees aligned you know and moving in the same direction all together.

Dr. Garima Sawhney: See um, any business I would say it is It is all about your customer. You know, whatever we do. We have to be very very clearly focused towards for what we are doing it for so for pristine the customer is always Patient. You know. So It is very important to build a team who can who can think about your customer So A patient focused team is something which which is essential. You know, which which from a varies you can say a junior. Employ to a very senior employee a person should understand what is the value of that customer means for me I would say that Customer is God You know so we have to respect that person you know and and and. This is this has always remained the focus as I said being a doctor has seen both the sides the life of a doctor life of a patient as Well. So This particular thing is something which we inculcate in every person who Joins in the system. It is very important that the person who comes Inside. Should actually like anybody who Joins in pristine you know we we make them speak to a lot of patients. We make them visit. Hospitals. We make them visit our clinics. We make them meet our doctors so that they understand the other aspect so understanding of customer risk.

Dr. Garima Sawhney: For your customer um, understanding the pain points of your customer is very Important. So this this culture I think is is super super important and other than that it is I would say um, truthful to your organization. Organization can only trust you if you trust your organization and trust is something where other values comes in like integrity and um means respect and everything. So if if the trust exists and I would say no one can stop you From. Taking a very small idea to a big idea so customer and trust.

Alejandro Cremades: I Love it. So ah, let’s say I wish to put you into a time machine. Okay and I bring you back in time I bring you back into the past I bring you back to 2018 to that moment where you know you guys were thinking about a future a future where you could bring. Ah, solution to the problem that you were encountering and let’s say you had the opportunity of having a chat with your younger self and you were able to give your younger self one piece of advice before launching the business but would that be and why given what you know now.

Dr. Garima Sawhney: Um, see um if if that happens I would say you know I don’t know what I missed but looking at the young generation today. Um.

Alejandro Cremades: Almost six years in

Dr. Garima Sawhney: Wherein I can see if I would have to go back to that time I would have been in the same phase of mine. So What I can see the young generation. What they feel is more about their reputation which they have not yet created. They don’t have anything they just feel whatever they will do whatever they will. Think whatever they want to execute people will judge them if they fail on it So I would say that is something which one should not have the means one should not think about the reputation just go execute work hard. Um. Is something which will help you create what you want to and and and this journey will be full of failures and everything so again like if I have to go back I would still say somewhere in that point of time I was worried about. Like being being judged as the best doctor and I was not having that tag and I always wanted to have wanted to serve lot of patients and was always confused and the young generation which I see today. They have so good ideas but they they are so worried that how people will judge them if they fail. So. They don’t They don’t want to execute So That’s just one message that don’t think about reputation because this is something which is not yet created so work hard create. It.

Alejandro Cremades: I Love it. I Love it and last but not least I want to ask you because I’m a very proud girl’s dad and I have 3 daughters as you know and as many of our listeners may know too. So I Guess what advice would you give. To the I would say female founders that are listening to us. You know to those that are now behind the trenches that are thinking about maybe starting something or or they’re in it. You know what? what would? What would you share with them.

Dr. Garima Sawhney: See I would say that ah that era of being a female is now complete ended. You know that that doesn’t exist. It’s it’s just the mindset which people have so first first thing which I would say being a female. You should you yourself should not feel that you are inferior. Okay, that because self-confidence is something which builds you so nowhere that thought should come in mind that you are inferior than other whether it’s your male colleague or it’s your female colleague or. Whether you are surrounded by male person or female person First that is very important so remain self-confident that you are not inferior to anybody as I said that that that era is now getting over the second thing I would say is you know, being a female. There are a lot of other challenges. Which comes in the life which you have to face I would say don’t take it as your weakness take it as your strength because 1 thing which which as a female I can say here is that if you can do all those difficult tasks in your life. Why will you not be able to do this. And I would take it back to the first thing wherein the self-confidence is less that is the reason that you feel weak. So don’t let your self-confidence go down and don’t let any other things means become your weakness and and and you know the last thing which which keeps me like.

Dr. Garima Sawhney: Um, I’m I’m also a mother of a 2 year old daughter. So sometimes that motherly thing comes in me but you know, ah you always need to prioritize things you need to balance out things work life. Everything is there in the mind you know. What you think why you are doing it how this will help you how this will help your child means if you’re working your your child is going to be proud of you. You know all? So so whatever you do? They’ll not not just give you happiness will also give the happiness to your children or to your family. So work hard. Do nothing can stop you if if your mind is clear.

Alejandro Cremades: I Love this. Thank you. So so much for sharing this super profound and and and also for the people that are listening that will love to reach out and say hi. What is the best way for them to do so.

Dr. Garima Sawhney: So they can reach out to me on my Linkedin Profi um that’s ah, that’s the that’s doctor. it’s it’s DRDotGarima sahani I will spell it g a RIMASAWHNY.

Dr. Garima Sawhney: Um, at Linkedin.

Alejandro Cremades: Amazing! So easy enough. Well thank you, thank you? Thank you so much for being on the show today with us. It has been an absolute honor. So thank you.

Dr. Garima Sawhney: Hello.

Dr. Garima Sawhney: Um, can you listen to me.

*****

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