Dr. Jagdish Sakhiya
Founder
Dr.Jagdish Sakhiya, President of the Varachha Road Medical Association, Surat, Gujarat State Branch of Dermatology, also serves on the executive committees of India's Cosmetology Dermatology Society (IADVL).Furthermore, he is the brains behind the P.J. Foundation Scholarship Program which assists budding dermatologists in financial need to attend conferences and training sessions throughout the globe. Below is an excerpt of Dr. Jagdish Sakhiya's exclusive interaction with CEO Insights magazine.
What inspired you to venture into the dermatology segment?
With 24years of experience in dermatology, I can say with certainty that the importance of skin care was highly undervalued when I was a PG student. I saw that dermatology was the most highly stressed area of healthcare in the United States, but it was the last branch to be addressed effectively in India. I could see a significant gap since there are more than 5000 skin illnesses in this field of dermatology, and the bulk of them have no effective treatments or remedies. Considering that the majority of instruments used in the treatment of conditions relating to the skin are lasers, which were formerly quite costly and out of the reach of the ordinary person, in light of this, I opted to become a dermatologist rather than a professor to provide Indian patients with international standard dermatological care. My
vision is that every Indian citizen, from Kanya kumari to Jammu and Kashmir, from Gujarat to Assam, should have access to world class skin care at a reasonable price.
Define Sakhiya Skin Clinic as an organization, and how is it different from other dermatology hospitals present in the country?
About 24 years ago, I established Sakhiya Skin Clinic on my dime. This is the only clinic in India that deals with clinical dermatology, all skin problems, cosmetics such as all injectable Botox, filler, threads, chemical peels, and every kind of laser therapy. For example, we provide a wide range of cosmetic procedures including skin tightening and liposuction as well as laser hair removal and pigmentation removal. This is the only organisation in India that offers such a broad variety of services under one roof for its patients.
Reflect on some of the major challenges you have experienced in your journey so far. How did you overcome them, and what did you learn from them?
Back then, there wasn't a lot of knowledge about skincare, and the procedures were expensive. A lack of awareness regarding skin problems was also prevalent. In 1998, I introduced the first rapid laser equipment in western India, but at the time, no patient was willing to undergo laser therapy due to a lack of under standing. I saw that even doctors lacked familiarity with lasers and dreaded the negative effects that might result from laser treatment. As a solution, I came up with the idea of educating dermatologists about laser treatments and providing my equipment for free to each one. Also included was a two month training session on the proper use of these tools. In addition, I spearheaded an initiative to raise knowledge of chemical peeling, and it took the public and dermatologists alike three years to accept this procedure. The rest is history.
Going forward, what are the goals that you wish to invest in, and how do you plan to take them further?
My ultimate ambition is to become the first dermatological clinic chain to reach global prominence. To that end, we want to open 100 large clinics throughout India over the next three years, as well as 20,000 smaller ones in every city. Since I
My vision is that every Indian citizen, from Kanyakumari to Jammu and Kashmir, from Gujarat to Assam, should have access to world-class skin care at a reasonable price
Define Sakhiya Skin Clinic as an organization, and how is it different from other dermatology hospitals present in the country?
About 24 years ago, I established Sakhiya Skin Clinic on my dime. This is the only clinic in India that deals with clinical dermatology, all skin problems, cosmetics such as all injectable Botox, filler, threads, chemical peels, and every kind of laser therapy. For example, we provide a wide range of cosmetic procedures including skin tightening and liposuction as well as laser hair removal and pigmentation removal. This is the only organisation in India that offers such a broad variety of services under one roof for its patients.
Reflect on some of the major challenges you have experienced in your journey so far. How did you overcome them, and what did you learn from them?
Back then, there wasn't a lot of knowledge about skincare, and the procedures were expensive. A lack of awareness regarding skin problems was also prevalent. In 1998, I introduced the first rapid laser equipment in western India, but at the time, no patient was willing to undergo laser therapy due to a lack of under standing. I saw that even doctors lacked familiarity with lasers and dreaded the negative effects that might result from laser treatment. As a solution, I came up with the idea of educating dermatologists about laser treatments and providing my equipment for free to each one. Also included was a two month training session on the proper use of these tools. In addition, I spearheaded an initiative to raise knowledge of chemical peeling, and it took the public and dermatologists alike three years to accept this procedure. The rest is history.
Going forward, what are the goals that you wish to invest in, and how do you plan to take them further?
My ultimate ambition is to become the first dermatological clinic chain to reach global prominence. To that end, we want to open 100 large clinics throughout India over the next three years, as well as 20,000 smaller ones in every city. Since I
want to deliver world-class therapy to all segments of society at an accessible price, my goal is to do so in every corner of the country. Next year, we want to launch a clinic in Kenya as well as in the United States. Altogether, Sakhiya Skin Clinic is proud to run 25 clinic,. 24 of them are in India, and one is in Dubai, which is part of the first international expansion of clinic chains.
Although India boasts 14,000 dermatologists, there isn't a single laser manufacturing business in the country. Therefore, I've chosen to launch a device making firm with the help of international professionals since there is a paucity of Make in India laser devices. As a result, patients will benefit from lower cost equipment coming to our clinic and those of our dermatological colleagues. In addition, we are working on teledermatology, a new technology that allows anybody in the nation to access dermatologists from any location.
As part of the PJ charitable trust, which is named after my mother, we want to build up a large van in which a dermatologist may visit small towns as well as camps. There, we will provide free consultations and treatment. Also, in India, there is no single institute that offers solely dermatology course; to address this void, I have established an institute that will provide only dermatology courses Cosmedic Skin Institute, India's first skin institute that will provide practical training to dermatologists. We also started Dr. Sakhiyas Advanced Skin Science. With more than 25 years of experience in dermatology, Dr. Sakhiyas makes skin care products that can help your skin look younger. He has always aimed for the best in the skin and in products that are completely free from parabens and harmful chemicals. We have also established Dr. Sakhiya's Plastic Surgery Center, which makes it possible to provide our patients with the cosmetic enhancement services they deserve.
Moreover, Sakhiya Skin Clinic is planning to open up a laser assembly unit and an online pharmacy soon. To execute all these plans as soon as possible, everyone can gain maximum benefits. Sakhiya Skin Clinic will be coming up with an IPO in the future.
Dr. Jagdish Sakhiya, Founder & Chief Dermatologist, Sakhiya Skin Clinic
Throughout his career, Dr. Jagdish has worked tirelessly to establish himself as an expert in the area of aesthetic and cosmetic dermatology, which he has done since graduating from medical school. His skill in cosmetic dermatology has made him not only one of India's best dermatologists, but also well-known all over the world.
Although India boasts 14,000 dermatologists, there isn't a single laser manufacturing business in the country. Therefore, I've chosen to launch a device making firm with the help of international professionals since there is a paucity of Make in India laser devices. As a result, patients will benefit from lower cost equipment coming to our clinic and those of our dermatological colleagues. In addition, we are working on teledermatology, a new technology that allows anybody in the nation to access dermatologists from any location.
As part of the PJ charitable trust, which is named after my mother, we want to build up a large van in which a dermatologist may visit small towns as well as camps. There, we will provide free consultations and treatment. Also, in India, there is no single institute that offers solely dermatology course; to address this void, I have established an institute that will provide only dermatology courses Cosmedic Skin Institute, India's first skin institute that will provide practical training to dermatologists. We also started Dr. Sakhiyas Advanced Skin Science. With more than 25 years of experience in dermatology, Dr. Sakhiyas makes skin care products that can help your skin look younger. He has always aimed for the best in the skin and in products that are completely free from parabens and harmful chemicals. We have also established Dr. Sakhiya's Plastic Surgery Center, which makes it possible to provide our patients with the cosmetic enhancement services they deserve.
Moreover, Sakhiya Skin Clinic is planning to open up a laser assembly unit and an online pharmacy soon. To execute all these plans as soon as possible, everyone can gain maximum benefits. Sakhiya Skin Clinic will be coming up with an IPO in the future.
Dr. Jagdish Sakhiya, Founder & Chief Dermatologist, Sakhiya Skin Clinic
Throughout his career, Dr. Jagdish has worked tirelessly to establish himself as an expert in the area of aesthetic and cosmetic dermatology, which he has done since graduating from medical school. His skill in cosmetic dermatology has made him not only one of India's best dermatologists, but also well-known all over the world.