Anika Parashar, COO of Fortis La Femme, a women and child hospital chain that looks at the nurture and care of women through birth, adolescence, motherhood and menopause, has made it her mission to enable women to fulfil their lives through better health, awareness and self-worth through the ‘milk bank’ for needy infants and her initiative−Organ Receiving and Giving Awareness Network (ORGAN), India, a network for building awareness and reaching out to the organneedy. She is also an avid alternate healing practitioner and a proud single mother. Corporate Citizen shares a slice of Anika’s life through her work, her passion and beliefs...
For someone who believes in ‘being herself ’, go-getter Anika Parashar, COO of Fortis La Femme advocates the need for women’s empowerment via her engagements through this chain of women and child hospitals. This platform offers to nurture and care for women throughout their stages of life like birth, adolescence, motherhood and menopause by prioritising clinical excellence and patient privacy in a discreet female environment. Anika’s soft allure contradicts her strength. She has challenged life itself in its bitter battles.
A proud single parent, she is like any ‘mom’ who straddles her life and that of her children with great confidence. She has worked closely with women over the last decade-and-a-half and thrives on issues related to women and their health. Among her other initiatives, she is also involved in a unique donor milk-bank initiative that provides donor human milk for sick and premature babies of mothers who are unable to lactate.
She has recently been honoured as the ‘Pride of India’, one of India's leading awards and recognition platforms, which felicitated 30 women achievers across varied sectors nationwide.
She also runs her NGO, Organ Receiving & Giving Awareness Network (ORGAN), India, to spread awareness on organ donation and help those in need of organs.
“I’m a believer. I believe that if you intend something, you can make it happen no matter how tough the odds. I am a single working mom and yet I manage. It is important to have a strong support system in terms of bosses who understand the dual responsibilities in a woman’s life – it is not important how or where you work, but about delivering one’s commitments,” says Anika Parashar.
The Italian interjection, ‘Mamma Mia’ or "my mother", is also an expression of human joy, surprise, fear and rejection-all in one breath, but perhaps in different situations, which forms the backdrop to Anika’s journey. We all have our ‘Mamma Mia’ moments, especially women as they traverse through their individual journeys and roles, yet aspiring to hold on to the ‘girl’ or ‘woman’ that they are.
The 15 years of her career span in the women- wellness and women’s health sector has seen Anika create innovative brands, which includes working with Mahindra & Mahindra, The National Childbirth Trust, BSKYB, Channel 4 and Old World Hospitality.
She considers herself a global citizen who was born in New Delhi, had her primary schooling in Hong Kong, finishing high school in Canada and University education in London. “I have been fortunate enough to experience multiple people, places and cultures,” she says. A student of therapeutic counselling, transactional analysis and a certified coach, her inherent curiosity to understand people and create services to match their needs has been the basic dipstick for Anika to set upon her career goals.
She is also a qualified reflexologist, massage therapist, Pranic healer, Reiki practitioner, lactation counsellor, birth educator, a doula and is also certified in hypno and water birthing techniques.
On the need for the Fortis model she says, “Keeping in mind the needs of contemporary Indian women, the multiple roles we play, the stress levels, which all lead to illness and disease, and also to cater to the need to be pampered and cared for during the birthing stage, we have created a unique concept focused on the care of women and their children.”
Fortis La Femme has been conceptualised to provide a comprehensive tailor made clinical and holistic care designed primarily for women.
The services under ‘La Femme’ are available to all patients and are not restricted to the Fortis chain of hospitals alone.
The programme thus focuses on providing clinical excellence and healthcare solutions as an opportunity for women to increase their presence within the corporate landscape.
Anika began her association with Fortis some five years ago when she brought in the unique concept and brand-‘Mamma Mia’, a ‘Mom’s World’-as an informative fitness and wellness initiative for expecting and new mothers.
“We grew to have seven Mamma Mias’ across Fortis and then last year the management felt it apt that a woman should be at the forefront of a women–linked healthcare business. With my background in business, marketing and being a qualified birth professional, I guess I fit the bill as the COO of Fortis La Femme.”
‘Mamma Mia’ focuses on ‘value added’ services for expecting and new mothers all under one roof.
“These include information, fitness and wellness for pregnant women, postnatal moms, infant care, etc. In short, a ‘full service solution’ for to-be and new moms.
“It is important to have a strong support system in terms of a boss who understands the dual responsibilities in a woman’s life – it is not important how or where you work — but about delivering one’s commitments”
“The milk bank that started in April 2016 has treated almost 173 babies since its inception. The service is only available in Delhi/ NCR at the moment, with plans to expand to Bengaluru soon. We have pioneered a collection system in which a mother can express the milk in the comfort of her home; a carrier from the bank collects the milk in specialised freezer boxes and transports it to the bank. The pasteurised and frozen milk is then delivered from the bank to any hospital in the Delhi/NCR region, whenever a premature baby needs it”
Fortis La Femme in an initiative with Breast Milk Foundation formulated the ‘Amaara’ Milk Bank to provide donor human milk for sick and premature babies whose mothers are unable to lactate. It provides donor milk to highrisk newborns in the neo-natal units and to babies whose mothers face lactation failure, and is currently an effort to save the lives of vulnerable newborns. This is the only one of its kind public milk bank enables and ensures that donor human milk from the bank is not only used by babies born in and across Fortis hospitals, but also distributed to any premature baby born in any of the Delhi/NCR region hospitals and operates as a collection and delivery system.
“The milk bank that started in April 2016 has treated almost 173 babies since its inception. The service is only available in Delhi/ NCR at the moment, with plans to expand to Bengaluru soon. We have pioneered a collection system in which a mother can express the milk in the comfort of her home; a carrier from the bank collects the milk in specialised freezer boxes and transports it to the bank. The pasteurised and frozen milk is then delivered from the bank to any hospital in the Delhi/NCR region, whenever a premature baby needs it.”
With Fortis La Femme also conducting breast feeding classes for new mothers as a part of its Mamma Mia vertical, it is seen as a step that can be encouraged further, especially with the new central directive on extended paid maternity leave.
On the recent move by the Lok Sabha to increase maternity benefits from the stipulated 12 weeks to 26 weeks, she said, “With this new policy in place, women will be fitter mentally, physically, emotionally and even financially, since the health of their new born will no longer be compromised while they strive to struggle multiple roles of motherhood and work. Besides these, it is equally important to have a support system at home to ensure your family is well cared for so that you are not strewn with anxiety during work hours. It is also important to compartmentalise job work as much as possible.”
On bringing women back to the active work force, the ‘Mamma Mia’ initiative has been structured to focus on ‘value added services’ for expecting and new mothers.
“Mamma Mia also provides professional answers and practical handling on issues related to pregnancy, labour, breast feeding, baby care, and support to fathers in understanding how they can be involved in the entire childbirth process and child care. All sessions are conducted by internationally certified specialists-childbirth educators, Lamaze professionals, doulas and lactation counsellors. Yoga and fitness teachers are trained to help with weight management, body strengthening and breathing workouts to encourage an easier pregnancy, labour and birth. All of these services also compliment in getting women back to work with ease.”
Anika, the businesswoman, takes great pride in her role and considers this well women business as an extremely personal platform for her.
“It’s about building and creating a product and service, which means something to women, something which can enhance their lives as they juggle their multiple hats. I am blessed to have a young, passionate team who are each functional experts in their spaces. My role as COO is to keep everyone aligned to our common vision, to push deliverables and achieve our goals-be that target achievement on the top or bottom line, delivering superior patient care or capturing and monitoring clinical outcomes to establish best in practice,” she says.
On the constant challenge to have woman directors on company boards, Anika believes that there has to be a complete shift in mindset.
“For generations now, globally and not just in India, women have been pushed aside for top management or board roles either because of their perceived inability to handle both work and home life or simply because of being viewed as less capable than male counterparts. However, this is gradually changing. But we have a long way to go. The change means recognising and acknowledging that women have dual roles to play and that both are equally important. Therefore, organisations too are supporting both the roles by extending flexi hours and day care facilities alongside, so as not to deny women from getting promotions. Their growth too is being tailored to match with their personal lives.”
With financial independence comes the feeling of self-worth too, and the state of instant gratification in modern times have caused a spurt in divorces.
“Tolerance levels have gone down, we are less inclined to compromise, so our relationships suffer. We lack patience and are faced with temptations at multiple levels. With the advent of social media, it becomes easier to access people and to meander into relationships outside our marriages. People get married to a particular person in the early twenties and then both partners change into completely different beings with different value systems, priorities and dreams. Unless there is constant communication and sharing and growing together, couples find themselves with partners they just don’t recognise anymore.”
Anika's NGO-The ‘Organ Receiving & Giving Awareness Network’ (ORGAN) India is an initiative that was launched in March 2013 by a Delhi-based NGO, the Parashar Foundation, primarily to address the dismal state of organ donation in India.
“We seek to remedy this shortage of organ donors, and help create an ecosystem to facilitate organ donation in India. The Parashar Foundation was set up in 2000 by my father, the late Ashok Parashar to help the poor and the less fortunate and also to provide funds to various schools, health centres and other organisations. While our previous work was primarily in the form of donations to various causes, we now have a clear goal-to create widespread awareness on organ donation in Delhi, which will benefit everyone, regardless of religion, age, sex, caste, or social standing."
The goal to spearhead organ donation stems from Anika’s own struggles to procure an organ for her ailing mother. “My mother Kirti Parashar needed a heart transplant. She had the means, the best doctors and a family who supported her. But there was no heart to be donated in Delhi and the wait could have been endless. She then moved to Chennai, which has a well-organised network in place, to wait for a new heart. She eventually got a new heart in December, after a four month long wait period! She could afford to move and wait. ORGAN India was formed for the people of India who don’t have the option of leaving their jobs and lives and moving to another city in search of an organ transplant.”
"It (well women business) is about building and creating a product and service, which means something to women, something which can enhance their lives as they juggle their multiple hats"
Being a single mother had its own trials and tribulations for Anika.
“I am a single mother to Nirvaan and Inayat, I run an NGO and have commitments towards my mother. I have a 7am to 7 pm work routine. However, from 7 pm to 9 pm, I don’t prefer to work as that is my time with my children. After that, I go back to work if I have to. On the weekends, I only deal with what is urgent. I meditate, work out, play the piano, write and paint. If I don’t do all these things, I won’t be able to balance my life.”
By Sangeeta Ghosh Dastidar
