Mrs Prema Subaskaran is the Chairperson and of LycaHealth. She is also a Director of a number of companies within the Lyca Group. With a degree bio-medical sciences, Prema is an entrepreneur with a passion for philanthropic, medical & community projects that are designed to support the most vulnerable people and communities across the world.
In addition to her position at LycaHealth, Prema is also a trustee of the Gnanam Foundation which is the charity arm of the Lyca Group founded by her husband and chairman, Subaskaran Allirajah. Her vision for the Foundation is to develop the skills of under-privileged and the vulnerable people to give them access to opportunities that would otherwise be unattainable.
Lycahealth is a new, customer-centric healthcare venture that brings top consultants to all its clinics specialising in a comprehensive array of medical conditions. These specialities range from cardiology, neurology, neurosurgery, gynaecology, gastroenterology, general surgery and orthopaedics to physiotherapy, sports medicine, chest medicine, sleep disorders, ENT and more. Additionally, LycaHealth offers access to the best MRI and low radiation CT scanners, digital X-ray, ultrasound, and more including routine investigations.
All patient healthcare records are accessible by both the patient and their clinicians anywhere in the world. Operating an “Apple store” type experience, patient’s satisfaction is paramount. Lycahealth is accredited by all private insurers.
1) What is your current position?
I am the Chairperson of LycaHealth, and a trustee of Gnanam Foundation. I am also a wife and mother!
2) What are your proudest achievements?
Having completed my Bio Medical Science degree, I decided to focus my family to bring up my 3 wonderful boys rather than my professional career. While that mission isn’t yet completed, I am very happy and proud to be able to help thousands of people in need of assistance globally as a trustee of our charity Gnanam Foundation.
Recently we ventured into health care sector to help people and add significant value to the private health care in the UK through the efforts of LycaHealth which has just opened its second diagnostic centres in Kent, Orphington and the third one will open soon in Chennai, India. Our first Canary Wharf health centre which was inaugurated by the Mayor of London and MP Boris Johnson on the 5th of November is up and running achieving rapid growth day by day
3) What inspires you?
My husband’s, Allirajah Subaskaran’s confidence, courage and positive thinking to be able to make a small sized business Lyca Telecom into more than two billion Euro Lyca Group of companies in a short span of 10 years inspires me a lot. His passion and never ending willingness to help the needy and vulnerable people is another quality that always inspires and encourages make me to do more for people in need.
4) What has been the biggest obstacle in your career?
My childhood ambition was to become a medical doctor and serve in Sri Lanka where I was born. The civil war in Sri Lanka that ended in 2009 was the biggest obstacle for me to finish my University degree in medicine and embarked on my ambitious career. We were displaced and had to abruptly abandon my studies. That disappointment coupled with my husband’s never ending encouragement support inspired me to carry out humanitarian work across the world to support under-privileged people particularly in health related issues through Gnanam foundation.
5) Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date?
It would be a tough decision to choose between my husband Subas and my mother. My husband has been the biggest influence on my life and career to date. I have witnessed him struggling to make ends meet and grow the business against all odds including moving his base from Paris to London. My mother on the other hand, has struggled alone to bring up the 6 of us, as I had lost my dad early on in our lives. She has dedicated her whole life to care for her children and family. Her own needs never mattered to her or had any priority.
6) What is the best aspect about your current role? The immense learning that I am undergoing is fascinating. I am learning not to pass examinations but to make decisions on a daily basis that affect other peoples’ lives. That drives my hunger to learn and do more.
7) And the worst?
I am still a novice in balancing my time and attention between the kids, family and LycaHealth, and that is my worst challenge that I am grappling with.
8) What are your long term goals?
It is our intention to open 8-10 healthcare centres in the UK and many overseas over the next 5 years. Making every such LycaHealth center to be a high quality, customer-centric facility is our long term objective. We would like to leverage the network and contacts gained through these ventures to be able to support our CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) mission to help people in need across many countries.
9) If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change?
Mental health problems in children can affect their overall well-being in both the immediate and longer-term. There has been a report that three children in every classroom experience mental health problems. The latest ONS (Office of National Statistics) figures show that 1 in 8 children aged 10 to 15 are reported to have shown symptoms of mental health issues. Therefore in my humble opinion we have to make changes to improve mental health issues in children and young people. Vulnerable children with mental health problems have to wait long time sometimes weeks, months and years to get the assessments and treatments. This is unacceptable and need for a change is a must.
10) If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why?
I would choose my husband first. However since you ask me for a historical figure I am struggling to find someone. I always admired and looked up to Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa but I would not want them to waste time with me being marooned on a desert island. Their time was so precious that they could have changed the lives of thousands of people in that time.
