From Doctor to CHRO: Dr. Amit Singh on purpose, people, and the future of healthcare talent

Dr. Amit Singh’s career journey is anything but conventional. Trained in dentistry and now serving as CHRO at Care Hospitals, he has moved from practising medicine to shaping people strategy in one of India’s most dynamic sectors. 

In this exclusive conversation, Dr. Amit reflects on the turning points that led him from clinical care to human capital leadership, and shares how his medical background continues to influence the way he thinks about empathy, resilience, culture, and decision-making. 

As healthcare undergoes rapid transformation through technology, changing workforce expectations, and expanding private-sector opportunities, he offers a grounded view on what it will take to build future-ready, purpose-led organisations. 

Read on as he shares insights on some of the most pressing challenges facing the healthcare industry today, the evolving aspirations of young talent entering the workforce, and what it takes to support the well-being of professionals who work tirelessly, often under intense pressure, to deliver care around the clock. 

Dr. Amit: I studied dentistry, and at that time, HR or even management was not something I was exposed to. I was on a clear path to becoming a doctor.

But during my journey, I started asking myself a fundamental question: Do I want to be a specialist impacting individuals, or a generalist impacting a larger population? For me, the answer became clear, I wanted to create a broader impact.

That required a lot of introspection. It wasn’t a linear or fully planned journey. After my MBA, I moved across industries, technology, manufacturing, learning with Pearson, and eventually healthcare. Over the last decade, especially during my time in Dubai and now back in India with Care Group Hospitals, I’ve been part of healthcare’s rapid evolution.

Coming from a medical background has shaped how I think about human capital. Empathy is not a soft concept, it’s foundational. Decision-making in HR, for me, is about understanding people deeply, much like understanding a patient. The scale is different, but the intent remains the same: improving lives.

Dr. Amit: Healthcare today operates across four key pillars: doctors, nursing and patient care staff, administrative leadership, and functional roles like HR, finance, and supply chain.

Each of these requires a different evolution of skills.

For doctors, clinical expertise alone is no longer enough. Patients today are more informed and expect explanations, not just prescriptions. So, empathy, communication, and what I call “explainability” are critical. Doctors must also engage with technology, robotics, data, and digital records, and understand cost implications.

For nurses and patient care staff, the expectation of service has significantly increased. Patients now expect hospitality-level experiences, which makes empathy and communication even more important.

For leadership roles, the biggest shift is integration. Functions like HR, finance, and technology are no longer siloed. Leaders must understand the entire value chain and continuously reskill themselves.

The biggest barriers? First, these skills, especially communication and adaptability, don’t come naturally to everyone.

Second, the pace of change creates resistance. Going forward, two capabilities will define success: resilience and agility. And above all, the ability to simplify and explain complex information in a way patients and stakeholders can understand.

Dr. Amit: We often think of burnout as physical exhaustion, but in my view, it is far more emotional.

The biggest cause of burnout is disconnection, from the work, from the purpose, and from people.

There are two key solutions:

First, leadership quality – Leaders must inspire and connect people to the “why” of their work. I always say: we manage resources, but we lead people. That distinction is critical.

Second, rekindling purpose – Not everyone enters healthcare out of passion. But organisations must help employees rediscover the meaning in their work, the impact they create in patients’ lives.

Recognition in healthcare is not always instant. But when someone truly connects with their purpose, even a patient’s gratitude can be deeply fulfilling.

Ultimately, reducing burnout is less about reducing work and more about building empathetic, human-centric environments.

Dr. Amit: Today’s younger workforce seeks faster learning, quicker growth, and immediate outcomes. At the same time, professions like healthcare require years of rigorous training.

We need to reset expectations.

First, we must reinforce that excellence takes time, whether you’re a doctor, athlete, or content creator. There’s no shortcut to mastery.

Second, exposure is critical. We’ve started initiatives where school students visit hospitals, observe surgeries, and understand the ecosystem. Some leave inspired, others realise it’s not for them, and both outcomes are valuable. What matters is making informed choices.

Third, parents and educators play a crucial role. Career decisions should not be driven purely by time or money, but by passion and purpose.

At its core, building an inclusive culture means helping every individual, regardless of role or generation, feel connected to the larger purpose of serving humanity.

Dr. Amit: India’s healthcare infrastructure still has a long way to go. We are significantly below the WHO recommendation for hospital beds per population. As the sector expands, it will naturally create more employment opportunities. This brings both opportunity and challenge. 

One key issue today is short-term job movement. People often switch roles for marginal financial gains, which disrupts both individual growth and organisational stability.

We need to shift the mindset from short-term gains to long-term career building. Organisations can support this by:

• Offering internal mobility and diverse career paths

• Providing opportunities to explore different roles within the same organisation

• Helping employees understand the bigger picture of career growth

Another important shift is in HR itself. HR can no longer be administrative. It must evolve into a function that blends business understanding with deep human psychology. When HR professionals can guide employees not just on roles but on life and career decisions, that’s when real impact happens.

Dr. Amit: I see leadership as a three-stage journey.

First, get things done. Early in your career, your credibility comes from execution. No excuses, just deliver.

Second, create value. Over time, you move beyond execution to thinking about impact—how your work contributes to your team and organisation.

Third, align with purpose. At the highest level, leadership is about contributing to society. It’s about solving larger problems beyond business outcomes.

For young professionals, my advice is simple:

• Focus on building discipline and execution capability

• Think beyond roles, look at value creation

• And eventually, align your work with a larger purpose

Careers are not just about vertical growth. They are about expanding your ability to contribute meaningfully.