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03 Apr 2004

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Half truths, politics & journalism...

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Dear Friends,

Sometimes, I am not surprised how things turn out :)

Last October, when Lubna Baloch sent her now (in)famous email, the
anti-offshore-job-protectionist brigade had one point to make:

US laws cannot be enforced offshore. Hence ban offshore outsourcing!

Simple??

Not so!!

Now, six months and quite a lot of deliberations, it turns out that
there were more fradulent practices by the US subcontractors, than
any committed by Lubna:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?
file=/c/a/2004/03/28/MNGFS3080R264.DTL

Did Newburn invent Spires to protect herself from charges that she
was violating contracts by sending work abroad?

And do we see a conviction in the US??? Well, I for one am not
holding my breath...

In contrast, when two of Heartland's workers in Bangalore,
threatened to reveal confidential material unless they received a
cash payoff; no patient files were ever in danger of being released
and the workers who made the threat were tracked down and handed
over to Police within 24 hours:

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?
file=/c/a/2004/04/02/MNGI75VIEB1.DTL

And the reaction??

"He lied to us," said an angry state Sen. Liz Figueroa, D-Fremont,
who chaired the March 9 privacy hearing in Sacramento, regarding
Steven Mandell, head of Toledo's Heartland Information ervices. "He
could have said they had a situation just a few months earlier, and
he didn't."

Some people, it appears, want to hear only their own version of
"the truth"

Ciao!

Maj (Dr.) Amit Chatterjee, SM
Strategist / Founder ~ mailto:amit@...
MT India ~ www.mtindia.org
"The Community of MT Professionals"

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NEWS AND VIEWS :
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1) Nasdaq warns MedQuist about delisting

MedQuist Inc. of Marlton, N.J., said it received a Nasdaq staff
determination letter indicating that the company's common stock is
subject to delisting as a result of the company's failure to
file its form 10-K annual report.

Medquist said last month it had delayed the filing of its annual
report pending completion of a review of the company's billing
practices. The review was initiated following assertions made by a
company employee of potential improper billing practices.

MedQuist's board of directors has assumed responsibility for
completing the review of billing practices and will engage
independent outside counsel and PricewaterhouseCoopers to advise
the board. Company officials said at this time they are unable to
predict when they will be in a position to file an annual report.

http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2004/03/29/da

ily37.html

2) RP medical transcription companies unite to hurdle anti-
offshore legislature

The Philippine Medical Transcription (MT) industry is trumpeting
for unity to defend employment opportunities against any anti-
offshore legislature, specially by the United States.

The show of solidarity is expected to be manifested at a public
seminar on "Updates — US Medical Transcription Issues"
at the Yuchengco Institute for Advance Studies, RCBC Plaza in Ayala
Avenue, Makati City, announced Evelyn Abat, president of
Medical Transcription Industry Association of the Philippines Inc.,
the organizer.

An update on the American Healthcare System will be presented by
James Wrinkler, president of JL Business Solutions Inc./The
Dictation Source. While California State lawyer Fred Kumetz, CEO of
eData Services Philippines and eData Services US, will discuss
"US Legislature Against Offshore Medical Transcription."

http://www.mb.com.ph/INFO200403124586.html

3) Work from home

Half of Acusis' employees in Bangalore are free from the
morning hassle of commuting to work. That's because they work
from home.

Acusis, the Pittsburgh-based medical transcription (MT) service
provider, experimented with the work-from-home model since kick-
starting its Indian operations in 2002.

Now, around 290 of its 500-plus employees work from home. "The
response has been great" said Mr K B Anand, chief operating
officer, Acusis India.

HealthScribe has 80 of its 1,300 employees working from home. Mr
Suresh Nair, chief operating officer, HealthScribe, said allowing
employees flexibility to work from home can bring down
attrition. "Most of our women employees who wanted to quit the
job after marriage, decided to stay back when we gave them a choice
to work from home" he said.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/593712.cms

4) CBay Sets Aside $10 M For Medical Transcription Buys

US-based CBay Systems, which is in the medical transcription
business, has allocated $10 million to fund its acquisitions in
both the domestic as well as the overseas market. Company officials
indicated that as part of this strategy, they have initiated talks
with some of its franchisees in India, which includes the Godrej
group.

CBay Systems chairman and CEO V Raman Kumar told FE: "Godrej,
which is also an investor in the company, is a natural ally. While
it is too early to divulge the specifics, the talks have been
initiated. As with the other franchisees with whom we have
initiated talks, we plan on owning the transcription centres and
integrating it with our own." The Godrej Group is an investor in

CBay and Nadir Godrej serves on the board of directors.

http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=54359

5) For the 'Zippies,' life is good

T.P. Prabhakaran, who started his own medical transcription and
physician services company, Pradot Technologies, nine years ago,
when he was 21, said the 24-hour schedule of service businesses
like his are changing family dynamics. "It's a stress for the
parents. They are not all able to absorb the changes," Prabhakaran
said. "Today many of us are away from our parents. Tradition in some
respects is totally lost."

Amidst all this change, there is a new confidence in the air in
Bangalore, a can-do attitude among workers who believe their
future is in business, not the government jobs that were a route to
success for many of their middle-class parents.

David Iwinski, Jr., CEO of Pittsburgh's Acusis Inc., said he sees
it all the time on his trips to India. It energizes him to visit
Bangalore six or seven times a year and come home to Pittsburgh with
more business ideas than he took with him to India.

"It's very inspiring to see the intensity and the desire which
people have to do a good job. They are passionate. They are self
driven," he said. "It's really a very intoxicating atmosphere."

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04081/288432.stm
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The MTIndia Team
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