BEST PROVIDERS OF SPECIALIST CARE
VALUE-BASED HOSPITAL OF THE YEAR IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC
ISLAND HOSPITAL
Founded in Penang in 1996 , Island Hospital has not only pushed forward the standard of healthcare in northern Malaysia but also succeeded in providing world-class services at reasonable prices , making it a suitable recipient of this year ’ s Global Health Asia-Pacific Award for Value-based Hospital of the Year .
It is the only private hospital in the Malaysian northern region to perform deep brain stimulation ( DBS ), while also being one of just two hospitals in the country that own the state-of-theart Siemens Somatom Drive dualsource CT scanner .
“ Both are examples of how we can serve patients in the region better and reduce their need to travel long distances for treatment ,” said Stephanie Lee , Island Hospital ’ s chief operating officer . “ Our value-based approach to treatment doesn ’ t just look at ‘ the average patient ’, but rather we aim to treat the patient individually and holistically .”
An example of this practice is the implementation of Island Hospital ’ s health screening package , which covers all the basic tests without imposing any additional ones — or costs — onto patients .
If patients want to personalise their screening package , they can pick additional tests to suit their budgets and needs as an upgrade to the basic package . This approach also applies to other services the hospital provides to its patients .
“ We believe that we are and should be recognised as one of the premier value-based healthcare providers in
Ms Stephanie Lee and Ms Joanne Lee
the Asia-Pacific region . The award stands as a symbol of our drive to provide only the best for our patients ,” said Lee .
Located in the heart of George Town , the main city on Penang , the hospital is surrounded by hotels and tourist attractions . Many of its foreign patients travel from Indonesia and other Southeast Asian nations , with international patient agents accommodating their needs .
In 2018 , out of 1.2 million healthcare arrivals in Malaysia , 11 percent were treated at Island Hospital . In addition to this year ’ s Global Health Asia-Pacific Award , it has received recognition for both the Overall Highest Number of Healthcare Travellers by the Ministry of Health and the Medical Tourism Hospital of the Year by Frost & Sullivan .
In 2019 alone , Island Hospital performed over 11,000 surgeries , including 1,050 cancer surgeries . A total of 317 patients underwent successful total knee replacement surgeries , and 133 had complex spine operations .
“ Added together , we believe that all of this places us on even grounds to compete with , and to be recognised as , one of the best healthcare providers in the Asia-Pacific , as our care extends beyond the northern region of Malaysia to patients across this region ,” said Lee . The hospital ’ s expansion project , Island Medical City , has continued this year despite the pandemic and is set to complete its first phase in 2022 . On opening , a further 300 beds will be added to the current capacity of 300 , making Island Hospital the first 600- bed private hospital in Penang .
Subsequent phases will help it reach a capacity of 1,000 beds while adding a host of medical suites , ancillary facilities , and a medical tourist hotel to complement its functions and meet healthcare travellers ’ demands .
“ The growth and development of healthcare in Penang has only just begun . With Island Medical City , Penang is going to further fortify its position as the medical tourism city of choice ,” Lee added .
98 DECEMBER 2020 GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com