KUCHING: In a bid to provide a different view and perception towards healthcare, Dr David Khoo Sin Keat, a cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon, took a bold move to set up the first medical centre located within a shopping mall.
A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT: Dr Khoo showing the pamphlets on iHeal medical centre and its advanced CT scan machine.
Dr Khoo, who is the founder and medical director at iHeal Medical Centre located in Mid Valley City, described the move as an approach to bring healthcare to where people are.
“Often people look at medical centres as one big building where the environment in a way made people scared of checkups until their conditions deteriorated,” he said.
The Borneo Post met the surgeon at a health talk entitled ‘Heart Disease and Less Invasive Surgery’ and ‘Sweaty Palms’ at Pullman Hotel yesterday.
According to Khoo, iHeal is a one stop medical centre that focusing on preventive medicine, genetic medicine, regenerative medicine and less invasive treatment.
“With the current world evolving where people were more conscious of a healthy lifestyle, we believe that by bringing healthcare to where people mostly live and spend their day is the way to go,” he elaborated.
“After operating for one and a half years, we have attended to around 3,000 patients which also consists of health tourists from outside the country,” he continued.
He also added that iHeal had also invested RM8.2 million for a Toshiba’s Aquilion One, which is the world most advanced 4D CT scanner, and is currently the only unit in the country.
“With capabilities to capture image at 320 milliseconds, it is the fastest ever such machine that can capture the heart rate in one image with lower radiation level,” he said.
Spanning over 35,000 sq ft on the 7th and 8th floor of the annex building in Mid Valley City, iHeal provides an environment of privacy and exclusivity yet in close proximity of hotels, apartments and restaurants as well as easy access to the busy mall city.
The centre is divided into three ‘Centres of Excellence’ namely Healthscreen Centre, Life Improvement Centre and Centre for Less Invasive Surgery.
On yesterday’s talk, Khoo elaborated that a less invasive operation for heart disease has been around for quiet some time in the western world and had since gained popularity here.
“This procedure is basically the same but with less injury. We achieve this by adapting modern technology such as video camera and a bypass technique which means smaller holes hence faster recovery,” he said.
Meanwhile, his talk on ‘Sweaty Palms’ focused on the issue of hyperhidrosis, and a procedure called ‘Video Assisted Thoracoscopic Sympathectomy’ (VATS).
The procedure is where a 5mm incision is made on each side of the chest and with the aid of a camera, sympathetic chains are visualised and duly divided using electrocautery or clipped using titanium clips.
For more info on less invasive surgery, VATS or iHeal Medical Centre, contact 60322877398, email to [email protected] or visist www.ihealmedical.com.