Confidence boost for Sabah medical tourism

0

KOTA KINABALU: Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu, a private hospital with international standard facilities, will attract medical tourists from other countries to Sabah.

Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun said medical tourism had become a big thing all over the world, with Singapore and Thailand currently leading the pack.

Given the international standard facilities comparable to some of the best hospitals in Singapore and Thailand, Masidi believed that Sabah would become one of the preferred destinations for medical tourists.

He said Time Magazine had ranked the sunset in Kota Kinabalu as one of the top five most beautiful sunsets.

“And we are offering it here for free,” he said at a press conference after cabinet ministers, led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Haji Aman, toured Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu yesterday.

They were accompanied by Gleneagles Hospitals Malaysia chief operating officer Dato’ Amir Firdaus Abdullah and Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu chief executive officer Jean-Francois Naa.

Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu, a private hospital brand under Parkway Pantai Limited (PPL), a subsidiary of IHH Healthcare Berhad, is slated to be fully operational next week.

Masidi said the state cabinet was very satisfied with the facilities at the new hospital.

“I was informed that some of the facilities here are better than other hospitals (under IHH).

“We hope that the international standard hospital, Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu, will not only provide quality healthcare to Sabahans, but also become the a main attraction for people from other countries around Sabah, such as Indonesia, Philippines, Korea and even China,” he said.

Masidi said his ministry had always tried to promote medical tourism in Sabah, but needed proper facilities to be in place.

“Now I can talk with confidence whenever I go overseas to promote Sabah, that we have a hospital that is as good as anywhere in the world.”

Masidi was also pleased to know that part of the medical team at the hospital were Sabahans who had returned to serve at Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu after migrating to other countries.

“The fact that they are willing to come back shows that the facilities they used to have overseas are found in Kota Kinabalu.”

Up to 90 per cent of the 200 nurses, and 20 to 30 per cent of the doctors at Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu are Sabahans.

Meanwhile, Naa said Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu was currently in discussion with five-star hotels in Kota Kinabalu to provide health screening package.

“Patients who come over for medical tourism will be able to do health screening in our facilities for a fraction of the price they do in their countries with the same standard.

“It is part of our development plan for Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu to support medical tourism.”

Naa also pointed out that the hospital would serve the people from Kota Kinabalu who previously sought medical treatment in Singapore.

He said the hospital would have Sabahan doctors currently practising in Singapore to fly to Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu to provide consultation and conduct operations.

Also present at the tour were Deputy Chief Ministers Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, Datuk Seri Panglima Yahya Hussin and Datuk Raymond Tan, Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor, Rural Development Minister Datuk Radin Malleh, Minister of Special Tasks Datuk Teo Chee Kang, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Haji Tawfiq Abu Bakar Titingan and Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Hajah Jainab Ahmad Ayid.