KUALA LUMPUR: Manipal Health Enterprises (MHE), the healthcare arm of diversified Manipal Group, is investing US$100 million (RM327.75 million) over the next five years to expand its healthcare presence in Malaysia.
The Bangalore-headquartered hospital chain has acquired a 70-bed hospital in Klang which also includes a 200-bed tertiary care hospital being built nearby.
Manipal is well-established in Malaysia with two campuses – medical schools in Melaka and Nilai –- which have been the key driver for the group to venture into setting up hospitals in Malaysia.
MHE executive chairman Swaminathan Dandapani said the tertiary care hospital, on a 0.84984-hectare (ha) site, is slated for completion by end-2014.
“This is in line with the company’s endeavour to provide ‘accessible and affordable’ healthcare services while living up to its value of patient wellness and clinical excellence,” he said at a press conference here yesterday.
The hospital will focus on a combination of wellness, prevention and curative care for both the domestic and an emerging overseas patient traffic into Malaysia from neighbouring countries.
He said MHE would also build a 100 to 250 bed greenfield hospital located in the vicinity of the Medical College in Melaka, sprawled over 4.86ha of land, and expected to kick off in the next four to five months.
“We are still in the process of finalising the capacity design,” he said.
Meanwhile, chief Executive officer and managing director Rajen Padukone said the venture into setting up hospitals in Malaysia would also create job opportunities for Malaysian doctors as well as for other services.
“Any investment in healthcare would entail significant opportunities across the spectrum, right from housekeeping to doctors.
“Unlike any other industries, this actually transcend many jobs profiles in the healthcare centre,” added Rajen. — Bernama