Single-speciality healthcare on trend in KL
New specialist orthopaedic hospital is due to open early next year
The name ALTY , which stands for ‘ Adding Life to Years ’, was chosen because people are living longer and they want to be active in their silver years
While the global pandemic has led to disruptions in the healthcare industry , it has also acted as a catalyst for revisiting conventional operational strategies to ensure their sustainability .
These include how best to improve patient management and address their urgent needs at a time when many hospitals are overburdened . One result is a new focus on single-speciality hospitals as effective delivery models .
“ When you have a single-speciality centre , things become more efficient ,” said Dr Suresh Sivananthan , a consultant orthopaedic , arthritis and sports surgeon who is one of the surgeons behind the launch of TE Asia Healthcare ’ s new venture in Kuala Lumpur , the single-speciality ALTY Orthopaedic Hospital .
TE is the Singapore health services brand behind several speciality hospitals in the region including CVS KL , a major cardiovascular hospital in the Malaysian capital , and the Luma breast care and women ’ s specialist imaging facility in its home country .
“ Big general hospitals are not as efficient , but with a single-speciality hospital , it ’ s slimmed down . You have one single set of instruments . The staff are all geared towards doing the same procedures again and again and again , so it becomes super-efficient ,” said Dr Suresh .
The name ALTY , which stands for ‘ Adding Life to Years ’, was chosen because people are living longer and they want to be active in their silver years . One way to do this is to make sure that their joints and spines are working well so that they can lead active lifestyles into their later years .
The new hospital is currently taking shape , with roots in the former HSC Medical Centre , which TE acquired in late 2019 and will continue to operate as a general screening division within the new speciality orthopaedic facility . A full renovation of the existing hospital has begun and will include a wide range of orthopaedic equipment .
Once the renovation is completed in early 2022 , ALTY will have Malaysia ’ s first weight-bearing MRI machine , its first EOS machine which is a special three-dimensional x-ray that can be used for scoliosis detection , and the first Hana table for Direct Anterior Approach hip replacement . Another national first will be a three-dimensional computed radiography machine for the five orthopaedic operating theatres .
“ We have had to do a gut renovation to get all these things in . The ground floor , where there used to be a restaurant , we had to transform that into the emergency department . A lot of work had to be done , and lockdowns haven ’ t helped ,” he said .
HSC , which opened in 2003 , carved out a niche for itself particularly among expat patients and medical tourists from Indonesia . Located in a part of Kuala Lumpur where most of the city ’ s embassies are situated , it was considered more reasonably priced than most of the nearby international hospitals and provided a more personal service .
In its new , single-speciality guise , it will call on the services of eight of Malaysia ’ s leading orthopaedic specialists , which will be central to ALTY ’ s bid to persuade patients with musculoskeletal and joint conditions to consider its services . Although he has 15 years ’ experience and has performed more than 3,000 hip and knee replacements , Dr Suresh considers himself one of the younger members of the surgical staff , relative to his colleagues ’ experience .
In addition to reaching out to sports teams and embassies , the hospital ’ s marketing team hopes to attract those who follow its specialists on social media and entice them to send the messages on to their families and friends . The main pitch of ALTY ’ s marketeers centres on value .
“ The best way to compete with big , full-service hospitals is by providing high-quality care at a much lower cost . Cost is a factor . If you compare the fullservice hospitals with ALTY , the first thing you ’ ll see is that we ’ re more economical because of our efficiency . “ Alongside value is outcomes . We will track our
The surgical team
56 OCTOBER 2021 GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com