PHOTOS : ALTY
outcomes very closely , and as a group practice , our patients will get the opinions of all doctors for the price of one . I think that group practice adds a lot of strength , and it ’ s something we have learnt from the UK and US systems ,” said Dr Suresh .
He expects that medical tourism will play a major part in delivering patients , especially from Indonesia , once borders are fully reopened . Although Indonesian health authorities have embarked on a campaign to persuade patients in the country to use the medical facilities there , ALTY believes that there are not enough orthopaedic specialists and facilities for the population . This , in turn , has raised the cost for bone and joint surgery in Indonesia , which will make ALTY more attractive as a treatment destination .
In addition , Malaysian expats in Singapore and patients in Vietnam will also be targets for the new hospital .
“ Once Malaysia opens its doors again , we expect to see an influx of patients . Hip and knee replacements are very successful procedures these days , so you come over for a week or two and get your joint replacement done , and then you fly back to your home country . Once everyone is vaccinated , it will be a matter of time before people come back ,” he said .
TE believes that single-speciality facilities are the future of healthcare in Malaysia , although it maintains that there will always be a role for fullservice hospitals . This is backed up by data from the US , which have shown that the number of beds in hospitals there peaked in the 1990s and has been falling over the last three decades .
Part of the attraction for patients to singlespeciality hospitals , and in particularly orthopaedic hospitals , is that there is less risk of complications from infections that can be picked up in general hospitals .
Patients are also drawn by the efficacy of facilities that practice a narrow band of medicine and are able to bring high levels of efficiency to their treatment .
“ Malaysia is now going down the route of opening more specialised hospitals . I don ’ t think general hospitals will go completely out of fashion , but they ’ ll lose some business to us ,” said Dr Suresh .
“ If you ’ re a 50-year-old man who wants to come in , have joint surgery , and leave , you just want personalised care , and ours would be the type of hospital you choose . If you ’ re an 80-year-old with multiple medical conditions , you will still want to go to a big hospital where lots of specialists can look after you .
“ The single-speciality model of healthcare delivery will ultimately continue to grow , and it offers a longterm alternative to reducing the burden on healthcare systems and improving medical outcomes for both patients and healthcare professionals .” n
GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com OCTOBER 2021
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