United to draw medical tourists

United to draw medical tourists

SEVEN of Penang’s biggest private hospitals have banded together to establish the Penang Health Association — a platform to collectively promote the state as a medical haven for visitors.

In a launching ceremony at the beginning of the month, Gleneagles Medical Centre, Lam Wah Ee Hospital, Island Hospital, LohGuanLye Specialist Centre, Mount Miriam Hospital, Pantai Hospital Penang and Penang Adventist Hospital partnered to boost the image of Penang health care.

“The idea for this partnership between hospitals came about four years ago.

“We realised that if we continued to only promote ourselves separately, it would be counter-productive and confuse visitors seeking medical care,” said association chairman Datuk Dr Chan Kok Ewe.

“For the sake of the medical industry in Penang, we have to work together.”

Dr Chan explained that the partnership of the seven hospitals made it possible to attract patients to a single destination – Penang – rather than to individual hospitals.

“With a common folder and a universal exhibition booth giving the information and services of all the hospitals, patients will have their own choice of treatment possibilities,” he said.

He added that although the partnership had only been announced to the public this month, its collective efforts over the last few years were already beginning to bear fruit.

“In 2009, Penang attracted 202,000 foreign visitors despite the global recession.

“2010 has also seen a marked increase with the figure expected to reach 250,000 and with this partnership, we expect these figures to continue to grow,” Dr Chan said.

-News courtesy of The Star-