Dato' Amiruddin Abdul Satar
Dear shareholders, I am pleased to share with you KPJ’s first integrated report (IR), which has been prepared based on six capitals for the financial year ended 2018 (FYE2018), as guided by our strategic direction.
The Group operated within a complex and shifting external environment in 2018, marked by shifts in geopolitical and macroeconomic factors, health regulations and evolving trends, within an increasingly competitive private healthcare sector. In our primary home market of Malaysia, the economy grew at a moderate rate of 4.8%, and this sluggish growth impacted demand for private healthcare services with many corporate employers downsizing and reducing their employees’ medical benefits. At the same time, the new Government in Putrajaya unveiled a more healthcare centric Budget 2019, with Government allocations aimed at reforming the healthcare sector in the country.
Local healthcare trends saw an increase in healthcare expenditure driven by an ageing population, as well as the rising trend of noncommunicable diseases. New technologies and lifestyle changes are triggering and impacting patient demands and expectations.
Competition increased significantly amongst private healthcare providers, with both large networks and smaller private clinics competing for top of mind recall in stakeholders’ minds. The increasing number of private hospitals and clinics has also led to difficulties in hiring and retaining talent in the medical fraternity.
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