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BUSINESS REVIEW
Medical Tourism
In December 2012, KPJ planned to open
five representatives offices in Indonesia
namely in Surabaya, Medan, Acheh and
Pekan Baru. These and several other
strategic activities aim to bring KPJ to the
attention of a larger Indonesian audience.
The year also saw our medical tourism
team working hard to enhance KPJ’s
presence in highly populated countries
such as the People’s Republic of China and
Bangladesh.
China
China’s healthcare sector continues
to develop at an astonishing rate. The
nation’s healthcare spending is projected
to grow from USD357 billion in 2011 to
USD1 trillion in 2020. (Source: McKinsey
& Company, “Healthcare in China: Entering
uncharted waters”). We continue to
position ourselves to capture a bigger slice
of the medical tourism market.
In China, KPJ’s medical tourism team joined
the MHTC in Shanghai for International
Channel Shanghai’s (ICS) Getaway
Carnival, which aims to promote travel and
food. This annual event gave us access to
the media and 25 ICS TV channels and
helped strengthen KPJ brand awareness
among an audience of eight to ten million
Chinese viewers (particularly in the areas
of plastic and cosmetic surgery as well
as women’s health). The year also saw
us teaming up with Medilink-Global (Asia)
Pte Ltd to explore market opportunities,
medical tourism initiatives and business
development for China.
In Hong Kong, we participated in various
activities that sought to promote Malaysia
as a medical tourism destination.
These included our participation in the
International Travel Expo (ITE) 2012
held from 14-17 June at the Hong Kong
Convention & Exhibition Centre as part
of the on-going Malaysia Healthcare
promotion, as well as in marketing activities
in Hong Kong and mainland China. Held
annually, 2012’s ITE event drew 12,175
buyers and trade visitors with 20% from
mainland China and 7% from abroad. We
also explored opportunities with insurance
companies and a medical tourism web
portal to grow our market presence in this
region.
Bangladesh
Since 2011, KPJ in collaboration with the
MHTC, has been exploring opportunities
in Dhaka, Bangladesh. In 2012, KPJ
participated in MATRADE’s Malaysia
Expo in Dhaka where over 2,000 Bengali
language brochures were distributed and
health talks organised at clubs to spread
awareness of the KPJ brand.
We also held a seminar at Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujib Medical University (“BSMMU”)
to promote our specialist consultants. The
BSMMU seminar drew 80 participants,
mostly doctors and specialist consultants,
while free consultations were accorded to
35 patients. The MHTC has outsourced
its marketing and promotional activities
to Malaysia Healthcare Service Limited
(MHSL). The opening of a MHSL office in
Dhaka augurs well for the hospitals and
doctors who have been participating and
supporting MHTC road shows.
Going forward, KPJ’s hospitals in the Klang
Valley have been identified as the best
platforms to cater to the needs of medical
tourists from Bangladesh.
Myanmar
While Singapore and Thailand have been
tapping the potential of the Myanmar
market since 2000, the country remains
an untapped medical tourism market
for Malaysia. Myanmar medical tourists
remain one of the largest groups out the
huge number of ASEAN medical tourists.
In 2012, there was a 23% increase in the
number of patients coming from Myanmar
to Malaysia as compared to 2011. This
underscores the fact that Malaysia is able
to provide value for money, high quality
care to foreign patients.
The year saw MHTC undertaking several
activities to promote Malaysia as the
regional healthcare destination for
Myanmar’s population. These included a
press conference in Yangon to introduce
Malaysia and create awareness of its
healthcare facilities among industry
players, as well as the launch of an
exhibition and healthcare seminar by the
Minister of Health, Malaysia, YB Dato Sri
Liow Tiong Lai, which drew some 500
industry participants. The Group’s doctors
from KPJ Klang Specialist Hospital gave
health talks at the latter seminar.
Annual Report
2012
KPJ Healthcare Berhad
A satisfied patient posing in front of KPJ Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital where his entire family goes for
trusted medical treatment.