Q&A
Q : First of all my congratulation for getting the honor to be selected as World’s Best
Hospitals for Medical Tourists 2013 in the annual ranking by the Medical Travel
Quality Alliance (MTQUA). How you reach this high level nomination?
A : Let me first thank you for highlighting the success of Prince Court Medical Centre in the
next issue of your esteemed magazine. We are indeed honored to be named as the top
hospital for medical tourists. This recognition was bestowed on us after MTQUA
reviewed top hospitals around the world. They chose us because of our ‘outstanding
care beyond standard clinical protocols as well as excellent medical treatment’. Medical
tourism as you well know is an emerging phenomenon in the health care industry and is
an “explosive growth market” especially now with many looking at Asia, calculating their
value proposition weighing all three – price, quality and service.
Coming to your question of how we reached this high level of nomination – in this era of
globalized healthcare, Malaysia has emerged as a prime destination for health due to
our government’s aggressive promotion for Medical Tourism or Health Travel initiatives.
In fact Health Travel is now one of the strategic components of the Healthcare National
Key Economic Area of Malaysia’s Economic Transformation Programme. Furthermore,
many Malaysian hospitals, are now well equipped with the latest technology and
facilities, and it is a well recognised fact that Malaysian doctors and consultant
Specialists are both well trained and experienced.
Prince Court Medical Centre, the brainchild of the National Oil and Gas company
Petronas, has invested heavily in providing patients with the best medical excellence,
hospitality services, infrastructure and functionality. Our excellent support services
create a synergy with the medical services to provide quality care to the patients and
acts more like a backbone to the hospital which leaves a lasting impact on patients and
visitors. I am proud to say that our outstanding achievements and breakthroughs in the
field of medicine together with the excellent support services do make a difference in
the look and feel of the hospital.
Furthermore, we organise public/patient forums, medical education and clinical
workshops. We also strongly advocate prevention of illnesses so as to have a healthy
nation. We encourage people to go for health screening to detect diseases early as early
detection saves life.
The past seven years has seen us grow steadily to what we are today and it’s a fruitful
journey which reaped its fruit with us being named the World’s Best Hospital for
Medical Tourism, an achievement and recognition we truly value and honor.
MTQUA president, Julie Munro, said: “Prince Court is already known as an outstanding
medical facility. This award recognizes that it also pays the utmost attention to key non-
clinical aspects of care that influence good outcomes and a successful medical travel
journey for medical tourist.”
Q : Undergoing medical treatment can be stressful both for the patient as well his family
members. How do you aid in making the stay at Prince Court Medical Centre different
and better?
A : Patients and family members who walk into Prince Court Medical Centre are always awe
struck by the futuristic architectural design of the hospital which looks more like a five-
star hotel rather than a hospital. They are ushered in by a team of concierge who help
them right from their car to the lobby where they are welcomed by smiling customer
relations officers who assist them all the way to the insurance and registration counters
before leading them to the respective clinics.
Many a patient who comes in looking stressed and sick gets a feeling of “home away
from home” with all the warmth, care and assurance given to them that all is fine and
they are in good hands. The hospital ambience and the single rooms alone create a
soothing and healing environment. It is an awe inspiring ambience to wake-up in the
morning and being greeted by the abundant sunlight penetrating into the room through
the large glass windows. This pure bliss of a divining experience amidst peace, serenity
and solitude, away from the noise and daily stress, is only felt in the comfort of Prince
Court Medical Centre’s exclusive single rooms and suites. The warm and welcoming
interior deco aids patients in their healing process from surgery or an illness in a
healthier environment which takes into account the best infection control measures.
We also provide complimentary basic amenities, a sofa bed, Wifi connection,
newspapers, magazines, and a flat screen plasma TV equipped with a wide selection of
channels for viewing pleasures.
Patient safety is our priority and we go all out to ensure that patients and family
members who come to Prince Court Medical Centre are given the best care and
treatment through the various systems that we have put in place.
Prince Court Medical Centre is also noted for its Galleria, a top-notch restaurant, which
draws crowds from within and outside for its authentic and creative food which range
from local to western cuisines.
The exclusive hotel-style experience is felt at this restaurant with customers being
offered a wide choice of a la carte breakfast, lunch and dinner. All dishes are created
using fresh and nutritionally balanced ingredients which contributes to optimal health
and wellness. Customers can also request for specific diet-dependent foods, and unique
dietary preferences for patients with allergies to suit their taste buds and needs.
We have also come up with ‘unique choices of multi-cultural creation of dishes’ for our
inpatients to suit their taste buds and health condition while recovering from illnesses
and surgeries.
The dishes, for all meals, were created with great care and perfection, including looking
into its calorie contents, by our in-house dieticians and chefs.
Q : What are the various medical facilities that are provided by the hospital?
A : We have an excellent team of well experienced and qualified specialists in all fields
ranging from Anaesthesiology, Breast and Endocrine, Cardiology, Cardiothoracic
Surgery, Dermatology, Ear, Nose and Throat surgery, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology
and Internal Medicine, General Surgery, General Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery,
Geriatrics, Haemotology, Infectious Diseases, Nephrology, Neurology,Neurosurgery,
Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Oncology, Opthalmology, Oral Health& Maxillofacial Surgery,
Orthopaedic Surgery, Paediatrics and Paediatric surgery, Pathology/Laboratory Services,
Palliative Medicine, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Psychiatry, Rehabilitation
Medicine, Radiology Services, Respiratory Medicine, Rheumatology, Urology.
We have all the specialties and many of the doctors are well reputed in the region and
internationally for their work. We also have an Emergency Department and
Occupational Health Department which is well supported by other allied health care
facilities and services.
With our vision “to be the leading healthcare provider in Asia, offering comprehensive
medical care to the highest international standards through world-class facilities,
innovative technology and excellent customer services”, the hospital offers world-class
treatment and care in most specialist areas.
Among the services we stand high in terms of services and facilities are:
Comprehensive Burns Unit
4 arm da-Vinci Robotic Surgery System
Bladeless LASIK System (Femtosecond Visumax)
Intra-operative Fluorescent Microscope for Neurosurgery
Sentinel Node Biopsy for breast tumour
Siemens Biograph PET-CT and Philips Jetstream Dual Head Gamma Camera System
Radiotherapy which include Tomotherapy (IMRT / IGRT) and Siemens High Dose
Rate Brachytherapy System
24 hours Consultant Anesthesiologist presence in the Hospital
Endoscopic Ultra Sound (EUS)
Non-Touch Hand Hygiene Technique
Laminar Flow in all Operating Theatres
Orbital Patient Transfer System in the Operating Theatres
Total Hospital Information System (comprises of Cerner electronic medical records
and electronic scheduling management system)
Fully integrated Siemens Radiology Information System together with a Picture
Archive & Communication System (RIS/PACS)
Telemedicine services (connected to any compatible sites) includes Telepathology,
telecytogenetics, Teleradiology, Telereporting of PET-CT,
24-Hours Fully integrated Pharmacy Services with Computerized Physician Order
Entry (CPOE) and e-Prescribing, UDDS – Unit Dose Drug Distribution System and
ADMS – Automated Drug Management System.
Bar Coded Medication Administration System
HIMSS Stage 6 (Bar Coded Medication Administration) – the first hospital in Malaysia
to achieve this stage
Fully Digital Philips Biplane Cath Lab System equipped with an Ambience Lighting
System
Draeger Critical Care Information System
CITRIX platform that allows doctors to access electronic medical records from home
Incompatible Kidney Transplantation (ABOI)
Q : The quality of care and medical expertise has attracted a growing number of overseas
patients. What are the services you offer to your international clientele? Please
elaborate.
A : While we offer all our services to the International clientele at a competitive and
affordable rate, we also have an International Business Lounge, a full-service office that
helps patients right from coordinating their arrival, pick up at airport to concierge,
admission, language interpretation and doctor’s appointment services. We also help
patients with visa extension if the need arises.
While we understand the trauma and stress a sick patient goes through when he/she is
sick, we make their stay in Malaysia and most importantly at the hospital as comfortable
as possible. We usually pair them with an international patient coordinator who will
serve as a single point of contact before, during and after the patient’s visit. In fact, the
coordinator will provide all assistance which includes making arrangements for
accommodation for the patient and his family members at designated hotels.
We also have a very comprehensive and informative website that comprises just not
specific clinical information but also patient testimonies, educational articles and write-
ups. As PCMC is equipped to provide end-to-end services, the website will be one of the
communication channels to promote our services, specialists and expertise.
International patients can also be assured that they would not be fleeced by exorbitant
fee as Malaysia is unique in having a medical fee schedule that is mandated by law. The
Fee Schedule is within the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998/2006
Regulations and prescribes the maximum fees that may be charged by physicians for
consultations, ward rounds and procedures.
Amidst all these, Prince Court Medical Centre has also gone one step further to highlight
our services and facilities at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport arrival area using
the Malaysian Healthcare Travel Council’s Concierge and Lounge. This gives travelers the
insight into what we can offer.
Q : How do you envisage the future in medical tourism?
A : Healthcare will continue to grow. Our middle income market continues to be quite
resilient. Economic growth has been good. Bumps will be mainly in talent and that will
continue to be an issue. There have been very aggressive expansion plans in the sector
so we will all be fighting for experienced staff and managers. For Prince Court, we’ve still
got capacity, so mainly it’s to activate clinics and beds and not be too put off by the
façade. It’s this big hospital and everyone thinks, because it says “Prince”, that you have
to be a VIP or celebrity or royalty. So we’re saying no, we’re a hospital, it’s just that we
happen to have very nice architecture, very nice doctors and very good services.
Malaysia is fast becoming a leader in Asia as a destination for medical tourism due to
hospitals providing quality service which is on par with international standards, proven
approach to safety and cost effectiveness. In fact, signs of continuous growth are being
shown by the Malaysian Medical Tourism Industry for the last couple of years
Asia medical tourism industry has been growing with a double digit Compound Annual
Growth Rate (CAGR) and is definitely growing in leap and bounds with many looking
towards this region for medical care, especially with the healthcare cost spiraling in
many developed countries; with Malaysia embarking on an aggressive medical tourism
promotion abroad, we for see the future looking bright.
To cater to the needs of international patients, we have engaged the services of new
senior managers to coordinate all international patients/medical tourist services and
procedures including a Japanese translator for Japanese patients.
Our Sales and Marketing team have also been on road shows abroad with doctors to
promote the hospital services and facilities through talks and distribution of pamphlets,
booklets and brochures.
Prince Court Medical Centre will continue to strive to provide the best for all its patients
and ensure their stay at the hospital and Malaysia holds good memories as their
testimony goes a long way to further boost more patients coming our way.
Q : Any plans to promote your hospital in our region via media publicity to make aware of
your hospital high quality level and attract more patients?
A : Generally patient numbers have grown. Prince Court is a little bit unusual; almost 30%
of our patients are foreign because we are right in the middle of the Golden Triangle so
there are a lot of expatriates that live around here. So they form that 30% and then an
extra 5% are actual health travelers from overseas.
Last year was a good growth and we expect to see that tick up again this year. We’re
just getting better known in the region now. Year-on-year, 2011 to 2012, we really saw
double digit growth in patient numbers and what we’ve seen in terms of international
patients is growth in unusual markets such as Myanmar, Bangladesh, and even more
unusual, Somalia and Libya. There seems to be quite a large expatriate population here
who recommend the hospital. So we expect to see double digit growth again this year.
We’d like to be able to increase our expatriate population because that gives us a
foothold in the market that is a bit more international and knows what it wants. As I said
earlier, our website is very comprehensive and at a click of the button, all information
needed could be acquired. We are also aggressively promoting our hospital in the print
and electronic media, including magazines.
We have embarked on an advertising campaign in Gulf Directory and some magazines
and we will continue to do so as and when the need arises.
Q : What are your key services that puts you ahead of everyone else?
A : Prince Court Medical Centre is noted for its outstanding niche areas especially in IVF,
cancer diagnosis & treatment, digestive diseases, interventional cardiology,
interventional radiology, orthopaedics – including sub-specialties like hand &
microsurgery, spine, foot & ankle, burns management, rehabilitation medicine and
occupational health.
In addition, our Spine Specialist is trained in pain management procedures for those
with chronic spine/orthopaedic related pain.
Cancer services comprise a full suite from diagnostic to therapeutic and monitoring
since we have the medical laboratory/pathology expertise, nuclear medicine equipment
& a Nuclear Medicine team and Specialist; treatment modalities include High Dose rate
Brachytherapy, Conformal Radiotherapy and Tomotherapy. In cardiology we have the
latest Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory.
What is a hidden secret is our inpatient facilities. We are the only hospital where all
rooms are single rooms – something that is ahead of the curve! Single rooms are
preferred for both infection control and privacy. This hospital is also purpose-built for
critical care: our Burns Unit has been designed and constructed to international levels,
with everything down to the air warming (patients are kept in normal room
temperature) and walls that prevent condensation and moisture (infection prevention).
We have separate critical care units for general ICU, cardiac ICU
