A Personal View from Dr. Jacob Thomas, President of The Association of Private Hospitals of Malaysia
Dr Jacob Thomas, a medical doctor, is currently the President of the Association of Private Hospitals of Malaysia (APHM). He has served on the Board of the Association in various capacities, since 1997. His experience and professionalism is vast and varied.
Dr Thomas today works closely with various Government agencies to promote Malaysian Healthcare both locally and internationally.
The Washington Times is honored that Dr. Thomas has chosen to share his insights and thoughts on medical care in Malaysia, through this personal article.
Over the past 30 years, I have been fortunate and proud to be a part of the Malaysian Healthcare system. I have seen and experienced the many strides of development in our system-- inherited with independence from Britain, in 1957. The vision for government health is “a nation working together for better health”. Consequently, both the public and private sectors are important players in its delivery today.
The Public sector (which is heavily subsidized by the government and available throughout the country) provides 70% of the Healthcare; whilst the Private sector provides for 30 % of Healthcare. What we experience today is an excellent Public-Private Partnership that insures every individual in the country.
Taking part in the Healthcare Travel (or Medical Tourism), our hospital’s healthcare standards often raise questions. The Malaysian Society for Quality Healthcare (MSQH) -- our national healthcare accreditation body-- has attributed almost all of the private hospitals and takes an active part in Healthcare Travel today. In addition, some of our hospitals have been accredited by Joint Commission International (JCI).
Recently, the Malaysian healthcare has become the most sought after and has gained a more pronounced reputation, despite lack of publicity. By various agencies working with the Association of Private Hospitals of Malaysia, the Malaysian government has embarked on an aggressive move to not only brand the Healthcare services but, to begin marketing our services globally.
We are most fortunate for the many factors which make Malaysia a safe and natural destination for Healthcare travelers.
Here are some of those reasons:
• Attractive currency exchange rates
• Reasonable/competitive Healthcare costs
• English is widely spoken amongst medical staff and the overall, population.
• Experienced doctors with internationally recognized postgraduate qualifications
• Availability of state of the art medical technology
• A politically stable country.
• Excellent Infrastructure
• Warm and friendly people
• All private sector hospitals are licensed annually and regulated by the Ministry of Health
• The harmony created from the diversity in culture, religion and racial population makes our country an intriguing and tolerant society for visitors from any background.
The high level of customer care services, which come naturally to many of us, make such a difference to our visitors. Through an interview in The New Straits Times, Rev. Jesse Jackson, referred to the country as a “well kept secret,” while on his first visit to Malaysia. The secret is out and we, the healthcare providers in Malaysia, seek any opportunity to protect the healthcare needs of our visitors. We hope to make Malaysia “The preferred healthcare destination”.
