By Shahril Bahrom
KUALA LUMPUR: KPJ Healthcare Bhd has announced its intention to expand its medical tourism business with the construction of a flagship hospital in Malaysia and the acquisition of a medical facility in Thailand.
KPJ is building a new specialist hospital in Bandar Dato Onn within the Iskandar Malaysia development region specially to cater to patients from outside the country.
According to MIDF Research Sdn Bhd, the contribution from medical tourism to the group is still small, but KPJ intends to have at least 50% of patients to be made up of medical travellers in the flagship hospital that will begin construction this year.
The hospital is expected to be popular with medical travellers from Singapore and the Middle East.
KPJ has also recently acquired 23% in Vejthani Public Co in Thailand which operates the Vejthani multi-speciality private hospital in Bangkok which lists 50% of its clients as medical travellers.
MIDF said the company’s intention for the acquisition was to learn and acquire knowledge about medical tourism in Thailand and to apply the knowledge to its own medical tourism venture in Malaysia.
MIDF said in its report that medical tourism can only grow bigger and will make up a substantial portion of KPJ’s income in the future. The company is also building new hospitals in Sabah, Pasir Gudang and Muar in Johor in 2013.
KPJ and its subsidiaries are in the principal activity of operating specialist hospitals.
This content is provided by FMT content partner The Malaysian Reserve.
source: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com / December 19th, 2012
