KPJ Sabah bags two major awards in Healthcare Asia Awards

It won Health Promotion Initiative of the Year and Employee Engagement of the Year.

KPJ Sabah Specialist Hospital (KPJ Sabah) is supported by a dedicated team of over 470 healthcare employees, medical officers, and specialist doctors who are highly trained and accomplished in their own respective disciplines.

Committed to providing comprehensive and the best medical service and patient care to customers, it stays true to its corporate motto “Care For Life”.

KPJ Sabah won two major awards in the recently concluded Healthcare Asia Awards, particularly for Health Promotion Initiative of the Year – Malaysia for its improved access to private healthcare through GP satellite clinics on the East Coast of Sabah, and Employee Engagement of the Year – Malaysia for providing service excellence and workplace health programme.

With its theme of Recognising Trailblazing Initiatives in the Healthcare Sector, the awards programme aims to honour hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare providers that have risen above the challenges and made a remarkable impact on their patients, most especially amidst the massive disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

For its first award, the hospital was lauded for its GP Satellite Clinics which act as an extension of the main hospital of KPJ Sabah.

In smaller communities, GP Satellite Clinics increase accessibility and overall quality of care. As of today, KPJ Sabah has appointed 5 GP Clinics: 2 in Sandakan, 2 in Lahad Datu, and 1 in Tawau.

It reduced commute times and allowed patients from the East Coast to plan their travel time to KPJ Sabah Specialist Hospital in Kota Kinabalu efficiently, considering that the distance between Tawau to Kota Kinabalu is 451 km one-way.

To make it easier for the referred patients, KPJ Sabah also provided shuttle services to patients coming from the East Coast. Pick-up points are from Kota Kinabalu International Airport, ferry terminals, or hotels to KPJ Sabah Specialist Hospital.

This pilot project started last year in May and has been showing significant impacts which can be seen through the constant referrals every month to the Diagnostic Imaging Services and communications between Satellite Clinics Doctors and Resident Specialists at the main hospital.

As of December 2022, the GP Satellite Clinics segment has recorded a significant increase of 60% in referrals compared to the previous year within the same period.

Its second award is likewise remarkable. To ensure staff motivation, the management came up with a new programme for the year 2022, entitled Service Excellence & Workplace Health Programme.

It was created in line with the hospital’s core values of safety, courtesy, integrity, professionalism, and continuous development, and acts as an avenue to reward or recognise employees who have shown hard work and various achievements through their excellent performance in the hospital.

Implementation was made through numerous efforts such as the Best Employee Programme, Work Out Programme, My Sticker Reward Programme, Team Building, Sports activities, Safety programme, Town Hall session, and the PRIHATIN programme which is an added service given to patients by offering individual assistance, serving refreshments and as a companion to an elderly patient

This has proven to be effective as it resulted in staff satisfaction, as manifested by compliments and recognition by the management, and by having the workplace transform into a healthier working environment.