Island Hospital’s IMC integrated hub focused on person-centred care

The new facility is set to feature expanded centres of excellence in Malaysia focused on value-based care.

MALAYSIA’s Island Hospital (IH) is geared towards advancing the country’s healthcare brand with its upcoming integrated hub, promoting person-centric care.

With a planned capacity of over 1,000 beds, IH’s Island Medical City (IMC) aims to provide a seamless ecosystem for local and international patients with features that include enhanced surgical capacity and a medical tourism-focused hotel.

Speaking to Healthcare Asia, Island Hospital Chief of Staff Lim Kooi Ling said that their IMC is set to house over 300 medical suites.

“They will be an invaluable avenue to attract and house healthcare professionals across a diverse range of expertise in a quaternary setting,” Lim said. “This also provides a centralised platform for them to utilise Island Hospital’s facilities to grow their practices.”

She said the hub will have expanded centres of excellence and emphasise value-based care, particularly for cancer.

“Oncology treatments, be it by surgical, medical or radiation modalities are offered through our internationally accredited Cancer Care Centre of Excellence,” she said.

Technology adoption

Leveraging advanced technology, IMC plans to incorporate robotic surgeries into their services.

“We are currently the only hospital in Malaysia that is equipped with a comprehensive suite of the latest robotic surgery systems, such as the ROSA for knee replacements, Excelsus GPS Spine Robot, BioBot MonaLisa Robotic Prostate Biopsy System, and daVinci Xi,” Lim told Healthcare Asia.

She also mentioned utilising artificial intelligence (AI)-driven diagnostics and the David Health system that facilitates rehabilitation.

“The thoughtful deployment of technology to support this delivery of care will enable us to enlarge our footprint beyond the walls of the hospital,” she stressed.

Forward-looking, IMC views the adoption of more technologies as proof of its commitment to enhance its core specialities, particularly in tertiary care.

Advancing medical tourism

According to Lim, Malaysia has become a preferred medical tourism destination in recent times.

In 2023, the country saw an increase of over 15% in health traveller visits and IH foresees this growth to persist.

In line with this, Lim shares the hospital’s vision of further advancing the country’s medical tourism sector to deliver enhanced services to both the local community and travellers.

“We are focused on continuing to drive the medical tourism industry and positioning ourselves as the flagship site for Malaysia Healthcare,” Lim said.

The hospital is currently a finalist in the Flagship Medical Tourism Hospital programme spearheaded by the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC). 

Furthermore, Lim stressed that the IMC’s development is part of its commitment to take the industry to its next level of maturity.

“While the implementation of all the components of the IMC is still ongoing, its potential impact on both the top and bottom lines is substantial,” she said. “Upon completion, the IMC will represent a comprehensive approach to catering to the needs of health travellers by offering an ecosystem of specialised services in a world-class facility.”