KLANG: Manipal Health Enterprises Pvt Ltd (MHE) aims to build more hospitals in the next five years in a move to expand and strengthen its healthcare business as a recognised medical excellence brand in Malaysia.
“We are looking at a presence of Manipal Hospitals in major cities and towns like Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Johor Baru and Penang,” Chief Executive Director Dr Ajay Bakshi told reporters after visiting the newly opened RM100 million Manipal Hospitals Klang in Bandar Bukit Tinggi.
MHE is the healthcare arm of the Manipal Group, a global multinational company and an established healthcare provider in India.
Dr Ajay said the exciting prospects for growth in Malaysia’s healthcare industry plus the good response to the Manipal Group’s maiden investment outside India was the main consideration for MHE to further invest between RM600 million and RM700 million.
He said it was part of the almost RM1 billion invested in many business sectors in Malaysia including the education and healthcare sector since 1997.
“Malaysia has a large potential in the healthcare industry and it can be a good springboard for us to invest more in this sector.
Meanwhile, Manipal Health Enterprises Chairman Dr H Sudarshan Ballal said the new investments could be brown field investments involving acquisitions of existing facilities, or green field investments in which it builds its operations from the ground up, or a mix of both.
Manipal Hospitals Klang could be considered a mix of brown field-green field investment as it involved the acquisition of an existing medical centre which owned a parcel of land and subsequently, the development of a new hospital building on the land, he added.
Manipal Hospital Klang offers tertiary-care or super specialty medical services and started operations on July 18.
The response to the 222 bed hospital with over 30 specialty services has been very encouraging with Manipal Hospitals Klang recording almost full occupancy.
Added specialties among others, include cardiology, neurology and neuro surgery, nephrology, plastic surgery and neonatology.
The over RM100 million and 362,000 sq ft hospital is also the only hospital in Klang with the state-of-art trauma centre and emergency medicine services lead by trauma specialist.
Manipal Group Executive Director Dr Arun Kumar said MHE was also looking to provide elderly-care services as the demand for such care was increasing.
Besides, he said the company was also planning to bring in the hospital online system which can be used for making appointments or online consultations to meet modern families need.
“MHE is using this system in India and we see this service as helping busy modern families keep their hospital appointments.
“The hospital will come to you,” said Dr Arun.--BERNAMA