THE Malaysia International Healthcare (MIH) Megatrends 2024 conference that concluded on Sunday drew some 5,000 visitors, including healthcare professionals, policymakers, industry leaders, academicians and students.
Held over three days at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, the conference featured more than 100 exhibitors from government agencies and the private sector, drawing more than 1,500 participants.
A collaboration between the Health Ministry and KPJ Healthcare, MIH Megatrends 2024 also received support from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission.
Bringing industry stakeholders and experts under one roof, the conference aimed to explore key areas such as generative artificial intelligence (AI), equitable health financing, sustainable public-private partnership, value-based care, precision medicine and safety and quality in healthcare.
MIH Megatrends 2024 featured guest speaker Farah Magrabi, professor of biomedical and health informatics at the Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University.
On the second day of the event, Magrabi shared her insights on the rapid advancements in AI and precision medicine in healthcare.
She spoke of her journey from electrical engineering to biomedical engineering.
"Twenty years back, telehealth was something we were exploring. Fast forward to the present, we used video to deliver healthcare due to the pandemic. It's becoming real now."
She said her shift to biomedical engineering was driven by a desire to help people.
Addressing the growing influence of AI, she said it was not about "robots" as some imagine, but about managing healthcare data.
"Some of it is already here now. You can sequence a person's genome and deliver more personalised healthcare," she said.
This is part of precision medicine, where medical treatments are tailored to individual patients, based on genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors, rather than conventional 'one size fits all' or preventative approaches.
AI-powered genomics was only one of the many cutting-edge technology discussed at the conference.
Also discussed were Extended Reality, blockchain and beyond.
Magrabi said MIH Megatrends 2024 was a learning experience for her.
"I think I'm learning a lot in terms of the context of the healthcare delivery system in Malaysia."
She reflected on the unique challenge the country faced in adapting to the abundance of innovation in consumer technology for healthcare.
With more than two decades of experience in AI, she said she felt that she brought "real-world experience" to the table.
"It's only in the last few years that AI became public… But I've been working in this area for more than 20 years," Magrabi said.
She wanted to help Malaysian healthcare providers avoid "mistakes of the past" by sharing insights on the complexities of implementing digital systems in real-world healthcare.
MIH Megatrends 2024 was officiated by His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia.
Present were Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad and Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
"MIH Megatrends has established itself as a key platform for advancing healthcare conversations," said KPJ Healthcare president and managing director Chin Keat Chyuan.
"We were thrilled to see a strong turnout of about 5,000 attendees, with two million views on our MIH Megatrends Live+ programme, showing our reach extended well beyond the venue."
Chin expressed his gratitude to all partners, exhibitors and visitors, whose participation underscored Malaysia's potential in shaping future healthcare trends.
"Their collaboration truly highlights Malaysia's potential to shape future healthcare trends."