SMC Aims To Attract International Patients

The Sabah Medical Centre (SMC) hopes its new building which is equipped with several latest equipment and facility in Jalan Bersatu here, would be able to attract international patients, particularly from the region to come here for treatment.
Some 550 patients were operated for open heart surgery since October 1998 and over 2,500 underwent coronary angioraphy and angioplasty in the same period at the SMC, its Executive Chairman Dr Tseu Fui Loong told reporters after briefing Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman on the new building, here Monday.
He said the SMC also aimed to offer cancer treatment and health diagnostics package to international patients as it has linear accelerator machine to provide radiotheraphy and latest scanning technology using 1.5 tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scanner and multi-slice computerised tomography scanner.
Tseu said there was also interest from Brunei, which was impressed with the cancer treatment equipment available at the hospital, following his promotional visit to the oil-rich country.
He also said the SMC was working with the National Health Service in the United Kingdom to bring British patients who were on the 12-month waiting list for surgery in British hospitals to be operated at the SMC.
Tseu said this arrangement could be realised once the new hospital starts its operation targeted this August.
Besides having the latest equipment for cancer treatment, the hospital is also equipped with lithotripter, a machine used to blast kidney stones, a dental centre, and an eye centre to perform laser eye operation, he said.
He said for a start, the hospital would put 130 beds in its new ward to see customers' response first although the hospital could accommodate 300 beds at one time.
It is also equipped with 10 operation theatres and has more than 30 specialists in the area of cardiology, neurology, nephrology, gaestroenterology, urology, plastic & reconstructive surgery, orthopaedic, dermatology, paediatrics, obstetric & gynaecology, ophthalmology, Ear Nose Throat surgery, oncology, psychiatry, radiology, anaesthetist, general surgeons and general physicians.
Tseu said SMC spent about RM150 million since October 2003 to build and equip its new hospital which was completed on June this year. Previously SMC operated from its building at Kingfisher Park which was bought by the Ministry of Health and it now accommodates the obstetric and gynaecology unit of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital here.
Meanwhile, Musa said he was very impressed with the new building and facilities of SMC as it could be considered one of the best in the region and augured well for health tourism in Sabah.
The availability of the latest medical facility would attract patients from neighbouring countries like the Philippines and Indonesia to come to Sabah and seek treatment, he said.
During his visit, Musa also dismissed the perception that private hospitals like SMC would only cater for those who could pay for the services and said SMC also played its complementary role to government hospitals.
For example, more than half of the over 400 cancer patients treated with radiotherapy in SMC each year were referred by and paid for by the Ministry of Health.
Source