Pusrawi Spearheads "Hospitel" Concept In M'sia

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 22 (Bernama) -- If you pass by Jalan Tun Razak here, you will see a new building, "Hotel Putra KL", beside the National Library.
The three-star hotel, developed together with the Pusat Rawatan Islam (Pusrawi) Hospital building, not only will be the new landmark in the city, but would be pioneering a new service concept in the health tourism industry currently being promoted in this country.
The "hospitel" concept, a combination of hospital and hotel, might be new to the Malaysian society but it would be spearheading the change in the country's health services in the future.
Hospitel could provide accommodation for the patients' family members, its outpatients, as well as for local and foreign tourists to stay at the hotel while receiving treatment.
Pusrawi Hospital Corporate Development Manager Mohd Azlan Md Arshad said Hospitel, among others, targetted tourists from Indonesia and West Asia.
He said Pusrawi Hospital, which was now operational at Jalan Ipoh here, was scheduled to expand its services when the new hospital and hotel buildings at Jalan Tun Razak began their operation by year end.
The new hospital is quite special because it offers medical services based on Islamic teachings and at the same time provides hotel facilities, he said.
Mohd Azlan said the hotel rooms would undoubtedly be a great convenience to the family and friends of patients from out of Kuala Lumpur, and it would also be open to other visitors who needed comfortable and affordable accommodation.
He said the hospital would have 250 beds as compared to 90 beds at the present hospital at Jalan Ipoh, while the hotel would provide 102 rooms.
The Hospitel construction project began with the first phase in 2000 and the second phase began in 2003, comprising the construction of a nine-storey hospital building and an 11-storey Hotel Putra KL which were linked to each other.
Owned by the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP), the RM100 million project was leased to Pusrawi Hospital and Hotel Putra KL, who would be cooperating to promote health tourism, he said, adding that the cost was covered by a subsidiary of Tabung Haji Board, TH Properties Sdn Bhd.
Mohd Azlan said the hospital and hotel's location was very strategic as it was in the heart of the city and situated just in front of the National Heart Institute (IJN).
Indirectly, Hotel Putra KL would also be offering hotel accommodation to IJN visitors, he said.
"Hospitel, which adopts the Islamic concept, would be equipped with the latest facilities such as laboratories and blood bank, operation theatre, X-ray, pharmacy, circumcision services, creches and a 24-hour emergency service.
"The hotel would be offering facilities including seminar and meeting rooms, cafeteria and over 200 parking spaces," he said.
Mohd Azlan said the Islamic concept applied in the Hospitel services, would not be restricted to Muslim patients but to all patients regardless of religious or racial background.He said Muslim patients would be treated based on Islamic teachings such as the staff would say a prayer prior to a surgery and the hospital and hotel staff would always be dressed according to the Muslim way by covering their "aurat".
Non-Muslim patients would be treated like any normal hospital patients while discounts would be given to the needy but for Muslim patients from the low income group, they are entitled to apply for the wakaf fund aid, he said.
Meanwhile, Hotel Putra KL Senior Marketing Manager Normawati Zainal Abidin said the hotel would be offering a service which would suit the middle and low income groups.
She said the hotel had not decided on the room rates or whether it would be offering special rates for clients who were dealing with Pusrawi Hospital, but added that the room rates would be affordable and reflected the hotel's standard.