ISLAND HOSPITAL PLANS RM2B MEDICAL CITY

Plan to double capacity to 600 beds under first phase of development

AUDREY DERMAWAN GEORGE TOWN audreymd@nst.com.my

ISLAND Hospital, one of the leading medical tourism hospitals in the country, will undertake the Island Medical City project with a gross development value exceeding RM2 billion.

In its first phase of development, Island Hospital director Benny Lim said 300 hospital beds would be built to add to the existing 300, making it Penang’s first 600-bed private hospital.

He added that in complementing its functions, medical suites, other ancillary facilities and a hotel that fulfils healthcare travellers’ needs would also be built in later stages.

The long-term goal is to reach a capacity of 1,000 beds.

“The economic value of this RM2 billion project is expected to exceed RM7 billion, with benefits spilling over to other industries.

“Upon completion, the Island Medical City project will be the first-of-its-kind medical hub in the country, complete with stateof-the-art medical equipment and the largest and most advanced tertiary care facility.

“Cutting-edge medical technologies will serve new service lines in oncology, sub-specialties of orthopaedics, neurosciences and geriatrics serving the ageing population,” he said when announcing details of the project, here, yesterday.

The project will be sited at Peel Avenue/Pierce Road, here, on a plot of land alienated from the state government for a long-term lease costing RM156 million.

In addition, the project will create 2,000 jobs that cover a broad skill spectrum, from basic labour to medical specialists, for the locals upon its completion in five years.