Medical tourism boost for east coast on cards
KOTA KINABALU: Medical tourism for the East Coast of Sabah will be given a shot in the arm if everything goes well as planned by Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu which aspires to establish its presence in Sandakan and Tawau, said Deputy Chief Minister cum Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Christina Liew.
She said on Wednesday that the private hospital’s plan to set up clinics for health screening in Sandakan and Tawau ties in well with the ministry’s initiative to turn the two districts into “new” tourist destinations.
“For instance, we can incorporate Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu’s healthcare services into our Cuti Cuti Tawau Package 2019. What is optional could be a short trip to KK from Tawau for further medical treatment if necessary.
“As MP for Tawau, I am pushing for rejuvenation of the local economy in Tawau. Towards this end, 30 tour packages are being marketed in the international tourist market through tour operators.
“The ministry on its part is playing a supportive and facilitating role,” she said during a courtesy call by a three-member delegation led by Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu chief executive officer Noel Cheah. The other delegation members were medical director Dr John Cheng and head of marketing, sales and corporate planning, Jacqueline Chin.
According to Liew, affluent Indonesians were sending their children to study in secondary schools in Tawau, and investing in properties there at the same time.
“It is cheaper for Indonesians to fly from Kalimantan to Tawau to seek medical treatment than to fly to Jakarta. I am told that healthcare is also more expensive in Jakarta, especially if you visit the specialist centres. I have met quite a number of them in Tawau.”
She said medical tourism for Sandakan and Tawau can be promoted in Indonesia through the BIMP-EAGA linkage while suggesting that Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu participate in its roadshows in future for promotion of its healthcare system.
“Let those who need specialised care know there is such a facility and service of international standard in Kota Kinabalu.”
Liew is optimistic that the forthcoming revival of barter trade with Indonesia (as announced by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal in June this yeari) will increase the volume of trade and business between Indonesia and Sabah.
“If that happens, we can discuss with Malaysia Airlines the possibility of having direct flights from Balikpapan and Tarakan to Sabah once again.”
Briefing the minister, Cheah said the plan was to bring Gleneagles to Sandakan and Tawau for health screening purposes, and assess those who need further care at Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu.
“Gleneagles Brand is quite well-known in Indonesia. The best bet is on Indonesia by virtue of its proximity to Sabah. You are so near and the cultures are similar. So we are targeting the Indonesian medical tourists,” he shared.
Since it is difficult to compete for the China tourist market, he stressed that it makes sense for Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu to focus on Indonesia’s potential medical tourists.
“There is a lot of tourism potential. The timing is perfect now. It’s opportune, given the high cost of healthcare in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. I reckon that if there are direct flights from places like Balikpapan and Tarakan, we can bring in the Indonesian tourists.”
The CEO’s contention is that in Tawau and Sandakan, there are small shophouse practices with limited care “which may not be able to provide the full range of medical disciplines that larger hospitals provide.”
There are four Gleneagles Hospitals in Malaysia - Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Johor and Sabah. Twenty percent of patient load at Gleneagles Penang are reportedly from Indonesia.
Saying Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu is only three years old, Cheah said the hospital was still trying to market its healthcare services in an effort to establish Gleneagles as the leading international brand of high clinical and safety standards.
“We are very young. People don’t know enough of us. We need to work harder to let people know we are here. I think the international branding will help enhance and augment the Government’s intent to bring more tourists to Sabah.”
As far as the private healthcare sector in Sabah is concerned, KK is Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu’s hub while its spokes extend out to Sandakan, Tawau and Lahad Datu.
“We are now working on how to facilitate for Asians who need the most specialised care and on how to enable them to come here at the right time, receive treatment as quickly as possible and then be sent back home. Once they are well, they can be taken care of by the primary care sector in their own country,” the CEO added.