May-June . 2024 | The HEALTH

It is learnt that following the approval , the parties involved are finalising details of the new entity . An announcement is expected to be made soon .

The new mega entity will see Columbia Asia Healthcare , Ramsay Sime Darby Health Care , Beacon Hospital , Cardiac Vascular Sentral Kuala Lumpur ( CVSKL ), ALTY Orthopaedic Hospital and PJ Integrated Centre of Advanced Surgery and Oncology ( Picaso ) coming under one umbrella .

It is estimated the new company could be listed in 2026 on Bursa Malaysia at a valuation of more than RM20 billion , making it one of the largest listed healthcare groups on the local bourse . It will include healthcare facilities in Malaysia , Indonesia , and Vietnam .

The Hong Leong Group and TPG acquired Columbia Asia ’ s hospitals in Southeast Asia in 2019 for US $ 1.2 billion . It included hospitals in Malaysia , Indonesia and Vietnam but not those in India . Tycoon Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan

AT Sunway Sanctuary , which occupies the top 16 floors of a newly built tower outside Kuala Lumpur , luxury intertwines with care , offering a glimpse into Sunway Group ' s ambitious healthcare venture .

With panoramic views from an infinity pool , a 24-hour concierge , cinema , karaoke suites , and mahjong rooms , this upscale retirement living space reflects Sunway Group ' s commitment to redefining healthcare experiences .

On the lower floors of the tower is the Sunway Medical Centre . Sunway Sanctuary is an upmarket take on retirement living , part of the Sunway Group ' s major bet on the healthcare business , targeting private healthcare patients , medical tourists and wealthy retirees in Malaysia and beyond .

According to Forbes magazine , the ethos of " Everything is here " echoes throughout Sunway Sanctuary , ensuring swift access to critical care in times of need .

Sunway Group Chairman Jeffrey Cheah said : " When you stay in Sunway Sanctuary , and if you have a stroke or a heart attack , we wheel you straight down into the emergency room instead of calling an ambulance . When ' time is of the essence ', everything is here ."

In 1999 , Sunway Healthcare started a hospital in the original township near Kuala Lumpur . It took two decades to open a second hospital at another development called Sunway Velocity , south of the city centre , and a third opened in Penang in 2022 . Sunway also operates specialist clinics , including a fertility centre in Kuching and a health screening and family medicine outpost in Singapore , its first

controls the Hong Leong Group .

In November 2023 , Columbia Asia Healthcare acquired Ramsay Sime Darby Health Care ( RSDH ) for RM5.7 billion from Sime Darby Bhd and Ramsay Healthcare Ltd of Australia . RSDH operates four hospitals in Malaysia and three in Indonesia .

For the record , TPG had in 2020 mulled privatising KPJ Healthcare jointly with the latter ’ s largest shareholder , Johor Corp , but that did not happen .

It is learnt that TPG was also recently eyeing the Island Hospital Group in Malaysia but it is now likely that Sunway Healthcare , which has ambitious healthcare plans , is interested in acquiring it . The deal could be valued at RM3.5 billion .

There is also speculation that Sunway Healthcare could bring forward its listing as early as next year from 2027 as initially planned . The listing could see a valuation of up to RM12 billion .

foray overseas .

Now , the Malaysian billionaire wants to add more forms of healthcare to his ecosystems and elsewhere in the country , transforming Sunway ' s healthcare business into a growth engine powered by a surge in medical tourism — people flying in for procedures — and Malaysia ' s ageing population .

" We will build [ Sunway Sanctuary ] to go with all our hospitals ," Cheah says , adding that a village concept for the elderly could also be in the pipeline .

With a staggering revenue growth of 36 per cent year on year , Sunway Healthcare ' s revenue surged to RM1.5 billion ( US $ 316 million ) in 2023 , with projections soaring to RM2.3 billion by 2025 , according to Kuala Lumpur-based CGS International equity research director Chong Tjen-San . By comparison , Sunway Construction , a key business within the group , reported an annual revenue of RM2.7 billion in the previous year .

DIGITAL health firm UCrest Berhad ( UCrest ) is optimistic about rising technology adoption in the healthcare sector , anticipating a surge in demand for its services .

At a signing ceremony with MDC Asia Link Bhd ( MDC ), UCrest Chairman Eg Kah Yee highlighted recent contract wins as indicators of the expanding embrace of technology across various healthcare domains , including hospitals , clinics , general practitioner practices , specialist clinics , and now dental clinics .

Under the agreement signed , UCrest will provide the iMedic clinic management system to MDC for a five-year term , serving its chain of dental clinics and the Pusrawi confinement center .

The agreement with MDC follows UCrest ' s recent collaboration with private healthcare company Mediprima Healthcare ( M ) Sdn Bhd and Rwanda-based payment platform StayOnline Ltd in March .

“ Many countries are already ahead of Malaysia for dental clinics to hop on and to embrace the technology in digitalisa-

IF YOU want to know about the latest advances in the field of tonsils and adenoids , then you will find this book edited by Datuk Dr Balwant Singh Gendeh useful .

The 111-page book presents selected topics on tonsils and adenoids and related problems and provides insight into recent advances in the field . It was published in London by IntechOpen in 2023 .

The airway and food passageway through the oropharynx are critical in our daily lives . They contribute to our personal well-being and safety as well as in our daily communication with others .

However , when disease , condition or injury impairs its function , only then do we appreciate the relevance of the food passageway and airways . This book highlights new clinical

UCrest Chairman Eg Kah Yee

tion . It is a very big step forward ,” said Eg .

MDC Founder and Chief Executive Officer Dr Aslan Bacho , echoed the importance of digitalisation in enhancing healthcare services .

" We are aware of the system and of digitalisation . We need a platform to make better , faster decisions in health and wellness ," said Aslan .

UCrest ' s iMedic system is operational in various countries , including Malaysia , Singapore , the US , India , China and Taiwan .

and research developments and future perspectives on food passageway and airway-related problems and lesions .

The chapters cover benign and malignant tumours of the tonsils , The evolution of adenoid surgery , 3-D exoscopic s u r g e r y for tonsillectomy , the link between adenoids and nasopharyngeal carcinoma , the therapeutic approaches in chronic adenoiditis , and peritonsillar and intratonsillar abscess . There is also a review of clinical features , management and complications .

Dr Balwant is President of the Association of Specialists in Private Medical Practice in Malaysia ( ASPMP ) and a Senior Consultant ENT ( Otorhinolaryngology ) surgeon at Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur .