SINGAPORE`S FLEXIBILITY ON MEDISAVE TO BENEFIT GLENEAGLES

By Saraswathi Muniappan

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 12 (Bernama) -– Gleneagles Hospital Kuala Lumpur is among
the 12 Malaysian private healthcare providers to benefit from Singapore’s move
to allow its citizens to use their compulsory medical savings or Medisave, to
pay for private care aboard.

"We are glad Medisave patients can now seek treatment for a broad range of
services offered by us," said its chief executive officer, Amir Firdaus
Abdullah.

Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) announced the decision on Feb 10 and it
is effective from March 1.

Previously, Singaporeans, permanent residents and their immediate families
could only use the Medisave for emergency hospitalisation.But from next month,
it can be used for hospitalisation and day surgeries but not for outpatient
treatment.

"Gleneagles is able to cater to Singaporeans seeking seek treatment," said
Amir, in an exclusive interview with Bernama Friday.

He said the hospital is prepared to provide the highest level of service
amid the move to secure the Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation,
a US-based quality system.

The JCI is among the quality standards taken into account by the island
city-state.

"Providing top notch services to expatriates and foreigners is not a new
field for the hospital," Amir explained.

He also stressed that there would not be a two-tier fee structure.

"We have always remained on a single tier pricing for all procedures and
care. Hence, there would be no distinction in fees for foreigners and locals,"
he disclosed.

For a start, Gleneagles will tie up with FireFly and Holiday Tours and
Travel Sdn Bhd, to provide further cost savings and coordinated medical travel
for Singaporeans seeking treatment at the hospital.

According to Amir, Gleneagles is the only private hospital approved by
Singapore’s health ministry, that provides paediatric cardiology services.

"Adult and paediatric cardiology treatment is Gleneagles’ strength. We
also provide world class and competent services in, among others, neurosurgery,
orthopedics and urology," he said.

Gleneagles will also be signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
Macquirie Neurosurgery, Australia to enable renowned surgeon, Dr Micheal Morgan
to work exclusively with it to provide high-end neurosurgical procedures.

Gleneagles Hospital Kuala Lumpur commenced operations on Aug 1, 1996. It has
a 330-bed tertiary care hospital and a separate Medical Office Building (MOB)
which accommodates consultants of various specialties and sub-specialties for
outpatient services.

Meanwhile, the MOH said the Medisave scheme will start off with two
healthcare providers, namely, Health Management International (HMI) and Parkway
Holdings.

HMI has set up its local Medisave-accredited referral centre at its
Balestier Clinic and Health Screening Centre.

It will work with its two overseas subsidiaries -- Regency Specialist
Hospital in Johor Bahru and Mahkota Medical Centre in Malacca.

Parkway Holdings has established a Medisave-accredited referral centre at
the East Shore Hospital. It will partner nine hospitals under the Pantai group
in the different Malaysian states, as well as the Gleneagles Hospital Kuala
Lumpur.

Patients interested in making use of the scheme can approach the two
healthcare providers directly.

Currently, Singaporeans makes up to 10 percent of health tourism for all
hospitals in Malaysia.

-- BERNAMA