After almost two years of being forced to restrict their operations as a consequence of COVID-19, private hospitals in the region are beginning to see a little improvement in their occupancy rates.
A private hospital in Malaysia is gradually returning to its pre-pandemic occupancy rates and expanding the number of visitors, including those seeking treatment for the virus, according to Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh, president of the Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM).
Since the majority of restrictions have been lifted and various business sectors have started full operations, they have observed an increase in the number of patients coming to the hospital.
A number of non-Covid-19 patients were relocated from government hospitals and quarantine facilities to private institutions as part of a government-wide attempt to relieve the burden on public hospitals and quarantine centres while also improving treatment capacity.
It has given them the opportunity to serve more patients and boost the number of patients admitted to the hospital after a period of decreased activity.
The fear of COVID-19 infection, he says, led to fewer admissions and visits to private hospitals during the early period, except for patients suffering from life-threatening diseases who needed rapid medical treatment.
Observed by Dr Kuljit, when the business environment improves, private hospitals see an increase in the number of visits and patients who return to finish their regular medical check-up routine from the point when they last visited.
Because they are responsible for promoting medical tourism in Malaysia, they are attempting to strengthen the country’s healthcare travel sector by cooperating with private institutions and portraying Malaysia as the world’s most desirable medical tourism destination.
Already, MHTC has undertaken specialised advertising efforts such as transforming Malaysia into an Asian fertility hub, a cardiology centre of excellence, and an aged care destination, amongst other projects.
