BAYAN BARU – A hospital in Penang has invested in social media to reach out to potential patients within a 10-km radius of its facility, and it is believed to be the first private healthcare outlet to venture into such outreach on a digital platform.
Pantai Hospital Penang chief executive officer Pan Wen Lek said that the hospital has, for example, formed Whatsapp groups with residents of 16 condominiums in the vicinity of Bayan Baru, where it is located, to generate awareness on healthcare, treatments and to answer queries, including about Covid -19.
It has also established a nursing care service for the aged, which can be reached through its official social media apparatus or by calling the hospital directly.
He said the hospital wants to remain community driven, with 97% of its patients being Malaysians and many coming from the adjacent Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone (FIZ).
“The remaining 3% consists of our medical tourists, mainly from Indonesia,” he said.
“While there is room for growth in medical tourism, the focus remains on making Pantai a top community hospital in Penang.”
Pantai is also the sole private hospital within the state’s Southwest district where the FIZ – Penang’s engine of growth – is located.
To this, Pan said the hospital enjoys high bed occupancy, but it wants to add value to its services, hence the migration to social media platforms where chat group administrators are on call daily, just like its doctors are on medical call everyday.
Speaking in conjunction with plans for the hospital to expand to 307 beds from the present 204 in two years’ time, Pan said the new seven-storey building will also see the expansion of its stroke centre – the only one of its kind in the northern region.
“We try to optimise our costing for admissions by ensuring that our patients receive the best outcome after staying for only a limited period. We do not encourage overstaying in our facilities,” he added.
Pan added that, through its social media channels, Pantai’s specialists and dietitians provide complimentary medical advice and diet tips to ensure wellness remains the top priority for patients living within the 10-km radius, especially in fighting the pandemic.
“E-health is the way forward to curate costings. For the elderly, there is also a ride service where the hospital can pick them up from their homes and also deliver medications to their doorsteps,” he said.
Pan stressed that the hospital was keen to work with old-age caregivers and foreigners under the Malaysia My Second Home retirement programme to allay their concerns about ageing gracefully.
“The pandemic has taught us about digitalisation and we need it. This is what we are doing but, unfortunately, we can only accommodate those staying near us,” he said. – The Vibes, August 24, 2022
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