INTRODUCTION
The Asia-Pacific Healthcare and Medical Tourism Awards soldiers on
Despite the mayhem caused by the pandemic , the yearly awards event organised by Global Health Asia-Pacific carried on in the face of many challenges
The coronavirus pandemic has upended almost all aspects of our lives , turning in-person interactions into risky adventures and pushing us to stay home most of the time . Events where many people gather have been obvious casualties of the new paradigm , and the yearly conference and awards ceremony organised by Global Health Asia-Pacific was no exception .
Slated for June 2020 , the event was postponed until October with the aim of holding it as usual , but the reality of a health crisis that shows no signs of abating forced us to finally cancel it . It was a difficult decision , made with much angst and regret , because over the years it has offered a formidable platform for healthcare and medical tourism experts to exchange insights and learn from each other .
The conference has consistently delved into the key issues and technologies poised to shape our healthcare systems in the decades ahead , such as the surge of chronic diseases , telemedicine , and artificial intelligence , just to name a few . It has also dissected medical tourism trends in the Asia-Pacific region , highlighting how countries like Thailand , Singapore , India , and Malaysia have come to dominate a large portion of the sector thanks to their offerings tailored for healthcare travellers .
Despite calling the main event off , we still felt it was important to honour the achievements of the region ’ s healthcare providers , especially during such a difficult time .
Dato ’ Dr Jacob Thomas and Ms Dolly Lim , MHTC
In line with current social distancing and other safety practices , we met the winners individually at their hospitals to present them their awards and extend our warmest congratulations . And despite the logistical challenges of organising more than a dozen events over such a short period of time , our team rose to the occasion . Special thanks go out to Wisal Abughalia , SK Wong , and Harivarmaa Perumal ( Hust ), who spared no efforts to ensure everything went smoothly .
We also would like to thank Dr Jacob Thomas , Sherene Azli , Dr Prem Pillay , and Dr Ravi Shrestha for helping us make these events successful . Their support to the Global Health Asia-Pacific Awards 2020 was invaluable .
In addition to the prizes usually given out to celebrate exceptional care services in selected countries and medical specialities , the 2020 Awards also featured recognition for those who had to face one of the greatest global healthcare crises in modern history .
A special mention goes out to the team at the Ministry of Health in Malaysia for going all out to contain the pandemic and saving lives , allowing the Southeast Asian nation to see some of the lowest numbers of COVID-19 infection and death . For this reason , the judging committee awarded the Malaysian Health Minister , YB . Dato ’ Sri Dr Adham Bin Baba , with the Stellar COVID-19 Achievement of the Year recognition and the Director-General of Health Malaysia , Tan Sri Dato ’ Seri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah , with the
10 DECEMBER 2020 GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com