Flagship Medical Tourism Hospital Programme
Malaysia National Heart Centre
The international hospital of choice for all cardiac problems
IJN treats around 6,000 international patients a year , mostly from Indonesia ( the largest group ), Myanmar , Vietnam , and Cambodia
The establishment of the National Heart Institute , or I�N , in 1992 as the first dedicated heart , vascular , and thoracic medical facility in Malaysia marked an extraordinary milestone in the nation ’ s development as it helped ease the shortage of cardiac specialists and facilities in the country .
Since its inception , I�N has grown into the heart centre of choice for Malaysians and many international patients from Southeast Asia as a result of its many medical breakthroughs , such as the first heart transplant performed in Malaysia , and by providing comprehensive services to prevent and treat any cardiac condition in both children and adults .
Being nominated a finalist in the Flagship Medical Tourism Hospital Programme will certainly give I�N a further boost as the leading heart centre in Malaysia and the region .
“ The �agship program is something that we are looking forward to . Being a setup that has been focusing on quality care and medical excellence since inception , this programme helps us to further identify areas for improvement , be it from the clinical side , patient service , and branding . It will definitely help us in uplifting our offers to our international patients in a much targeted and structured way ,” Datuk Dr Aizai Azan Abdul Rahim , I�N�s CEO , told GlobalHealth Asia- Pacific .
In particular , programme incentives like the healthcare technology sandbox and the investment tax allowance will support I�N in its plans to digitalise all aspects of patient care by acquiring equipment and software in the areas of artificial intelligence , robotics , and telemedicine . This will help realise the centre ’ s ambitions of becoming a smart hospital by 2028 .
“ We believe this will further assist I�N to strengthen its position as the preferred international medical hospital in relation to cardiology treatment as we are the only specialised hospital in the finalist listing ,” he said .
I�N treats around � , 000 international patients a year , mostly from Indonesia ( the largest group ), Myanmar , Vietnam , and Cambodia . But Datuk Dr Aizai is confident the number will keep rising in the coming years as I�N provides a world-class medical environment for many patients with disposable incomes who normally seek treatment outside their own countries .
One main reason both local and international patients choose I�N is its array of innovative treatments . For instance , the centre was one of the first in Southeast Asia , in 2022 , to introduce the POLARx Cryoablation System , a specialised balloon catheter which improves treatment outcomes and
Patients choose IJN for its array of innovative treatments
58 ISSUE 5 | 2023 GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com