The Hindu Business Line : Destination Singapore for quality healthcare

Even though we hope to increase the proportion of foreign patients, it is not done specifically to boost revenues but rather to cater to a niche market of patients who desire quality healthcare and do not mind paying a premium for it.

DR PREM KUMAR NAIR, GENERAL MANAGER, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, RAFFLES HOSPITAL, SINGAPORE.

C. Ramesh

Recently in Singapore

Singapore is aggressively promoting itself as a healthcare hub and has evolved a public-private partnership model to showcase its strengths and advantages as a medical travel destination. Among the private healthcare groups that have joined hands with the Government in this mission is the Raffles Medical Group.

One of the largest private healthcare providers in the country, the 30-year-old Group has a network of 60 clinics island-wide and the flagship Raffles Hospital, offering a comprehensive range of services.

Listed on the Singapore stock exchange, the Group provides primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare to over one million patients and more than 5,000 corporate clients in the country.

Speaking to Business Line on how actively Raffles is promoting medical travel, Dr Prem Kumar Nair, General Manager, Business Development, said that Raffles Hospital works closely with Singapore Medicine, a championing agency launched by the Economic Development Board, the Singapore Tourism Board and International Enterprise Singapore to make the country’s healthcare services easily accessible to international patients.

Singapore Medicine initiative

“The Singapore Medicine initiative has been crucial to the growth of the foreign patient market here. It has paved the way for hospitals to move into new markets regionally.”

The initiatives of the agency include organising roadshows, seminars, exhibitions and trade fairs in West Asia, China, Malaysia and Indonesia to showcase local hospitals and specialists.

Informing that most hospitals in Singapore have their own international patients centres, Dr Nair said that the Raffles International Patients Centre has been set up to take care of all the needs of foreign patients from the moment they step off a plane to the time they are discharged.

“Ever since the launch of Singapore Medicine in October 2003, the number of foreign patients coming to Singapore has grown steadily. And Raffles Hospital mirrors this growth. Today, 35 per cent of all patients at the hospital are foreign, from more than 120 countries.”

The hospital is aiming to grow this figure to 50 per cent within five years, by tapping “new and exciting markets like Russia and Mongolia.”

Healthcare seekers from the Indian subcontinent stand fourth in numbers, after Indonesians, resident expatriates and Malaysians.

Dr Nair believes that there is much potential for growth, given Singapore’s “excellent infrastructure, clean and safe environment, good healthcare policies and a well-run Government.”

Singapore maintains an edge by providing more complex procedures such as transplants, cancer treatment and heart surgeries, he added.

Recruitment drive

On whether Raffles is keen on attracting medical professionals from countries like India, he said: “We have not embarked on an emphatic recruitment drive, as we have a strong pool of local specialists who are very experienced and adept at meeting the needs of foreign patients.”

Besides general medical registration, foreign specialists must be approved by the Specialist Training Committees (STCs) for each of the 35 approved specialties for registration on the Ministry of Health’s Specialist Register.

Even after qualifying for general medical registration, they may still not get registered as a specialist unless they meet the stringent requirements of training and experience as determined by the individual STCs. Dr Nair pointed out that foreign patients are not primarily looking for a foreign doctor to treat them, “but a good doctor with good credentials and experience. Whether the doctor is local or foreign is not a key factor.”

Singapore residents get heavy subsidies at Government hospitals. Is Raffles focusing more on medical travellers for a healthier bottomline? “Even though we hope to increase the proportion of foreign patients, it is not done specifically to boost revenues but rather to cater to a niche market of patients who desire quality healthcare and do not mind paying a premium for it.”

He added that many patients — both local and foreign — prefer to go to a private hospital because of the shorter waiting time, choice of doctors, specialists and proprietary drugs, a more private setting and personalised care. Stating that the hospital tries to keep prices reasonable for local and foreign patients, Dr Nair said that its Group Practice Model plays a key role in this effort.

Pricing model

Under this model, doctors and specialists of the Group are required to adhere to a strict fee schedule so that patients are not over-charged.

Each care episode is medically audited by a panel of senior consultants to ensure that patients receive appropriate, optimal and cost-effective treatment.

This model, while working fine for the hospital, might deprive doctors of possible additional streams of income. Dr Nair agrees, but points out that there are other non-monetary benefits that doctors value more over monetary rewards alone.

“A major advantage is that it allows for better deployment of individual talents, allowing different specialists to concentrate on doing what they are best trained for. When highly trained specialists leave the major teaching hospitals for private practice, their sub-specialty skills can be lost as they revert to a broader scope of practice for economic reasons.” Besides, a specialist at a typical private hospital needs to run a clinic at the medical centre like an autonomous business.

“He becomes not only a doctor, but also a business manager, HR manager, administrator and accountant all rolled into one. At Raffles, specialists are able to focus on their core competency without the distractions of business and administrative processes.”

The Raffles specialist is not only a well-trained specialist with a sub-specialty interest, “but someone who strongly believes that only through teamwork can the best care for patients be achieved. The Group Practice creates an environment that supports and encourages continued professional development and a multidisciplinary and peer-reviewed approach to managing patients.”

Dr Nair also informed that Raffles specialists, in addition to their own earnings, receive variable bonuses and employee stock options, as well as a host of benefits.

“They are also sponsored for local and overseas conferences and continually upgraded through training stints internationally.”

Since Indian medical professionals are “generally regarded very well” in the international medical community, doctors looking for a similar working environment will find it “very comfortable” in Singapore, Dr Nair said.

“Despite recent competition from India, Thailand and Malaysia, we continue to be recognised as the destination with the best medical infrastructure and reputation for quality, safety and transparency. The recent addition of several Indian medical schools to the Singapore Medical Council’s list of accredited medical institutions will facilitate the movement of such doctors.”

Dr Prem Kumar Nair is responsible for all international activities of Raffles Hospital and the Group. In the past, he has also been responsible for the group’s managed healthcare business and the international medical assistance arm, as well as the specialist and hospital divisions. He holds an MBBS from the National University of Singapore and an MBA from the Manchester Business School, UK/University of North Carolina (US).

More Stories on : Health | Medical Institutions & Hospitals

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
As the crow flies

The fatigue factor in flight safety

Destination Singapore for quality healthcare

Perfecting the monetary policy

Defence Sector: Huge potential to be tapped

Towards a clean public life

Still neglected