The APHM International Healthcare Conference and Exhibition 2014 was held from 3rd June to 5th June 2014 at Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre, Bandar Sunway, Malaysia. The 22nd edition of the annual event was organised by the Association of Private Hospitals of Malaysia (APHM) and sponsored by Prince Court Medical Centre.
With the theme “Smart Partnerships in Managing Hospitals – Building Bridges to Win”, the conference tackled the topic of whether healthcare corporations should form partnerships with others to deal with the challenges of new regulations, accreditations, increasing competitions, and rapid technological advancement, in order to reduce burdens while improving patient satisfactions and financial returns. Apart from the International Healthcare Conference and the exhibition which was held in conjunction to the event, this year, the organiser also introduced the APHM Medicolegal Workshop which debuted with ‘Managing Professional and Hospital Risks’ seminar. It was held concurrently with the annual APHM International Nursing Conference.
Endorsed by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), the healthcare conference and exhibition commenced with a welcome address by Dato’ Dr Jacob Thomas, President of APHM. According to Dato’ Dr Jacob Thomas, “APHM has 120 private hospital members of which 57% of the member is derived from the total number of private hospitals in the country”. He also highlighted that the conference has scaled 600 registered foreign and local delegates. The delegates comprises mainly Malaysians, along with a considerable number of foreign delegates from Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Indonesia, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, China, Taiwan, South Africa, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, and Canada.
“This year the exhibition saw the participation of the highest number of exhibitors in 22 years, with 150 exhibitors showcasing the latest products and services in healthcare,” remarked Dato’ Dr Jacob Thomas. Some of the participating exhibitors included Sony Malaysia, Medi-Life, Tropicana Medical Centre, Medica Singapore, Netturul Resources, Perunding Endah Alam, DCM Medical System, Pantai Management Resources, Schiller Malaysia, Napier Healthcare Solutions, and Felco Medical Supplies. Dato’ Dr Jacob Thomas also made a special mention to the 46 members of the Mega FAM trip from 12 different countries who attended the event and visited the private hospitals in Malaysia.
In terms of the International Healthcare Conference, one of the noteworthy speakers highlighted by Dato’ Dr Jacob Thomas included Laila Al Jassmi, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Health Beyond Borders, Dubai, who delivered the keynote address titled ‘Public Private Partnerships in Healthcare’. Another guest speaker featured was Joyce Alumno, Executive Director and Chief Strategist, HealthCORE, Philippines, who presented and illustrated the integration of ASEAN economic community and how it will impact the private sector healthcare.
The 3-day event was officiated by Dato’ Seri Dr Hilmi Haji Yahaya, Deputy Minister of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia on 3rd June 2014. In his official opening address, Dato’ Seri Dr Hilmi Haji Yahaya expressed that the theme of this year’s event is aligned with the government’s drive to strengthen the public-private partnerships or better known as PPPs. He also congratulated the private healthcare sector for its strong contribution towards the Malaysian healthcare industry.
“The Malaysian healthcare industry represents one of the most dynamic and vibrant sectors in our country. I laud the role of APHM as the premier association representing private sector hospitals in this country,” said Dato’ Seri Dr Hilmi Haji Yahaya. “It has always engaged in regular dialogues with my ministry in bringing up matters of concern, be it to the private hospitals or to our country as a whole. The APHM is indeed a key partner of the Ministry of Health as we work together to build a healthy nation.”
The Deputy Minister of Health further provided the key health status indicators in Malaysia which he claimed “has made great strides in its effort to improve the health of its citizens. For such a young nation as ours, these are indeed impressive.” According to Dato’ Seri Dr Hilmi Haji Yahaya, the health status indicators such as life expectancy at birth have risen over the years. For instance, it has increased from 56 years (1957) to 72 years (2011) for males. And as for females, it has also increased from 58 years (1957) to 77 years (2011). Infant mortality rate and maternal mortality rate have also been significantly reduced to levels that are comparable to those of developed nations. These are proof of the overall health system performance of the country.
Dato’ Seri Dr Hilmi Haji Yahaya also graced the healthcare exhibition where many exhibitors took the chance to provide demonstrations to the honourable guest on their latest healthcare innovations. The APHM International Healthcare Conference and Exhibition 2014 is supported by Asian Hospital Federation, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Malaysian Medical Association, Malaysian Society for Quality in Health, Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia, Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau, and Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC).
Source: APHM 2014