KUCHING: Normah Medical Specialist Centre (NMSC) continues to attract patients from neighbouring countries as part of medical tourism.
Deputy Head of Corporate Affairs and Business Development Bidari Mohamad Suhaili said that as the first and oldest private medical centre in Sarawak, NMSC has foreign patients who often return to seek treatment.
He said the availability of direct flights from Kuching to Jakarta also further strengthened NMSC’s position as the preferred private medical centre among patients from Indonesia in particular.
“We have been around for 35 years, and most of our doctors have been with us since the medical centre began its operations.
“For Indonesian patients who have sought treatments with us in the past, we have their medical records, and they would often come back.
“With the opening of borders after the COVID-19 pandemic and the availability of air connectivity, it is easy and relatively cheaper for them to come to Sarawak for medical treatments. We are grateful that they continue to choose us,” he said when met by reporters during the NMSC Open Day today (August 12).
With NMSC’s accreditations by the Malaysian Society for Quality Health (MSQH) and the Joint Commission International (JCI), Bidari said this sets it apart from other private medical centres and hospitals.
He said these accreditations are internationally and globally recognised, so NMSC is a world-standard healthcare provider.
“We are guided by national and international standards. In fact, the JCI accreditation is from the United States (US), so we are on par with medical centres in developed countries, including Singapore.
“We believe in patients’ safety on top of prioritising their health. Moreover, our staff is well trained, and we practise patients’ rights, so patients have the right to be treated or otherwise.
“If they do not wish to be treated or want to go home, they have the right to do so, as we cannot force them,” he said.