Medical science has recorded an extraordinary progress. The saying that every illness must have its cure seems to be true. At least, many hospitals offer the cure for many kinds of illnesses. Of course, the more serious an illness, the higher the cost of its cure.
Obviously, to obtain correct medical handling, there are many options of hospitals. Many hospitals, such as Medistra Hospital, Medikaloka Hospital, Harapan Kita Hospital, Modern Hospital and Siloam Hospitals, to name but a few, offer prime services, not less than what international hospitals can give, plus the support of medical treatment technology.
These hospitals possess standard medical instruments and tend to provide themselves with the latest technology while their services are like those you can have in star-rated hotels. In addition, these hospitals are generally quite successful in transforming the concept usually adopted by local hospitals – rather unfriendly and forbidding in appearance into a concept usually prevails in modern hospitals, which give the impression of comfort and show class.
Indeed, the rich used to travel abroad for a prime medical treatment. Singapore and Malaysia, for example, used to be their main destinations for this purpose. In fact, they can also have a holiday at the same time, hence the term a medical tour.
One of the favorite hospitals for Indonesian patients is Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore. This hospital, which is affiliated with Parkway Health Group, is located in Orchard Road, the most prestigious shopping center. Aside from Mount Elizabeth, this group also owns and manages two other hospitals, East Shore Hospital and Gleneagles Hospital. Parkway also has a hospital network in India, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam. The patients in the hospitals in this network provide services are not only Singaporeans but also citizens of other countries, including Indonesia.
Meanwhile, Malaysia has a number of international-class hospitals such as Island Hospital, Adventist Hospital, Mount Miriam Hospital, Lam Wah Ee Hospital, Gleneagles Medical Center or Loh Guan Lye Specialists Center in Penang. All these hospitals offer various medical treatment packages, ranging from just a general check-up, surgery for serious ailments such as a heart trouble, cancer and other internal diseases, to handling of degenerative diseases, which are dubbed the illnesses of modern people.
Also available are clinics for those wishing to alter their appearance for the better, ranging from liposuction and tummy tuck to remove fat instantly to cosmetic surgery to beautify a nose or augment breasts. If you have an eye problem, such as myopia or hyperopic, you can visit the i-Laser Center of Island Hospital, for example, to have the now popular lasik treatment.surgery with the laser technology changes short-sighted eyes in such a way that no more glasses or contact lenses will be needed,” said Nora Hamid, Head of PR/Marketing Department of Island Hospital, adding that the biggest number of the patients for lasik surgery come from Indonesia.
In fact, besides Singapore and Malaysia, in the last few years Thailand has also made use of its hospitals as another door for foreign exchange to flow into this country. According to the data in the Office for Export Services of the Thai Export Promotion Ministry, in 2005, for example, over 1 million foreign patients had their medical treatment in a number of private hospitals in Thailand, there’re allowing the country to enjoy receipts of some 40 billion baht (about Rp 9.4 trillion), up by about 60% over the figure registered the year before.
Indeed, as has been referred to earlier, today Indonesian citizens, particularly the rich, need not travel abroad when they are sick because the hospitals at home are as sophisticated as those abroad. There are enough specialists and equipment. Take Medistra Hospital, for example. Officially operating on November 28, 1991, this hospital has, since its establishment, been strongly committed to realizing its vision as an international-level hospital. Located in Jalan Gatot Subroto, Jakarta, it has now confirmed its position as one of leading hospitals in Jakarta, especially in cardiology.
To earn public trust in international-class health service, Medistra Hospital deems it necessary to fit itself with the latest health technology supported with reliable human resources to put this technology to use. Aside from having various sophisticated medical facilities, such as a complete laboratory, a hemodialysis facility, an endoscope facility, MCU, angiography instruments and Helical CT Scan machines, Medistra Hospital is also reinforced by a team of experienced of cardiologists, a number of specialists and a team of general practitioners possessing the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certificates.
The seriousness of the management of Medistra Hospital in applying an international standard has led to their success in obtaining accreditation for twelve areas, among others, administration and management, emergency rooms, medical records, medical services, nurses, operating theaters, occupational health and safety (K3), laboratory, radiology, pharmacy, Nosocomia infection and high-risk pre-natal facility.
PT Siloam HealthCare Tbk. (SHC) has taken almost the same step to improve its brand image as the management of a number of international-class hospitals, namely Siloam Gleneagles Lippo Karawaci Hospital, Siloam Graha Medika Hospital, Siloam Lippo Cikarang Hospital and Siloam Sumber Waluyo Hospital in Surabaya. The SHC management, through its intensive promotional activities, may be said to be quite successful in transforming the concept usually prevailing in local hospitals forbidding in appearance and rather unfriendly – into a modern concept of a hospital giving comfort, having class and being provided with technology instruments and supported by experienced medical personnel.
Quality services are the manifestation of the vision and mission of the SHC management. This is also what the management of other hospitals – at home or abroad has been doing. They have transformed the forbidding appearance of their hospitals into a friendly look. After being treated in a hospital and is cured of his illness, a patient is expected not only to recover physically but is also mentally healthy. In this case the Indonesian translation of “rumah sakit”, literally “home for the sick” is not quite appropriate as “rumah sehat”, or literally “home for the healthy”, is more fitting.(Burhan Abe)
The Jakarta Post, February 25, 2007
