(From left) Chua, Pua, Lee, Ammar and Tiew getting ready to toss the KLWC yee sang.

KUALA LUMPUR: Following the opening of borders in April last year, the Medical Tourism industry recorded a revenue of RM726mil as of Q3 2022 and is on the way to achieving its RM1bil target for 2022. It was projected that the sector will bring an annual revenue of RM2bil in 2025. 

In line with projections, purpose-built township Kuala Lumpur Wellness City (KLWC), aims to drive medical tourism in Malaysia through its vision of a 360-degree wellness hub, centred around its township which encompasses all aspects of medical care, health, wellness, fitness, and business, complete with residential, retail, and commercial offerings.  

KL Wellness City Sdn Bhd managing director Datuk Dr Colin Lee said the Healthcare Travel Industry Blueprint 2021- 2025 by Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council has identified that step down, rehab and wellness development for healthcare travel is one of the critical touchpoints that require key improvements. 

"KLWC is a city dedicated to healthcare and wellness living at its core. As the first real estate development in Southeast Asia to pioneer a comprehensive ecosystem of healthcare and wellness-centric living, KLWC is targeted to become a hub for local and international medical tourism. For tourists and visitors local and abroad, KLWC will position Malaysia as the ideal location in the South East Asia region to travel and visit, in addition to indulging in an environment of the best healthcare and wellness facilities designed for better living,” he said.

Ministry of Tourism, Art and Culture international promotions senior director Datuk Ammar Abdul Ghapar.officiated at the launch of the Spring of the Auspicious 8 event. Also present were KLWC branding, sales abd marketing director Datuk Seri Dr Vincent Tiew, retail, consumerism and construction director Datuk Seri Garry Chua and hospitality director Datin Karen Pua.

Spanning over 26.49 acres, KL Wellness City is 45 minutes away from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), it is a complete healthcare travel ecosystem anchored with The Nobel Healthcare Park, The International Tertiary Hospital, 379 medical specialist suites, retirement resorts for independent and assisted living, a healthcare mall, residential units, commercial shop lots offering health and fitness-centric retail as well as food and beverage outlets, a multimedia super corridor-designated office space, and a central park. 

Located in the heart of Bukit Jalil, The Nobel Healthcare Park, which consists of the medical, business, wellness and retail suites, has a fully-connected ecosystem of specialists and ancillary medical services interlinked with adjacent International Hospital @ KL Wellness City, approved as a tertiary hospital with 624 beds and scalable to 1,000-bed capacity.  

An artist impression of KLWC.

“Malaysia has been receiving medical tourists from various countries, including Indonesia, Singapore, Australia and China, for its affordable and good healthcare. In terms of medical tourism, the wellness suites cater for patients who are in step-down care - those who have been discharged from the hospital but are still recovering and may require assistance such as daily physiotherapy or rehabilitation.  

"The suites also cater to the families of medical tourists, who require accommodation closer to the patients and various medical professionals, amenities and facilities when required, particularly The International Tertiary Hospital,” said Lee.

He added that The International Tertiary Hospital aims to be the most well-equipped and modern in the region across areas including cardiology, spine health, neuro health, sports medicine, cosmetic surgery and fertility, with R&D laboratories and facilities for clinical studies across a variety of fields equipped with cutting-edge technology. 

“Malaysia has a history of being one of the best locations for medical tourism and leveraging on that, The Nobel Healthcare Park, is more than just its services - it is part of the KLWC ecosystem that covers the aspects of healthcare, including acute medical care, emergency care, wellness, and fitness in addition to cultivating a lifestyle that is health-centric for its residents and medical professionals. Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, there is a need to live healthily among people. KLWC was conceptualised around the idea of healthy living. 

"As the first-of-its-kind medical and wellness hub, The Nobel Healthcare Park is set to reinvent the way medical professionals operate and manage their practices, as well as the way people live and reside, incorporating a sense of longevity and wellness in their everyday lives. We share the ambition to make Malaysia the undisputed destination for medical tourism, as well as setting a new benchmark for hospitality, living and medical care through KLWC,” Lee said. 

In conjunction with the coming Chinese New Year, KL Wellness City will be hosting its CNY celebration, the Spring of the Auspicious 8, for the first time at the newly opened KLWC gallery in Bukit Jalil on Jan 14 and 15 and Feb 4 and 5 with several fun-filled activities, performances, and rewards for both adults and children. 

The activities include an acrobatic lion dance, a Chinese orchestra performance, tarot card readings by Cris Angel, DIY Workshops for children, cookie baking workshops and Valentine's baking workshops.

KLWC's Spring Rewards Wheel of Fortune will give buyers a chance for cash rebates of RM1888, RM2888 and RM3,888 when they purchase a property at The Nobel Healthcare Park as well as other tokens. 

In addition to the activities, attendees will enjoy traditional Chinese delicacies namely dragon beard candy, ting ting candy and sugar calabash. Attendees can also participate in KL Wellness City Spring Rewards by taking a photo in the KLWC gallery with the CNY-themed decorations, posting and tagging KLWC on Facebook or Instagram platforms and getting a chance to spin the Spring Rewards Wheel of Fortune.

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