THE inaugural Malaysia-China “Belt and Road” Healthcare Dialogue has provided a platform for medical experts from both countries to share their experiences, and opened up new opportunities.
The one-day event in Kuala Lumpur covered issues such as chronic disease management and questions faced by the healthcare industry.
The highlight was the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between DBH Holdings Sdn Bhd’s healthcare subsidiary DBH Medicare Sdn Bhd, and the Middle-Aged and Elderly Healthcare Branch of the China Association for Promotion of International Exchange of Healthcare.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong witnessed the signing.
DBH Holdings managing director Datuk Benny Hoe said the agreement would greatly increase DBH Medicare’s opportunities to explore areas of collaboration with medical and healthcare institutions in China.
“What we hope to do, is to bring China’s medical expertise not just to Malaysia, but also to South-East Asia, and vice versa,” said Hoe.
Hoe said DBH Medicare was also looking at linking local private healthcare providers such as KPJ and Prince Court Medical Centre with its China counterparts as part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and for medical travel industry opportunities.
Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council chief executive officer Sherene Azli said China was one of Malaysia’s key markets for medical travel, as there was a 17% increase in Chinese healthcare travellers seeking treatment in Malaysia in 2016, with the majority seeking reproductive treatment following the easing of the one-child policy in China.
Dr Wee (second from left) having a light moment with China delegates during the Malaysia-China Belt-and-Road Healthcare Dialogue, while Chai looks on.
