New institute tackles challenges of healthcare management in Asia

It provides platform for professionals to share experiences, learn from one another

- Judith Tan

The challenges of managing healthcare operations in Asia are the focus of an institute launched in the Republic on Aug 13.

The Asian Institute for Healthcare Leadership and Management (Asian Heal) will adopt a "for Asia, by Asia" approach to raise the standard of healthcare management in this part of the world and pave the way for future leaders in the industry around Asia.

It provides a platform for healthcare professionals in Asian countries to share their experiences and learn from one another.

For example, developed countries such as Singapore can study developing countries where limited resources have led healthcare professionals there to think out of the box for alternative solutions to challenges.

The institute will also be launching a master's programme that focuses on both experience-based and practice-based learning.

The part-time programme will cover critical areas such as risk management and disease preparedness, and health informatics and digital transformation.

The programme, which will run for between 15 and 18 months, will allow for regional site visits to hospitals, providing learners with reallife examples of models of care and health systems in Asia.

Asian Heal will also offer customised programmes for organisations to address specific health system management issues. It will engage the organisations to understand their needs and design a relevant syllabus for them.

The customised programmes already have participants from many countries in Asia, the institute said.