UTAR Hospital pushes specialist rural care

CEO Ding Lay Ming wants to reach the poor whilst also serving those who can pay.

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Specialist healthcare remains out of reach for many Malaysians in the countryside due to distance and infrastructure gaps. The CEO of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) Hospital is trying to bridge those gaps.

Upgrading the facility's services requires a focus on the five M's of management — machines, manpower, money, materials, and methods, Ding Lay Ming, CEO at UTAR Hospital, told Healthcare Asia.

Officiated by the Sultan of Perak last February, the hospital is in Kampar, Perak — an area once known for tin mining but is now sparsely populated compared with Malaysia's urban centres. As a result, it lacks access to specialist healthcare available in major cities.

“Malaysia has a strong healthcare system nationwide. However, when it comes to specialist services, there are gaps in availability,” Ding said in an exclusive interview with the publication. “We want to bridge this gap for those who have to travel long distances for treatment.”

“Once secondary care is in place, we will focus on expanding the hospital's tertiary care,” she added.

Plans for growth