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“We have just undergone an exciting
transformation, following a major corporate exercise
to consolidate the healthcare assets of our major
shareholder, TMC Life Sciences,” Nadiah explains.
“We’re now part of its parent company, Thomson
Medical Group Ltd.” Established in 1979, Thomson
Medical Group is Singapore’s largest private provider
of healthcare services for women and children,
operating Thomson Medical Centre and a network
of specialist medical clinics and facilities throughout
the country.
In August last year, the hospital allocated RM300
million for a two-acre extension block to be
completed by the end of 2020. “We’re transitioning
from a 205-bed community hospital into a large
600-bed hospital, so the changes we’re making now
are centred around institutionalising our operations
and governance, and increasing automation, to
position ourselves to grow into the largest private
healthcare platform in Asia,” says Nadiah.
The extended facility will include 10
comprehensive operating theatres, 10 centres of
excellence, more than 100 specialist clinics, food and
beverage outlets, and more than 1,000 new parking
bays. The group is also venturing into a RM1.2
billion integrated medical hub, Thomson Iskandar in
Johor Bahru. Occupying more than four acres of land,
the facility is expected to attract medical tourism
from Singapore and across the region, with
construction to commence at the end of 2018.
At the core of TMC Life Sciences’ business is its
chain of fertility centres, which continue to grow in
line with Malaysia’s ambition to
become a fertility hub in Asia.
“We’re also looking to develop a
network of ambulatory care centres
and retail pharmacies, and to increase
our Traditional Chinese Medicine
offering,” says Nadiah. “Essentially,
we’re building a comprehensive,
fully integrated platform so that
when a customer comes to Thomson- whether that’s in Singapore,
Malaysia or anywhere across Asia –
they’re able to access a variety of
services in one place.”
Having grown up as part
of the social media generation,
Nadiah realises the importance
of openness and transparency.
“I’ve noticed this is the difference
between someone my age, versus
a leader from an older generation. A good leader is
open in acknowledging issues, and confident enough
to confront them rather than hide them away,” she
explains. “We’re building a culture of accountability
and we invest in both in-house and external training
and certification programs, and we encourage open
communication through our Thomson Shine
employee engagement program.”
Nadiah lives her life by six values: patience,
discipline, competence, trustworthiness, selflessness
and kindness. “Unlike industries such as banking
and finance, the healthcare sector is very open to
women – until you reach the C-suite. I’ve never
come across intentional sexism or discrimination
because most of the time they don’t realise they’re
doing it. For example, if I’m talking to a contractor
about machinery or construction and he assumes that
because I’m a woman I’m not be the right person
to talk to, I’ll be open and tell him otherwise. But
I won’t beat them over the head with it,” she laughs.
“What I love about health care is that every day is
different and we have a real impact on people’s lives.
Yesterday, I spent the morning looking at sanitary
ware for the new hospital, but by the afternoon I was
meeting with doctors to discuss the technology of the
future. This diversity keeps me going.”
MALAYSIA’S MEDICAL TOURISM
MARKET IS A COMPETITIVE
BATTLEFIELD WITH A HUGE
NUMBER OF HEALTHCARE
PROVIDERS LOOKING TO IMPROVE
THEIR FOOTING IN THE REGION.
THE NATIONAL MARKET IS SET
TO EXPAND AT A COMPOUND
ANNUAL GROWTH RATE OF 30 PER
CENT BETWEEN 2016 AND 2024.
“Tropicana Medical Centre aim to expand their clinical capabilities
in response to growing patient population and increasing disease
complexity, without affecting operational quality or patient care. We
support their needs with systems capable of delivering fast, high-quality
results, combined with a passion for industry-leading service.”– Roderick
John Frazer, Managing Director, Siemens Healthcare Sdn Bhd (Malaysia)INSPIRE | Interview