KPJ's Role Extends Beyond Profit, Supports Broader National Healthcare Agenda
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 (Bernama) -- KPJ Healthcare Berhad plays a significant role in supporting Malaysia’s national healthcare system, extending its impact far beyond that of a conventional private healthcare provider.
KPJ Healthcare president and managing director Chin Keat Chyuan said the group remains committed to strengthening how practice, education, research and innovation work together across the organisation to support the nation’s healthcare priorities and long-term talent needs.
“As a healthcare organisation, KPJ is a responsible corporation that ensures the care it delivers contributes positively. Financial sustainability is essential, but our focus remains on delivering quality outcomes for patients and supporting the broader healthcare agenda,” he told Bernama.
Chin said the recent Malaysia International Healthcare (MIH) Megatrends 2025, which convened healthcare experts and industry players, helped foster better understanding and collaboration across industry sectors, including the Ministry of Health (MOH), private providers and other stakeholders.
He added that such engagement is necessary to build a stronger, more integrated healthcare ecosystem that reflects the realities and challenges of the local healthcare landscape.
As one of the speakers at MIH 2025, KPJ Healthcare University (KPJU) vice chancellor Prof Dr Tunku Kamarul Zaman Tunku Zainol Abidin delivered two sessions titled “How the KPJ Health System is Building the Future of Care” and “Disruptive Technologies: A Challenge to Academics in Healthcare”.
He said the platform provided a clearer view of how different sectors can work together towards shared objectives.
“It allows us to communicate, understand each other’s goals and work towards solutions that are beneficial not only for organisations but for the nation as a whole,” he said, adding that MIH is poised to become a trendsetter for Malaysia’s future healthcare standards.
Dr Tunku Kamarul Zaman elaborated that KPJU aims to reposition itself as a forward-thinking institution by incorporating real-life industry exposure and latest healthcare technologies into its curriculum.
He emphasised that the university needs to move beyond traditional and outdated teaching methods, as healthcare education now requires approaches that reflect current clinical realities and technological advancements.
“Our techniques have been very traditional for too long. The delivery of education, healthcare and knowledge has changed over generations, but our methods have not moved fast enough,” he said.
Dr Tunku Kamarul Zaman said KPJU is working towards ensuring that its programmes remain relevant and aligned with modern standards so that graduates are well-equipped to meet the needs of today’s healthcare landscape.
On the K.R.A.F.T. (KPJ Redefining Aspirations for Tomorrow) Challenge 2025, he said it is KPJ Healthcare’s innovation platform designed to uncover forward-thinking ideas, impactful solutions and transformative process improvements that strengthen the future of healthcare.
He said the initiative under the KPJ Health System aims to encourage collaboration, nurture an innovation culture and accelerate market-ready solutions aligned with KPJ’s C.A.R.E. values, namely Committed, Accountable, Respectful and Excellent.
“People can dream, but the fact is that a dream requires some sort of support, somebody to help you realise your dream, so they will find a way, and this is one of the avenues for them to put their dream into reality. That’s what K.R.A.F.T does, it gives you drive, it gives you hope that you can do more than just dream,” he said.
The K.R.A.F.T. Grand Finale, held as part of MIH Megatrends 2025 last week, saw KPJ Pahang Specialist Hospital emerge as the champion in the open category with its project Mini ViGo: Enhancing Surgical Count Efficiency to Ensure Safe Surgery, Safe Life, taking home RM35,000, a trophy, and commercialisation support from the KPJ Research and Innovation Centre (KPJRIC).
In the university category, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Shah Alam clinched the top spot with its Homehaven RX: End-to-End Medication Management System project, earning RM10,000, a trophy and commercialisation support.
The International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) team received the Best in Research Award for its project Cell Machine Automation, Characterisation and Monitoring of Cell Culture Growth for Bio-Manufacturing Using AIoT Towards IR 4.0, winning RM5,000.
Meanwhile, KPJ Kajang Specialist Hospital’s Thermaline Wall Panel Installation: Mitigating Condensation and Fungal Growth in Hospital Stairwells and the Homehaven RX: End-to-End Medication Management System project received the Judges’ Special Awards, with each team taking home RM3,000.
KPJ Pahang Specialist Hospital’s representatives said the platform encourages a culture of innovation among staff, especially as they navigate real-life challenges in the hospital setting.
“We plan to patent the Mini ViGo, just as we did with the original ViGo project in 2010. This time, we aim to champion its use across all 30 KPJ hospitals nationwide. We hope the benefits can be extended to everyone, including other hospitals as well, ultimately enhancing patient safety,” they said.
UiTM’s representative, Syarmilla Ezza Ismai,l said the K.R.A.F.T. Challenge provides an opportunity to commercialise their innovation as it facilitates networking with industry players, potential investors and experts.
The K.R.A.F.T. Challenge, which calls on students, professionals, researchers and industry innovators to propose projects that can elevate clinical excellence, enhance patient experience and improve operational and community outcomes, received a total of 208 submissions, with 126 for the open category and 82 for the university category.
The three-day MIH Megatrends 2025 event, which began on Nov 25, is organised by MOH in collaboration with KPJ Healthcare.
It has attracted more than 1,500 participants, including healthcare professionals, policymakers and industry leaders from around the world.
-- BERNAMA
