PETALING JAYA: Primary healthcare provider Qualitas Medical Group is targeting to add 200 clinics to its global network of clinics by 2022, bringing it to a total of 500.
The homegrown outpatient care services group, which has established its network in Malaysia, Singapore and Australia, will predominantly focus on growing its presence in South-East Asian markets over the next three years, with Vietnam as its next foray.
Qualitas founder, managing director and chairman Datuk Dr Noorul Ameen Mohamed Ishack said the group aims to own several medical centres at the general and expatriate population in Vietnam over the next five years.
“When assessing potential new markets, we take into consideration countries with an emerging middle-class population and rising healthcare expenditure such as Vietnam, specifically in cities like Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang.”
“Qualitas is currently in the process of finalising an acquisition of a reputable medical centre at Ho Chi Minh,” he said at a press briefing yesterday.
Apart from Vietnam, the other new markets in the region are Myanmar, Indonesia and Bangladesh.
On the domestic front, Qualitas plans to grow its network of clinics located in the East Coast and Perlis, which are currently the group’s underserved areas.
Qualitas has a 20% market share of the general practitioner (GP) clinic chain in Malaysia, with annual patient visits of 1.2 million.
Currently, the Malaysian operations contribute to an estimated 25% of total group revenue, with the remaining from Qualitas’ overseas markets.
Revenue from the Malaysian operations are significantly contributed by the corporate business segment at 75%, while the remaining 25% are from walk-in customers.
Ameen noted that global healthcare trends are shifting towards primary healthcare, given the accessibility, ease of burden on hospitals, effective cost management and better clinical outcome.
Article published in The Star, 31 May 2019
