Izah Azahari
Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah said through continuous investment in people and technology, it is with pride to be able to recognise Gleneagles JPMC as one of the established cardiac centres in the region, offering class-leading services as well as facilities comparable with other notable institutions.
He made these comments in his capacity as the Chairman of the Gleneagles JPMC Board of Directors and guest of honour during the medical centre’s 20th anniversary corporate dinner at the Serambi Suluh Hall, Tarindak D’Seni last night. He also noted Gleneagles JPMC’s achievement on the awarding of the JCI Gold Seal of accreditation in 2020.
The minister added that Gleneagles JPMC will continue to be a key driver in the nation’s effort to address the growing concerns on non-communicable diseases.
“Together with our strong collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MoH) in our referral as well as community outreach programmes, Gleneagles JPMC has a good foundation to further establish itself as a centre of excellence for cardiovascular health for many years to come,” said the minister.
Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar, as a member of the Gleneagles JPMC Board of Directors was also present.
Gleneagles JPMC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Peter Tay in his welcoming remarks spoke on the history of Gleneagles JPMC from its beginning with fewer than 50 staff members to now over 200, including over 100 registered nurses and allied healthcare professionals recruited locally and from all over the world. “In 2021, Gleneagles JPMC performed over 1,200 diagnostic angiograms, over 800 percutaneous interventions, more than 100 Electrophysiological procedures and over 160 cardiac surgeries,” he said.
He also noted the clinical quality at Gleneagles JPMC through the Heart Team concept in the management of their patients, with weekly meetings between Gleneagles JPMC and MoH specialists to discuss cases, especially the management of more complex ones.
“Our success would not have been possible without the tireless contribution of our dedicated staff,” he added.
IHH Healthcare Berhad (Singapore) Managing Director and CEO Dr Kelvin Loh Chi-Keon touched on the first joint venture agreement between JPMC and Parkway Holdings in 2002 and concluded in 2017, and the second joint venture agreement that was made for a further 10 years until 2027.
“This is a shining example of public-private partnership in Brunei and a testament to the trust that His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam’s Government has in us,” said Dr Kelvin.
Furthering the public-private partnership, Dr Kelvin also mentioned the Gleneagles JPMC and MoH memorandum of understanding (MoU) in April 2019 to promote a healthy lifestyle and prevent non-communicable diseases in the workplace and community.
“This MoU has been renewed yearly since then – with the latest signed in June – once again, a testament of the government’s continued trust in us,” said Dr Kelvin.
He also noted that over 15,000 government personnel have benefitted from the health screening programme while over 250 exercise sessions have been conducted across all ministries.
The event also saw the presentation of long service awards to four recipients who have been with Gleneagles JPMC for 20 years presented by the Chairman and CEO.