21-Mar-17 Indonesia's Siloam International Hospitals aims to double its hospitals to 50 by 2019. The country's largest hospital operator expects to expand into remote areas, including New Guinea, now that the universal healthcare system allows low-income people to seek medical treatment. The company will also look to expand via acquisitions. [image: Shinya Sawai]

12-Mar-17 Private healthcare institutions in emerging Asian economies are cutting costs to offer high-quality care at 50-70% the price of large private hospitals. QualiMed in the Philippines has kept labor costs down by hiring young doctors who cannot afford a hospital space. Columbia Asia keeps operating costs low by focusing on high-demand fields. [image: Nikkei Asian Review]

 Insights

10-Mar-17 Indonesia is likely the largest outbound medical travel market, according to Josef Woodman of Patients Beyond Borders. “Indonesia’s healthcare infrastructure is generally poor and about 1.5 to 2 mn Indonesian medical travelers go to Southeast Asia or Australia,” he said. China is also one of the largest medical tourism markets as many Chinese travelers look for better healthcare. [image: Skift]

05-Mar-17 Indonesia’s healthcare insurance scheme is struggling to gain traction. Poor services at public hospitals and the difficulty of accessing care across the vast archipelago are factors, but abuse of the scheme by hospitals and fraud by users are also to blame. The number of people benefiting from the scheme may be less than official figures claim. [image: FT Confidentail Research]

22-Feb-17 International Finance Corp, the investment arm of the World Bank, plans to invest up to USD60 mn in Indonesia-based IDS Medical Systems, the largest Southeast Asian medical device distributor and supply chain manager. The funding will help IDS complete a USD130 mn project and expand operations by growing in existing markets and selectively entering new markets in Asia. [image: IDS Medical Systems]