GEORGE TOWN, Oct 25 — The Penang government encourages technology in healthcare in a bid to boost medical tourism in the state and the improvement of quality of patient care.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said that digital transformation was the way forward and believed that advanced technologies would continue to accelerate patients’ recovery and increase life expectancy.

"Technologies such as robotics, Internet of Things (IoT) and data can transform healthcare services in providing customised and accurate services for each and every patient,” he told a press conference after launching the Therapedic Brain and Spine Robotic Centre in Sunrise Tower, Penang.

Penang Medical Tourism president Dr Mary Ann Harris, Therapedic founder James Tan and Therapedic chief executive officer Jennifer Lok also attended the launch, where a mock cheque of RM100,000 from the Therapedic Foundation was handed over to Mary Ann on behalf of all beneficiaries of Penang within the B40 community.

At the launch, Tan claimed that the robotic rehabilitation centre, the first of its kind in the northern region, provides one of the most affordable robotic rehabilitation treatment services in South-East Asia. — Bernama