THOMSON HOSPITAL KOTA DAMANSARA – FIRST IN MALAYSIA TO RECEIVE AUSTRALIAN ACCREDITATION FOR ITS CANCER SERVICES

PETALING JAYA, 15 May 2023 – Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara (THKD) has become the  first hospital in Malaysia to receive accreditation for its Core and Ambulatory – Cancer Services under the Evaluation & Quality Improvement Programme (EQuIP7) from the Australian Council  on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) International. 

(from left) Dr Janeen Thong, Director of Group Quality, Legal & Risk, Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara, Ms Teri Loo, Chief Operating Officer, Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara, Dr Sivakumaran Jayaraman, Chief Operating Officer, Clinical Services, Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara, Ms Nadiah Wan, Chief Executive Officer, Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara, Datuk Seri Mohd Mokhtar bin Hj. Mohd Shariff, Chairman, TMC Life Sciences Berhad, Dr Tan Chih Kiang, Consultant Clinical Oncologist and Head of Clinical Oncology, Dr Zool Hilmi Bin Awang, Consultant Nuclear Medicine Physician and Head of Nuclear Medicine, Ms Ng Yee Voon, General Manager, Oncology & Nuclear Medicine @ Thomson Hospital

This accreditation involves an internationally recognised evaluation process to assess and  improve the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare organisations. The whole evaluation process on the hospital’s Oncology and Nuclear Medicine facility, its systems and  processes were stringently managed by ACHS International’s team of experienced healthcare  professionals facilitated by its licensed partner, GlobalHealth Quality and Innovation  Accreditation (GHQIA). With the successful completion of audits, THKD’s cancer services proudly holds the EQuIP7 accreditation and ACHS membership for three years.  

ACHS International is the third oldest accreditation body in the world and has been at the  forefront of developing healthcare standards and assisting healthcare providers to implement  safe and quality healthcare in Australia and overseas for nearly 50 years.  

Nadiah Wan, Chief Executive Officer of Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara, expressed her  delight in having achieved this milestone and was pleased with the team’s dedication to  providing quality, compassionate cancer services to patients and customers, adding that the  accreditation is a testament to the hospital’s commitment to continuous improvement and  innovation. “I trust that being the first hospital in Malaysia to be conferred an accreditation for our Cancer Services will provide even greater peace of mind to our potential customers,  patients, friends and family members when selecting a healthcare facility of choice for their  treatment. We are committed to provide better service delivery, with improved outcomes and  enhanced patient experience,” she further commented. 

Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara is equipped with the latest and comprehensive Oncology  and Nuclear Medicine facility which provides both diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities for  cancer patients. Its oncology facility also proudly houses the Mediso AnyScan SPECT/CT/PET,  the first Tri-modality nuclear medicine imaging equipment in the Asia Pacific region.

“At Thomson Hospital, our promise to our patients is that we will walk with you on your road  to recovery. We are confident that this accreditation by ACHS will give further assurance to our  cancer patients through our cancer services. We are committed to providing our valued  patients the best care throughout their cancer journey; from diagnosis to treatment and  during recovery, and aim for better health outcomes through our cancer services,” said Dr. Tan  Chih Kiang, Consultant Clinical Oncologist and Head of Clinical Oncology.  

Ms Nadiah Wan, Chief Executive Officer, Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara (THKD) holds the  accreditation certificate representing THKD’s achievement of being the first hospital in  Malaysia to receive accreditation for its Cancer Services under the Evaluation & Quality  Improvement Programme (EQuIP7) from the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards  (ACHS) International.

Adding on, Dr. Zool Hilmi Bin Awang, Consultant Nuclear Medicine Physician and Head of  Nuclear Medicine, said, “We are pleased to be one of the pioneers to offer this Mediso  AnyScan SPECT/CT/PET. Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara is constantly innovating to provide  the latest diagnostic and therapeutic services for their patients. Nuclear Medicine therapies  such as Yittrium-90, Lutetium-177, Ac-225 and high dose I-131 Therapy are in the pipeline,  while radiotherapy and radiosurgery services will be further sub-specialised into gynaecology,  haematology and paediatric treatments. We also plan on collaborating with other healthcare  institutions in Malaysia and other countries in making cancer therapies accessible to them.”  

Participating in accreditation processes demonstrates Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara’s  commitment to a lifelong journey to attain continuous quality and safety improvements  guided by rigorous international standards. ACHS International assessors are highly trained  and come from healthcare organisations from Australia and around the world. The assessment  process is conducted using the EQuIP Assessment Methodology which utilises a robust  structure of cross-referencing, observation and information gathering. 

“Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara should be proud of this achievement and the ongoing  commitment it has made to continuous quality improvement to provide safe healthcare  services to its patients, staff, and community,” said Louise Cuskelly, Executive Director, ACHS  International and Consulting. 

Also sharing his thoughts was Varun Panjwani, Group CEO of Global Health saying, “GHQIA  partners on the quality improvement and accreditation readiness journey, selecting associates with a shared vision and dedication. We are thrilled to work with Thomson Hospital, where  everyone embodies the spirit of excellence and exhibits a passion for their patients.”