The KL Wellness City mega project in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, is envisioned as a world-class medical and wellness township with a gross development value (GDV) of nearly RM12 billion.

According to Datuk Dr. Colin Lee, managing director of KL Wellness City Sdn Bhd (KLWC), the 10.73-hectare development will be the first in Southeast Asia to cultivate a lifestyle fully integrated with healthcare.

KLWC is the master developer and owner of KL Wellness City. The land was purchased in 2015 by the company from the Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera, also known as the Armed Forces Fund Board.

The idea to develop the medical township was mooted by Lee, who began his career as a medical doctor from the University of New South Wales, Australia.

According to Lee, the development of the KL Wellness City project would take about 10 years, divided into two major phases.

Construction on phase one, which includes a 517-bed International Hospital and the Nobel Healthcare Park, began about six months ago and spans seven acres, he said.

According to Lee, the gross development cost (GDC) for the phase one development is around RM600 million.

“The International Hospital will be built in two stages. The first phase will include 517 beds and is expected to cost around RM360 million. Phase two will see the hospital expanded to around 1,000 beds. The Nobel Healthcare Park’s GDC is estimated to be around RM230 million,” he said.

Phase one will be completed by the end of 2024, and both the International Hospital and the Nobel Healthcare Park will open in early 2025, he said.

Nobel Healthcare Park will have a GDV of RM1 billion and three towers of medical and wellness suites, he said.

The medical suites, according to Lee, are built in accordance with Ministry of Health specifications and are designed in a modular format, allowing specialists to choose the ideal size for their practise.

The suites start at 223 square feet and they are selling from RM414,000.

The medical suites, according to Lee, are designed based on the core management team’s own experience in the medical field.

“We have infused the design and elements that offer practising medical specialists the flexibility to optimise the use of space to suit their precise requirements and the freedom to make changes according to evolving needs.

“We are confident this will enhance the specialists’ interest to own the suites as an investment in addition to running a practice here. We expect a take-up rate of 80 per cent, within the first three months of the first phase’s official launch,” he said.

Nobel Healthcare Park’s wellness suites are fully equipped. The suites provide adaptable living spaces that are suitable for owner occupancy, home office use, or short-term stays such as step-down care and healthcare traveller accommodations.

These suites, which come in 268 sq ft and 386 sq ft sizes, start at RM338,000

Self-sustaining township with GBI-rated properties

Datuk Sri Dr. Vincent Tiew, KLWC executive director (branding, sales, and marketing), said that the International Hospital and Nobel Healthcare Park are pursuing Green Building Index (GBI) certification.

Tiew said GBI is a big deal for hospitals and healthcare components.

He also said that whatever the company builds in KL Wellness City will be one-of-a-kind: the International Hospital, which will be rebranded, will be the first of its kind in Southeast Asia, and the healthcare mall, which we will developed under phase two, will be the first of its kind in the world.

“Generally speaking, you will not be able to build this type of medical township if you are a typical property developer. If you are a hospital-related organisation, you will not be constructing a city or a township. You will be extremely hospital- or medical-driven.

“What we are doing here is constructing an ecosystem that is fully integrated between five components. We have wellness, medical tourism, lifestyle (healthcare mall), a property component with serviced suites, lifestyle homes, retirement homes, and, most importantly, a true International Hospital.

“Why are we optimistic about the retirement home market? Because we will be the sole owners of our International Hospital. It is not a small facility. It will be huge, with 1,000 beds and 22 operating theatres. Overall, we are very optimistic because we believe we have the right product to market and the right people in the company to take it forward,” Tiew said.

Tiew, who was previously the managing director of the Andaman Property Group of Companies, said that the healthcare mall in phase two development will include several proposed medical and hospital outfits, including a leading oncology centre (cancer centre) in Southeast Asia.

It will also include other components, such as a hotel and retail, to round out and improve the overall ecosystem.

“We believe KL Wellness City will be self-sustaining. This is something that everyone is looking forward to. Malaysia is known for having some of the best medical facilities in the world, and what we offer at KL Wellness City is one-of-a-kind. Furthermore, we have an ageing population that requires such facilities and treatment,” he explained.

Source: NewStraitsTimes, March 24, 2022