Penang Adventist Hospital (PAH), a renowned health-care institution managed by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Malaysia, has strengthened its position in the community by forming a strategic alliance with airline company Firefly to promote medical-tourism travel to that Asian nation.

On February 17, PAH and Firefly, a low-cost carrier subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, held a signing ceremony in the city of Medan, Indonesia, to formally establish their collaboration. The partnership between the hospital and the airline aims to provide Indonesian travelers with greater opportunities to visit Penang while obtaining medical care, leaders said.

The cooperation between the hospital and the airline, according to PAH president and chief executive officer Ronald Koh Wah Heng, seeks to bring in medical tourists from other countries to get top-notch medical treatment at the health-care institution’s facilities.

Firefly debuted a new route between Medan and Penang, and Koh and Firefly chief operations officer Hamdan Che Ismail were on the flight. Additional possibilities for Indonesian visitors traveling to Penang are now available thanks to this new direct route. Firefly passengers traveling to Penang from Medan and Banda Aceh can take advantage of specialized health-screening packages at discounted prices from the Adventist health-care institution.

“It is a great opportunity for Penang Adventist Hospital to partner with different industries in the country and to introduce Adventist health care and lifestyle to business partners and tourists,” Koh said. “This opens up more avenues for the hospital to reach out and share God’s hope and healing through the ministry of health.”

About Penang Adventist Hospital

PAH is part of an international Adventist network of some 600 not-for-profit hospitals, clinics, and dispensaries. From its humble beginnings, the hospital has grown to become a tertiary health-care center for the Malaysian community and international visitors.

The hospital is supported by dedicated physicians, nurses, and health-care professionals, and employs modern medical equipment to provide high-quality health care. “We look forward to not only providing high-quality health-care services but also educating the community to make informed choices about their general well-being,” leaders said.

PAH’s stated mission is to demonstrate “the love and healing ministry of Christ by providing comprehensive, competent, and excellent health care for all.” The institution’s vision is to become “a people-centered teaching and learning health-care system with international quality wholistic care, delivering excellent experiences to the community and region.”

The hospital recently celebrated 98 years of existence and looks forward to more opportunities to serve the community in Penang, leaders said.

The original version of this story was posted on the Southern Asia-Pacific Division news site.