JCI Asia-Pacific international manager Nick Liew (second from right) handing over the JCI accreditation to Lau at Sunway Medical Centre. Looking on are (from left) SHG hospital and healthcare operations managing director Dr Khoo Chow Huat, Dr Muhammad Radzi, Sunway Group chairman and founder Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah and SMC chief executive officer Dr Seow Vei Ken.
Gaining the trust of patients and their loved ones is vital to the success of private hospitals.
One way hospitals do so is by improvements through stringent quality checks conducted by assessors that are respected globally.
The toughest of such quality checks is the Joint Commission International (JCI) Accreditation that requires a hospital to score top marks in all areas of medical care and service delivery.
A JCI accreditation is valid for only three years, after which the hospital would need to undergo reassessment.
Sunway Medical Centre (SMC) in Sunway City, Selangor, was able to ace this challenge and has received the JCI Gold Seal of Approval.
Obtained in the centre’s 25th year of operations, the JCI seal adds to the compulsory Malaysian Society for Quality in Health (MSQH) accreditation.
It also shows SMC’s commitment to world-class excellence; it had gained an earlier global nod from the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS).
SMC has thus become the first hospital in Malaysia to obtain three such major accreditations.
As Malaysia’s largest quaternary private hospital, SMC had to review its policies, procedures and practices to comply with JCI’s standards.
This included assessments of facility management and safety, staff qualifications and education, medication management, infection control as well as patient and family rights and responsibilities.
Sunway Healthcare Group (SHG) president Datuk Lau Beng Long said, “Being one of South-East Asia’s leading private healthcare providers, this significant JCI accreditation of SMC – alongside our pioneering ACHS accreditation since 2014 – proves that we hold ourselves to the highest standards.
“Nearly a million local and international patients walk through our hospital doors every year, and we want our patients and their families to have peace of mind, knowing they are in good hands.
“This acknowledgement from JCI is especially significant for us as SMC is approaching its 25th anniversary this year.”
Health Ministry director-general Datuk Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan, who officiated at the award ceremony, noted that the JCI accreditation positioned SMC as a key player in advancing Malaysia’s healthcare objectives.
“By setting benchmarks, it plays a crucial role in enhancing healthcare accessibility and standards, aligning closely with goals outlined in Malaysia’s Health White Paper.
“The Health Ministry can rely on private sector partners such as Sunway to promote preventive healthcare, early intervention and health education, thereby fostering a healthier future for all Malaysians,” said Dr Muhammad Radzi.
JCI vice-president Andrew Rosen praised SMC for its commitment that enabled the hospital to be granted JCI’s Gold Seal of Approval, which he described as a global symbol of quality and patient safety.
“JCI accreditation equips hospitals with processes that help drive improvements across various areas, from enhancing staff education to showcasing leading practices within the hospital setting,” he said, highlighting that SMC now joined an elite group of healthcare organisations.
According to an SMC press release, JCI is a division of the Joint Commission founded in 1997 through its non-profit affiliate Joint Commission Resources (JCR) that fosters excellence in healthcare and patient-care.
Established in 1999, SMC is equipped with 28 centres of excellence with more than 60 medical specialties and 724 licensed beds, with capacity to expand to about 1,100 beds once the hospital completes its sixth block, Tower F, by the end of 2025, the statement said.
It added that alongside the JCI accreditation, SMC was also recognised as the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Designated Centre of Integrated Oncology and Palliative Care.
The medical centre is also a haematologist training centre accredited by the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia.
According to the press statement, SMC is among top 250 hospitals in the Newsweek World’s Best Hospitals 2024 list and is a top specialised Asia-Pacific hospital in its 2024 rankings.
SMC is ranked by Newsweek this year as among the top three in Malaysia and 26th in Asia-Pacific for paediatrics.
In the oncology, neurology, cardiology, neurosurgery and cardiac surgery categories, it is among the top 75 hospitals regionally.
KKLIU: 2295/EXP 31.12.2026
