Dr Yetti Murni, Medical Director at Siti Healthcare Sdn Bhd, a parent company of Klinik Siti together with Dr Muhammad Ali, the CEO has made it a priority for Siti Healthcare’s network of clinics – entering the untapped areas offering affordable healthcare services.
As someone who has been in the healthcare industry for such a long time, Dr Murni knows well the troubles for some patients to access healthcare services as it may be restricted to the heart of the nearest city. Patients have trouble getting a ride to the clinics, appointment availability issues and many other associated challenges. The bottom line is, it’s not always easy to access quality health care, no matter where you live.
Thus, in Klang Valley, a region centred around Kuala Lumpur, Siti Healthcare manages a network of 25 clinics. Each of these is situated in densely populated areas, rather than being limited to the heart of Kuala Lumpur.
Klinik Siti, from generation to generation
Dr Murni shares with WargaBiz the story of how Klinik Siti was established. “Klinik Siti was a name given after Dr Ali’s mother, Datin Dr Siti Ropeah Yusoff who opened a clinic in 1991 (the first branch in Banting that is still operating until today). However, as she needs to spend more time with family and herself, therefore, Dr Ali is determined to take over the business in October 2016,” she recalls the early day of the Klinik Siti establishment.
Described as the opportunities lie in front of his eyes, Dr Ali believes it is a great platform to make his dream turned reality. “I always wanted to have my own clinic,” says Dr Ali who was a medical doctor in a government sector for a couple of years before he took the helm leading Siti Healthcare Sdn Bhd.
Opening its first clinic in 2016, in Banting, Selangor, Klinik Siti started with the only two of them, Dr Murni and her husband, Dr Ali as the decision-maker in the company.
“At Klinik Siti, we don’t practice franchising. All of our branches are fully owned by Siti Healthcare Sdn Bhd. And I think one of the impressive elements that we are proud of is, we grow organically – without any financial aids from any parties.”
Klinik Siti aspires to fill the loop with their niche
“During my time working at a government hospital, I was assigned to work at O&G department. I saw that many pregnant women don’t have time to do their monthly checkups. They ended up going to the private clinics but the examination wasn’t complete according to the standard requirement.”
“And in Malaysia, we don’t have private clinics that specialised in obstetrics and gynaecology disciplines yet. So I told Dr Ali, why don’t we open a clinic that focuses on those two disciplines, as our niche? “Whether they need an ultrasound scan 2D, 3D, 4D, 5D, X-Ray or even a vaccine, I’m proud to say that we offer everything under one roof.”
Taking care of patients’ health
Putting patients first over profit, Klinik Siti sets their operating hours from 8 AM until 11 PM, 7-days a week even during public holidays. “There was a demand for services that responded to the needs of the local community,” adding that 3 of their branches operating 24-hrs.
Powered by over 52 female doctors, Klinik Siti is driven to open more Muslim-friendly private clinics for their patients. “As a Muslim woman, I’m aware some patients refuse to consult male doctors. They might feel shy to disclose about women-related health issues,” says Dr Murni where they managed to build 25 branches in just a short span of 3 years.
The obstacles faced in healthcare industry
As a result of their strategic business plan, Klinik Siti’s revenue over the years increased remarkably. From accumulating RM300,000 in 2016 when they first open the door to RM20.2mil in 2019.
However, Dr Ali says the biggest challenge he’s experienced so far was the dramatic changes as the government instituted various reforms and policies. Since setting up Klinik Siti in 2016, there are a few policies changed which they have to adhere – and it costs a lot of money and time too.
Their takeover targets on 2020
To strengthen its offering in the market, Klinik Siti is planning to open a low-risk maternity centre. Dr Murni believes it’s a good move as they already have strong demand from the patients. Nevertheless, they are focusing on branching out to have a solid base first.
“To success, First, you have to invest in knowledge. Second, have a clear, achievable and realistic target in your mind. Lastly, you must act on it and make sure the whole team behind you has the same goal.”
Dr Ali adds his projections for the company, “we would like to add more services in the future, for instance, haemodialysis and Shariah-compliance aesthetic centre, Siti Estetika. If God will, we would like to go IPO by next year,” he ends.
Read also: From Accountant To CEO, This Lady Has What It Takes To Drive Siti Healthcare
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