BUKIT MERTAJAM, Malaysia, Aug. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- KPJ Healthcare Berhad ("KPJ Healthcare" or "the Group") today launched its first Orthopaedic and Rheumatology Centre of Excellence ("CoE") at KPJ Penang Specialist Hospital ("KPJ Penang"), marking the third CoE under the KPJ Health System ("KPJHS"). As Malaysia's first private integrated academic health system, the Group continues to advance specialised musculoskeletal and joint care through the integration of Practice, Education, Research and Innovation.

Designed to support the management of complex conditions, the Orthopaedic and Rheumatology CoE integrates orthopaedic subspecialties, rheumatology and multidisciplinary expertise such as rehabilitation within a coordinated model of care. Bringing together consultations, diagnostic imaging, treatment rooms and advanced rehabilitation together on a single floor, the Centre provides a more seamless patient experience from diagnosis through rehabilitation and recovery. Comprehensive services include general orthopaedics, spine surgery, arthroplasty (joint replacement), arthroscopy and sports surgery, foot and ankle surgery, hand and microsurgery, paediatric orthopaedics, trauma and fracture management, rheumatology and pain services.

Its capabilities are further enhanced by AI-assisted robotic joint replacement surgery, computer-assisted navigation and minimally invasive surgical techniques, supporting greater surgical precision, improved mobility and faster functional recovery. Supporting these capabilities are tailored rehabilitation programmes, including post-spine surgery, post-sports injury and paediatric orthopaedic rehabilitation, supported by specialised technologies such as an anti-gravity treadmill.

YBhg. Datuk Syed Mohamed Syed Ibrahim, Chairman of the KPJHS Governing Council, Chairman of KPJ Healthcare University Sdn. Bhd. and President & Chief Executive of Johor Corporation ("JCorp") said, "Our ambition for every Centre of Excellence in the KPJ Health System, including the one we launch today, is not that it should remain a Centre in perpetuity. Our ambition is for it to continue growing, strengthening its clinical, academic and research capabilities until, over time, it is elevated into an Institute: a destination in its clinical discipline, a generator of published evidence, a trainer of national and international leaders, and a partner sought after by industry, academia and governments. World-class in the fullest meaning of that phrase."

The Orthopaedic and Rheumatology CoE builds on the establishment of the Heart & Lung Centre of Excellence at Johor Specialist Hospital and the Neuroscience & Stroke Centre of Excellence at Damansara Specialist Hospital 2, reinforcing KPJ Healthcare's long-term strategy to establish 15 Centres of Excellence nationwide by 2030 under the KPJHS. Through its integrated hub model anchored by KPJ Penang Specialist Hospital together with KPJ Selangor Specialist Hospital, the Centre enables shared expertise, common clinical standards, coordinated research and multidisciplinary collaboration across the KPJ Health System, demonstrating how specialised care can be delivered through one integrated academic health system. This integrated approach also provides the platform to accelerate the convergence of artificial intelligence, genomics and value-based care in shaping the future of specialised healthcare delivery.

KPJ Penang is a 270-bed tertiary hospital supported by more than 50 resident consultants across over 20 medical specialties. The establishment of the Orthopaedic and Rheumatology CoE further strengthens the hospital's role within the KPJHS. Through the Centre, patients benefit from greater access to advanced orthopaedic treatments that have demonstrated improved patient-reported outcomes and shorter hospital stays. Complementing these capabilities, KPJ Penang is also the first in the Northern Region to provide advanced wound care management and, in collaboration with KPJ Healthcare University, is developing Malaysia's first AI-assisted remote telewound care programme.

About KPJ Healthcare Berhad 

KPJ Healthcare operates 30 hospitals across Malaysia and four Ambulatory Care Centres, serving 3.3 million patients annually with 1,491 medical consultants. Nineteen hospitals are accredited by MSQH and four by JCI. As Malaysia's first private healthcare provider to establish an Academic Health System, KPJHS integrates practice, education and research & innovation to drive clinical excellence and patient experience. Beyond hospitals, KPJ Healthcare operates Klinik Waqaf An-Nur (KWAN) clinics, dialysis centres and mobile clinics nationwide, and offers more than 40 academic programmes at KPJ Healthcare University (KPJU). KPJ Healthcare has been a constituent of the Bursa Malaysia FTSE4Good Index since 2016.