IRC now seeing patients
Macau’s Studio City has become the world’s first integrated resort-casino (IRC) with an MRI and CT-equipped hospital. The Melco Resorts & Entertainment-owned IRC earned the distinction on Monday when iRad Hospital officially opened its doors.
longevity treatments
The 15,000-square-foot facility run by the Hong Kong-based iRad private healthcare group reportedly provides diagnostic imaging, health screening, cosmetic procedures, longevity treatments, and medical concierge services.
Melco’s CEO and President Lawrence Ho Yau-lung’s investment firm Black Spade played a broker-like role in facilitating the hospital’s launch after acquiring a majority control of iRad in 2021.
The move plays to China’s insistence that its Special Administration Region gambling mecca diversify into healthcare tourism, technology, and events.
Spinning the healthcare wheel
Ho said as much at the iRad Hospital launch ceremony, stating that the new facility contributed to “the advancement of medical tourism in Macau.”
The Melco boss added, however, that the project’s goal was to offer guests “world-class, integrated entertainment and health options.” The addition of the hospital facility to the IRC will, Ho hopes, make Studio City “a leading destination for health and wellness.”
iRad Honorary Chairman and Black Spade CEO and President Dennis Tam expressed his group’s confidence that the hospital “will establish a new benchmark for medical excellence in Macau, attracting patients and visitors from across the region.”
people will stay longer and spend more”
According to the South China Morning Post, the iRad group estimates visitors to Macau number almost 40 million per year and hopes offering healthcare services means “people will stay longer and spend more.”
Sector catching on
According to the BBC, the worldwide medical tourism industry is worth tens of billions of dollars, with market projections pointing at significant growth over the next decade.
While Macau may have just begun, Asia is fast becoming a medical tourism hub, with wealthy patients traveling to South Korea and Singapore for cosmetic surgeries and advanced treatments, respectively.
Instead of playing online casino games to while away time spent at the doctor, the opportunity to play the real thing in your hospital gown might just catch on.
