Good Tidings for Penang

The ECONOMIST has good news about the Pearl of the Orient in its lastest issue.

Its article entitled :: Malaysia’s Penang state, Getting back its mojo ::

IF YOU are going to have a heart attack, have it in Penang. So one might think, to the see the hospitals in George Town, the capital of this north-western Malaysian state. Patients are flocking in. Ted Mohr, the head of the venerable Penang Adventist Hospital says that he will admit 70,000 medical tourists this year. The hospital specialises in heart procedures and it will perform roughly 23,000 of them this year, including 550 open-heart operations. Such is the demand that the hospital is doubling its number of beds.

Mr Mohr gives two main reasons for Penang’s success with the coronary crowd. First, it is relatively cheap. Open-heart surgery that would set you back $100,000 in America costs only about $10,000 in Penang. Second, Penang’s hospitals are as well-equipped as many in the West. Continue to read here

The online news portal, the MalaysianInsider has more good news to mention with regards to the Pakatan led state of Penang -- As talents fly home, Penang fortunes rise ::

GEORGE TOWN, Aug 20 — Six months ago Dr William Khor quit his London flat in affluent Kensington to fly home to Penang with little more than a rough plan to build a boutique health resort by the sea.

The former student of St Xavier’s Institution had jetted to the UK near a decade ago in pursuit of a medical degree and initially planned to head home immediately after graduating in 2007.

Dr Khor says Penang's got soul.“The prospects then were not good,” the 28-year-old said, explaining the change in his plan.

He decided to stay on another year and complete his housemanship there to qualify as a doctor while reconsidering his options.

It was during that time that he was scouted by the Singapore General Hospital, which offered him a monthly salary of S$7,000 (about RM17,326) to serve as a general practitioner; he accepted and moved to the Lion City to be closer to his family.

Read the rest here.

Not too long ago, Penang assam laksa was ranked 7th in CNN’s top 10 yummiest food. May there be more good tidings and mojo for Penang in the near future. Meanwhile, enjoy Penang and her food.

While there are good tidings and plenty of good food in Penang, there are also sour grapes and seedless/boh hood durians to be found.