Medical centre turns 25
ZENS Medical Centre Pte Ltd has provided general practitioner, radiology and imaging services with its branches expanding from Nadi to Namaka, Denarau and Lautoka.
Staff recently marked the company’s 25th anniversary on December 21, 2024, at the Sheraton Fiji Golf and Beach Resort in Denarau, Nadi.
The journey began humbly in the early 2000s with a solo practice by the company executive director and founder Dr Zen Low, two employees, a small office space and the vision of caring as family.
In 2011, the company commissioned the first digital X-ray system in the South Pacific, creating a technological paradigm shift.
This also marked the birth of the diagnostic it is today.
Pathology services and ambulance services were established later, creating more employment opportunities.
ZENS Medical Centre Lautoka was then established in 2013 while the 24-hour Zens Denarau facility was opened in 2016.
Challenges
Towards the end of its second decade, the COVID-19 pandemic rocked the company’s foundation significantly, as it did with other medical facilities that had no choice but to address the influx of cases and grappling with restrictions.
Despite the hurdles faced, the company expanded its services to Ba, Labasa, Rakiraki and Savusavu.
Additionally, two resort nursing stations were established. Three resident doctors, two of whom were stationed at five-star resorts, were deployed to the stations.
Restructuring
In 2022, the organisation had the introduction of an HR department and participated in the Fiji Business Excellence Awards (FBEA).
This framework facilitated the standardising of operations, benchmarked against best practices specifically focused on quality and safety.
Last year, ZENS Medical Centre Pte Ltd became the only healthcare organisation to be recognised at the FBEA awards ceremony.
The seven components of the FBEA framework combined with international guidelines from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners helped the company further restructure in 2024 with a clear direction.
This included its first strategic business plan which focused on budgeting, training, development and quality improvement processes as key pillars.
This year the company scooped four national awards at the FHRI awards.
Tapping into the technological era, the company opted to go paperless and introduced HIS, teleradiology, HRMIS and IMS.
Growth and expansion
The company has since grown to 173 employees, 30 doctors and eight centres.
The awarding of the national tender ambulance award to ZENS Medical Centre Pte Ltd ultimately served as a game changer by enabling efficient access to primary healthcare.
This saw the introduction of all-terrain ambulance vehicles, interior health centres and nursing stations in the province of Ra. The company also expanded its footprint regionally to Apia, Samoa.
Speaking at the 25th anniversary celebration, CEO Ravitesh Singh said the company’s commitment to the values of quality, respect, compassion, collaboration and foresight remained at its core.
“This journey has been anything but easy, filled with challenges and obstacles. Yet our commitment to the community has always remained our primary purpose,” he said.
“It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey of healthcare excellence and the involvement of our stakeholders and communities to create a truly equitable and accessible system in Fiji.”
Mr Singh said many perceived the company’s growth as business expansion. However, staff saw this as an opportunity to better assist the community by being a medical one-stop shop service-wise.
“In the end, we have strengthened our corporate social responsibility initiatives, including health promotion roadshows and free government registration schemes for underprivileged communities.
“Instead of succumbing to the challenges, we rode the waves of these unprecedented times, further establishing ourselves as a trusted brand.”
Source: The Fiji Times