Burhanuddin Abe , Contributor , Jakarta | Wed, 01/06/2010 10:32 AM | Management
Physiotherapyand rehabilitation services are vital in the world of medicine.However, hospitals in Indonesia do not pay much attention to theseneeds, which is why after surgery, for example, some patients do notfully recover as they do not get the required follow-up therapy.
IwanTumewa, a graduate of the University of Melbourne Medical School, sawthis as a business opportunity. In partnership with a colleague, TeddyBatanghari, a graduate from the US, he opened a clinic called EastwestPhysiotherapy & Rehabilitation on July 4, 2005.
The clinic,which is located in Dharmawangsa Square, South Jakarta, was establishedto fill the void and aims to become the country’s leading provider ofphysiotherapy and rehabilitation services, on a par with the topclinics of the world.
The clinic not only caters to people whoneed rehabilitation after surgery but also to athletes with muscleproblems. “In the world of sports, such as rugby, badminton and soccer,athletes need the supervision of professional therapists,” said Iwan.
Inorder to get international accreditation, Eastwest sends its staffabroad to get training, consults with experienced consultants andequips its facilities with sophisticated equipment, such as ultrasoundmachines, interferential current machine (to stimulate nerves) andnebulizers.
Iwan reveals that Mike Lewis, a rugbyplayer-cum-model of Canadian-Chinese-Indonesian blood, uses Eastwest’sservice whenever he is in Jakarta and needs therapy. Lewis, he said,praised Eastwest’s services as “comparable to those in Canada”, wherehe was raised.
Local and foreign doctors have often recommendedEastwest to its patients for rehabilitation after surgery, according toIwan. “Some hospitals here have similar services, but only Eastwestspecializes as a physiotherapy and rehabilitation clinic,” explainedIwan. Aside from the physiotherapy clinic, Iwan has other businesses.His father founded PT Airland Hilman Abadi in 1972 to produce springmattresses carrying the brand of Airland. Iwan is the CEO of thecompany now.
In 2002, Iwan established his own company, PTPrima Indonusa Kaison, which is engaged in the furniture business.Different from his father’s business, which focuses on the mass market,Iwan’s firm caters to a focus market segment, upper-end buyers,producing brands such as Savanna and Click-Clack.
“No Indonesian businesspeople back then focused on producing high-class furniture,” said the tall man.
In2002, Iwan built a factory on 4,000 to 5,000 square meters of land inthe Manis Industrial Estate in Tangerang with a total investment of Rp5 billion.
Iwan started the business with a core team of fivepeople and 20 employees. Now, every month, the factory produces 250 to300 Savana sofas, each priced at between Rp 5 and 50 million. Iwan nolonger faces problems in terms of marketing as the brand is becomingpopular.
“Most interior designers order our products,” he said,naming noted interior designers such as Tom Elliot Indonesia andJeffrey Budiman as his clients. Some apartments and upscale hotels suchas Apo Apartments, Pakubuwono Residence, Four Seasons Hotel &Residence, Grand Hyatt Hotel, Apartment Bellagio, Blitz Megaplex,Gloria Jeans Coffee, Cafe Excelso and Oh La La Bistro also use hiscompany’s sofas.
After gaining success in the sofa business, hethen set up Eastwest. When he started the business, similar clinics hadbeen established in Jakarta, Surabaya and Denpasar, which is anindication of the business’ potential.
“However, our servicesare different because our therapists have international certificationand their therapy techniques are always updated according to the latestinternational standards,” explained Iwan, who has a passion forcooking.
Another hobby is mountain climbing. Mountains he hasclimbed include Mount Rinjani, Mount Kinabalu and a mountain in Bhutan.“I also climbed Mount Kenya in 1989 and got lost in the jungle for aweek. But I finally found my way out by chance,” he said.
Physiotherapyis closely related with people’s daily activities. When a person feelsphysical strain or pain, they should consult a doctor. Various parts ofthe body can be affected, such as the neck, shoulders, hands, arms,back, hips, knees and ankles, as can muscles, bones and joints(tendonitis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and stroke). Childrencan also suffer various illnesses, such as Down syndrome and cerebralpalsy. Basically anyone can be affected.
According to Iwan, themajority of Eastwest’s patients — about 60 percent — need treatment ontheir backs and knees, while the rest complain about pain in the neck,arms, hands, elbows and shoulders. Some patients also visit the clinicfor post-stroke treatment.
The clinic also offers massages forbabies and for those with mastitis (infection of breast tissue),especially among breast-feeding women.
So, Eastwest not onlycaters to adults, but also to children and babies, even those who areonly two weeks old. Some of the babies or children suffer from sprains,while others sleep poorly or have poor appetites. The baby massageimproves circulation and leaves a baby feeling refreshed and relaxed.
Eastwest’saim is to deliver world-class therapy. It has numerous customers inJakarta who previously had to fly to Singapore for similar services.The clinic sees 10 to 20 patients each day, the majority of which areexpatriates. “Well, we understand our marketing objectives and target,”Iwan said.
Iwan was a founder of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization, of which he was the president from 1998 to 2008.
link: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/01/06/iwan-tumewa-health-lifestyle-and-business.html
