CHINA Healthcare, formerly known as Econ Healthcare, is proud of its service standards and pioneer role in its field - two attributes it says help set it apart from its competitors at home and overseas.

But they aren't complete without branding.

'Branding is one of the most important values the company holds dearly to,' says director of marketing Sally Lum.

'With branding, we immediately differentiate ourselves from the competition.

'We have excellent attributes that have made us successful in the past 20 years of caring for our residents, patients and customers. Branding will help us improve on these unique attributes continuously.'

China Healthcare signed up with International Enterprise Singapore's BrandPact programme, which provides training, consultancy and financial incentives for branding.

'The programme helped us review where we are and how we are doing in the eyes of our employees and customers,' says Ms Lum.

'It also helped steer us towards what the market wants - how we can narrow the gap between what our customers want, our capabilities and what we have to offer.'

After the programme, China Healthcare was also able to identify its strategies and brand communications and streamline its services to meet better customer needs.

'It also set the platform for our overseas expansions,' says Ms Lum.

China Healthcare, which runs medical centres and nursing homes, has a medical centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The centre there has 90 beds and is 90 per cent filled.

Ms Lum says it yields high returns.

China Healthcare also plans a healthcare park in Chengdu City, China.

Its first foray into China was to have been a stake in a Liaoyang joint venture to operate a hospital, a nursing home and a traditional Chinese medicine school.

But the project was stalled by labour issues.

China Healthcare then went on to seal other agreements in China.

It has signed a pact to invest 60 per cent in a retirement village in western Chengdu, where it will provide the programme content.

It intends to invest $10-$15 million in the project initially.

More recently, it signed an agreement with Chengdu Tianli Group Co to jointly develop an integrated healthcare resort in Sichuan's Mount Jiguan Scenery Zone.

China Healthcare has staked its claim to 42 per cent participation in the project.

The phased development of the healthcare resort is estimated to cost some 700 million yuan (S$138 million).

The first phase is due to be completed this year.

'Health care is a low-risk business, but the challenges are the high cost of facilities and an acute shortage of medical and healthcare personnel locally and overseas,' says Ms Lum.

This article was first published in The Business Times on 17 July 2008.