Don’t be weird out if the next time you see a cat-like robot running around at Sunway Medical Centre (SMC). Sunway Medical Centre has just announced there will four new “cat-like employees” called, BellaBot, will be serving at the paediatric wards this week.
BellaBot is an autonomous robot which also first of its kind in Malaysia to join the hospital’s operations. According to SMC, the robot is expected to assist in delivering food three times a day to young patients and their caregivers during lunch, tea, and dinner hours. SMC also mentioned that BellaBot has four stacked shelves where meal trays can be placed, customizable delivery functions, and a navigation system that allows it to safely manoeuvre around the wards and its human colleagues.
“We are thrilled to be the first hospital in Malaysia to adopt the BellaBot technology. This is also timely after being recognised as Frost & Sullivan’s 2021 Smart Hospital Company of the Year just two months ago. With the challenges COVID-19 brings, we are committed to constantly look for innovative ways on enhancing our patients’ experience while keeping their safety and well-being at the top of mind,” states Bryan Lin, Chief Executive Officer of Sunway Medical Centre.
Best of all, BellaBot has ‘birthday mode’ function (yes, you read it rightly) where it can deliver birthday cakes accompanied by an entertaining birthday song. SMC will also place a BellaBot at the hospital’s lobbies as a Lobby Ambassador in helping visitors find their way around the expanding hospital. The robot can be used with two languages at the moment, English and Mandarin, but the company promise there’s potential for more in future.
Other than its duties at the paediatric wards, BellaBot can also be seen at the hospital’s lobbies as a Lobby Ambassador in helping visitors find their way around the expanding hospital. It is currently fluent in two languages: English and Mandarin, with the potential for more in future.
He added, “The potential of growth for BellaBot is vast. This is just the beginning. The advent of smart technology like BellaBot can help our staff to focus on patient care, provide surge capacity during peak demand and improve the overall operational efficiency.”
Introducing BellaBot , Sunway Medical Centre’s Manager of Food Services, Joanne Leow shared the team’s experience in embracing digital means of conducting food service, as well as their process of adapting their new robot team member to suit the needs of the hospital.
“It didn’t take us long to see how positively received and well-loved BellaBot is by our staff and patients. We were pleasantly surprised at the ease of which we were able to integrate BellaBot into our in-patient meal delivery. Bella is definitely a part of the family now. We hope that this technology is a steppingstone towards more forms of integration to serve and care for our patients on a whole new experience,” she said.
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