OUR
STORY
2000 - The Conception
While everyone was looking forward to a better life,
I was faced with many challenges in my career and
dreams. The Asian currencies crisis, the burst of
dot.com bubbles, retrenchment, slow economy, and
harsher job environment and so on - these crises
made me think seriously about the future of my career.
2002 - The Implementation
I made up my decision and quitted my comfortable job
in the pharmaceutical industry and started a business
together with my friend and business partner - Jim
Koh.
Jim has more than 12 years experience
in the Orthotic & Prosthetic
(O&P or commonly known as Artificial Limbs) industry.
With his encouragement and expertise, we started the
company with just S$10k. At that time, we had no customers,
no suppliers, no office, no stock, we had nothing at
all.
The Challenges
The biggest turnaround for our business was when we
undertook the distribution of Spinecor brace. It
is a dynamic scoliosis brace system that is meant
to treat adolescents who have idiopathic scoliosis
(curvature of the spine). We became the first company
in Asia to distribute this premium product. Although
this product is one of the fastest growing scoliosis
brace now, distributing it 5 years ago was an upward
task.
When we started the distribution of the product, being
a relatively new brace in market, doctors and patients
were doubtful or unaware that Spinecor brace can treat
Scoliosis. There were so many criticisms and negative
reports in many medical journals about the efficacy
of Spinecor brace. With many conservative Singapore
doctors who prefer not to take any risks of introducing
the new brace, they chose to use the traditional low-cost
Boston TLSO plastic brace.
We had only about less than 5
patients’ referral
from Orthopaedic doctors for Spinecor brace during
the 1st year. The business outlook for this product
was very bleak in Singapore then. With such discouraging
response from the local doctors, we decided that we
do not want to passively rely on referral from local
doctors anymore. We created a website to advertise
Spinecor brace and other miscellaneous products that
my company distributes. We became the first Orthotic & Prosthetic
company in South-East Asia to have own product website.
The Present - The Beginning of Success
Within 1 year, Integratif had more than 80 overseas & local
scoliosis patients turning up at our office to ask
for the Spinecor brace. As Spinecor brace is also rapidly
gaining popularity overseas, it became a push-factor
for local Orthopaedic doctors & scoliosis patients
to read & understand more about this product. Today,
we break through the local hospitals and made Spinecor
brace as one of the scoliosis treatment options available
to Singapore patients.
We managed to convince the benefits
of Spinecor brace and its physiotherapy program to
KK Women’s & Children’s
hospital and have the 1st hospital in Asia to provide
Spinecor Physiotherapy treatment together with Spinecor
brace for Scoliosis patients. Now Spinecor brace is
more acceptable by many doctors and patients as the
next possible brace besides the traditional rigid brace.
Although medical industry can be less volatile than
retail industry, we still need to be innovative and
sensitive to market trend and demand. Only those who
are willing to change and adapt, will be able to stay
through any economic crisis.
Lydia Ng
Managing Director
Integratif Medical Pte Ltd
|
