Orthotics, the science of using external custom-fit devices to support or assist weakened or abnormal joints or limbs, may sound like a mundane area to specialise in, but Dato Dr Edmund Lee could not be more passionate about it. Gripped with a vision to revolutionise the foot care industry, the founder and CEO of My ORTHO Group of Companies has established a total of nine retail outlets and clinics, and the numbers are still growing. In this issue of Top 10 of Malaysia, the visionary Dr Lee talks about why he chose to break away from the traditional way of doing the orthotics business and how he plans to bring the trade into a new dimension.
Dato Dr Edmund Lee’s interest in orthotics and prosthetics started at a very young age. In 1978 when his grandfather started Lee Prosthetic & Orthotic Centre Sdn Bhd, a business his father took over at the appointed time and a practice which Dr Lee himself developed a natural affinity for. He trained and practiced as a State Registered Orthotist and Prosthetist in the UK for several years. “The UK orthotists are a very conservative lot who avidly support non-surgical treatments. It was here that I began to develop a passion to promote effective, non-invasive options for spine, knee and foot conditions.” It was also in the UK that he met his wife. Together, they decided to return to Malaysia to launch their own orthotics business.
Many of Dr Lee’s peers couldn’t understand the rationale behind his decision. He was already making a good living in the UK.
I looked at the state of the foot care industry in Malaysia and knew that I could make a difference, and make healthy foot care accessible to everyone there
– Dr Lee
“And at the end of the day, I want to leave a legacy for my daughters.”
Upon Dr Lee’s return to Kuala Lumpur, his father gave his blessings and support for the launch of myORTHO Orthotic Specialist Centre, Malaysia’s premier and only facility providing exclusive, private and cutting-edge orthotic foot care. “myORTHO is the pioneer in foot mobilisation and manipulation in the country,” he explains. According to Dr Lee, the orthotics practice is traditionally based on referrals from medical doctors, where advertising and marketing activities are not encouraged. “I thought it was high-time that changed,” he remarks. Being clinically trained with zero marketing knowledge, Dr Lee took up the challenge to be a self-taught marketer. “We embarked on our very first road show during the inaugural Malaysia Shoe Festival and thereafter, followed up with many other events and roadshows,” he says. The response was phenomenal. “Our business increased by about 80%.”
In 2012, he embarked upon the retail business by bringing in Dr Kong, a renowned Hong Kong health shoes specialist store chain, into Malaysia. Two years ago, Dr Lee launched the first myORTHO concept store into the retail market. “We also started washing the feet of our customers before assessing their foot health. They loved it. We’re constantly thinking about putting in more elements to elevate the foot care experience for people,” he enthuses.
Dr Lee emphasises that the key objective of these marketing activities is to educate the public on proper foot care. “Education is crucial because the awareness of orthotics was and still is quite low in the country. I’ve heard feedback from customers saying that most doctors would advise them to go for surgery even for a very small problem. There was no recommendation to try some exercises or wear support shoes. As such, the patients feel frustrated because no other options were given to them.”
Realising that his unique brand of foot care can bring relief to so many people out there, Dr Lee is championing for orthotics to be put under the purview of the Ministry of Health, just like that of the chiropractic profession. “Realistically speaking, that will most likely take place five years down the road. But until then, I will keep knocking on doors until it happens,” he says with determination.
Issue 23/2016