Holding the Hands that Heal

Diana, Dr. Alia and Soo (from left to right) posing for a photo together after wrapping up the filming.

The journey of almost an hour brings me and my colleague, Soo, to a redeveloped town with one of the biggest shopping malls in Malaysia, Putra Nilai. As an animal lover myself, part of my job that excites me is that I get to meet people, from different walks of life, who share the same point of view as me when it comes to animals. This time, I got the opportunity to meet with Dr. Nurul Alia, a veterinary surgeon and founder of Putra Nilai Veterinary Clinic. She was intrigued by the medical field since young and has tremendous love for animals herself. She held on to these two values and begun her journey to where she is today as a veterinarian and also an entrepreneur.

Soo listening intently to Dr. Alia as she shares her business priorities.

In the veterinary industry where advertising is off limits, Dr. Alia and her team know that providing the best service to their customers is one of the most efficient ways to get noticed and word of mouth running. For the team at Putra Nilai Veterinary Clinic, providing the best service means a first-class assistance from the moment the customers step into the clinic, to diagnosis and treatment of the animals until the moment they step out to return home. Many people may think vet clinics only provide treatment for dogs and cats but that's usually not the case. Vet clinics can also help with the prevention of diseases and more often than not, Dr. Alia and her team tend to and welcome other equally precious companions such as reptiles, rabbits and hamsters.

Dr. Alia and Soo are engrossed in their deep conversation as they talk about the veterinary industry.

When asked what is deemed as success for Dr. Alia, she thinks that it is a success when you can provide the first-rate service for your patients and customers. Her patients are always on the top of the list and she thinks that as long as we are sincere and genuine towards caring for the animals, there is no need to chase for anything because success will eventually come naturally. She reckons that she is able to do and achieve all these thanks to her supportive family and team, especially her husband who she sees as a mentor and a great adviser, thoughtfully dubbing him as the 'man behind everything'. As a veterinary surgeon and a mother, she basically needs to work around the clock without rest. With this, Dr. Alia also expressed her gratitude towards her mother and mother-in-law, both who have immensely helped her to balance her busy career and family by taking care of her children.

A group photo of Dr. Alia (centre) and her team with Soo (left).

As a business owner, Dr. Alia's top priorities are recruiting competent staff and veterinarians as well as constantly looking for things that can help her smoothen and manage her business operations. It may be challenging considering how running a business requires strict discipline too but for Dr. Alia, her passion and love for animals motivated and helped her to overcome the difficulties. Besides that, she has a group of close contacts who she regards as her 'support team', including her family, close friends, as well as colleagues who have worked with her for a while that help her with decision making and so on. Inquiring of her future plans, she responded that together with her team, they will continue to seek for improvement and to always give their top performance to ensure the finest experience for their customers. They are also planning to invest in further research and getting more equipment to provide additional services.

Soo and Dr. Alia posing for a photo before the cameras start to roll.

Dr. Alia is an example of an exceptional person who has succeeded so far through a dedication to hard work, education, a sincere love of her work and the ability to foster deep and valuable relationships with the people in her life. The ultimate output of all these parts is a great business which people depend on day after day to relieve suffering and bring health to their loved pets. Thank you for your taking time out of your busy schedule to share your story and professional insights with us, Dr. Alia. Do look forward to the recording of the conversation which will be premiered soon!