They have come out top in their industry, continue to grow on a global level, and they maintain the highest standards in their region. Most importantly, they restore people and give them hope and a future after battling addiction. The Cabin Singapore is part of The Cabin Addiction Services Group, the world’s first truly global addiction treatment group with centres across three continents. 

In this special business spotlight interview we get a peek into how they overcame, their rewards, and lessons learned, and what they have in store for the future of young people facing addiction.

Tell us about you and your business?

The Cabin Singapore opened in 2015 but the parent company, The Cabin Addiction Services Group, started in Thailand in 2009. Over the past six years we have grown into different markets, as demand has required. We are now the most international addiction treatment group in the world, with centres across three continents and a team of close to 200 people.

Was this business the long-time dream of one person, a team of people, or how else did the idea/concept behind the business come to be?

The idea was initiated by the four original owners who recognised the need for quality addiction treatment in Asia, as the facilities at the time were either minimal or of a poor quality. We combined experience in the field of addiction treatment with experience in marketing, hospitality and medical care to ensure that we could present an unforgettable experience to each and every client.

Over the next 12 months, we are opening new centres to treat younger clients with a specialist Youth Programme, and we are also treating obesity in a more scientific way than has ever been done before.

Addiction Without Preference

Addiction is an illness that is no respecter of age, ethnicity, culture or wealth. It may differ from country to country in terms of what drug is the most abused but treatment should be the same. There were thousands of addicts in the region who simply had no access to effective care without travelling across the globe to centres in Europe or the USA.

Our clients are able to access the highest standards of care in either their home cities via our network of outpatient programmes in Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney and Bangkok, or they can take a short flight to Chiang Mai for a period of inpatient treatment.

Intangible Rewards

Fortunately, the whole team at The Cabin Addiction Services Group gain a great deal of satisfaction in what they do: working with people who are at rock bottom when they arrive for treatment and seeing them grow and improve during their stay.

Breaking new ground in Asia in an industry that was very much in its infancy was certainly challenging and, at times, frustrating, but watching it grow into an organisation that is now respected on a global level has been amazing. For clients to choose to travel across the globe for treatment with us is a testament to that.

Overcoming Ineffective Treatment

Regionally, addiction and how it should be treated is very much misunderstood as well as stigmatised. There are many misconceptions that addiction is due to bad behaviour or lack of willpower, rather than a disorder that requires effective treatment. As a result, some patients and families are receiving poor advice and ineffective treatment.

We are overcoming this by providing training throughout Asia to practitioners, government organisations and families so that they have more understanding of the causes of addiction and what they should be doing to effectively treat it.

What has been your business’ biggest lesson learned?

If we could do things again, I think we would have lobbied harder for more regulation and licensing in the industry in Asia. As a provider that actually performs and goes beyond what is required for local licensing and meets international levels of care, we find it frustrating that other centres in the industry largely ignore licensing and regulatory requirements. This could lead to the image of the whole industry being affected.

Maintaining a level of quality and regulation that is higher than any competitor has enabled us to achieve a reputation that always makes us the first choice for clients, if their budget permits. I would recommend that any business owner should not look to cut any corners; the added expenses of ‘doing things the right way’ will more than pay off, in terms of reputation and brand quality.

The Cabin Singapore
Suite 11-02, 11 Floor
Novena Medical Centre
10 Sinaran Drive
Tel. 3158 9949

Visit the The Cabin Singapore page to find out more about Suresh’s work.