Materia Medica Malaysiana

Health tourism rakes in RM41 million

The health tourism industry which was introduced six years ago brought in a revenue of RM41 million in the first nine months of last year.
The revenue was contributed by 75,213 foreign patients who had sought treatment in local private hospitals between January and September last year, Minister of Culture, Arts and Tourism Datuk Paduka Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir.

The amount was RM5.1 million more than 2002 which saw 84,585 health tourists seeking treatment.

Of the total number of health tourists last year, 52,649 were from Indonesia, 5,264 from Japan, about 1,000 from United States and about 400 from West Asia.

Abdul Kadir was speaking at the launching of Genting & HSC Check-in Check-up Holiday Package at the HSC Medical Centre here. His speech was delivered by his deputy Datuk Fu Ah Kiow.

He said when health tourism was introduced in 1998, the number of tourists seeking treatment was only 39,114.

"In 2001, from a survey of 10 private hospitals, the number of foreign patients who sought treatment were 75,210 generating a total revenue of RM44.28 million...a 92 per cent increase from 1998," he said.

Abdul Kadir said the statistics showed that medical health facilities in Malaysia was as good but at much cheaper rate compared with in other neighbouring countries such as Singapore and Thailand.

"The costs of most medical treatments in our country are in fact 20 per cent to 50 per cent cheaper than in Singapore and Thailand," he added.

In a Press conference later, Fu said although the amount of revenue last year indicated that on an average, a foreign patient only spent about RM500 for their hospital bills, Fu said the amount was good enough.

"The figure is considered high because not all of them came here to seek treatment. Some of them only did medical check-ups," he said.

Fu also said that the Ministry was targeting more West Asia tourists to come to seek medical treatment apart from spending their holidays here.

He said the Ministry did not have a projection on the number of health tourists this year because "it is a unique industry and it is rather difficult to set a target."

However, he said the Ministry had been promoting health tourism overseas through its offices and publications, apart from organising familiarisation trips for foreign journalists.

The Genting & HSC Check-in Check-up holiday package offers a three-day/two-night stay at Genting Hotel or Awana Genting with three types of medical check-up - heart, heart and cancer and comprehensive - at HSC Medical Centre.

Resorts World Bhd executive vice president Lee Choong Yan said guests would be provided with limousine service from Kuala Lumpur or the Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Genting Highlands Resort and then to HSC Medical Centre at a minimum rate of RM2,068.

HSC Medical Centre executive director Dr Y.C Lim said the medical centre which was one of the world's most advanced medical centres excelling in achieving a one-stop diagnostic centre, had about 20 per cent international visitors from Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, China, US, Britain and Australia.

"With this package, we hope to increase the number by another 20 or 30 per cent," he said.