Materia Medica Malaysiana

Health Tourism To Contribute RM400 Million This Year

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 15 (Bernama) -- Health tourism is projected to contribute RM400 million to the nation's coffers this year and RM2.2 billion in 2010, Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Saturday.
He said that 150,000 overseas patients received treatment in Malaysia last year.
In 2003, the number was 103,000 with over 72 per cent coming from Indonesia and the rest from Australia, Japan, Korea, China, Europe and the United States, he said.
The 35 private hospitals in the country had achieved impressive growth between 2000 and 2003 with the number of overseas patients rising by 31.4 per cent, he added.
The Tourism Ministry was also promoting health tourism in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Papua New Guinea and Sri Lanka, he told reporters after launching the "Grand Testimonial Day 2005" organised by MP E-Worldwide Sdn Bhd, here.