The latest tourist attraction: Local hospitals

The latest tourist attraction: Local hospitals

India and Thailand are role models for making Malaysia an attractive destination for medical and health care tourism as it can generate a huge income for the country.

India and Thailand are role models for making Malaysia an attractive destination for medical and health care tourism as it can generate a huge income for the country.

Deputy Minister of Health, Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin said the government intend to expand the healthcare sector through the 10th Malaysia Plan (RMK-10) because there was a high demand in the international level.

“We should view India and Thailand (as role model) because they are the most popular in the world as a pioneer of healthcare industry where they give quality services and competitive price.

“According to Nuwire Investors, we are in the top five medical tourism destination but we must continue to work hard to place Malaysia strategically as a medical tourism destination of choice,” she said at the Asia Healthcare Operations Summit 2011 here today.

She said the government would reform the healthcare delivery system with focus on four key areas, namely transforming healthcare delivery, increasing capacity and coverage and improving quality of the healthcare structure, shifting towards wellness and disease prevention rather than treatment, and increasing the capacity and capabilities of human resources for health.

Rosnah said she was confident that Malaysia can compete in the sector because the country’s health industry was on par when compared with others in the world.

Furthermore, she said medical tourists and investors from abroad would make Malaysia their most favourable destination through its modern services and equipment.

— BERNAMA