PETALING JAYA: The government has agreed to allow medical tourists from “green bubble” countries to enter Malaysia for treatment.
“The special Cabinet meeting has agreed in principle to allow medical tourists from green category countries – Brunei, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand – to enter the country via commercial aircraft to receive treatment in Malaysia,” Senior Minister for Security Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today.
He told a press conference the medical tourists would have to undergo Covid-19 swabs before they departed and arrived at the airport, and they would be brought to the hospital as soon as they arrived in Malaysia.
However, he said, the approval for such travel was dependent on discussions with the respective countries’ ministries of foreign affairs.
The “green bubble” countries are those with a low number of Covid-19 cases.
On June 17, the special Cabinet meeting on Covid-19 decided to reopen the country’s international borders to medical tourists, although it did not specify which countries would be given the green light.
The announcement was welcomed by the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council, which said the Covid-19 pandemic had resulted in a 75% drop in medical tourists into Malaysia.
Source: Asianewsday
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Muhammad Rasydan Ma’at
Asst. Manager, Communications
+603 8776 6168
rasydan.m@mhtc.org.my
Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC), established in 2009 under the purview of the Ministry of Health (MOH) Malaysia, is entrusted with developing and nurturing the “Malaysia Healthcare” brand. MHTC enhances, coordinates, and promotes Malaysia’s healthcare travel industry by fostering industry collaborations and building valuable public-private partnerships both domestically and internationally. With 80 member hospitals nationwide, MHTC continues to elevate the healthcare travel ecosystem through strong branding, seamless patient experiences, and strategic market initiatives. In line with these efforts, MHTC is spearheading the Malaysia Year of Medical Tourism (MYMT) 2026, the nation’s first dedicated year to celebrate and advance healthcare travel. MYMT 2026 serves as a milestone initiative to showcase Malaysia’s world-class healthcare offerings, strengthen its position as the premier global healthcare destination, and highlight the industry’s significant contribution to the national economy. More information can be found at https://www.mhtc.org.my/.
