Quoted in the Malay Mail, the Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah has said that ‘about 50,000’ foreign patients, mostly from Indonesia, seek treatment in Sarawak. He gave no source for this number.
Karim said medical tourism is an important sector to the state economy, with about 50,000 foreign patients, mostly from Indonesia, seeking treatment at private hospitals, bringing in receipts of RM67 million (US$16m).
"Due to the high currency exchange of Singapore dollar, most Indonesian patients prefer to come to Sarawak," he said.
Karim said his ministry has established a medical tourism coordination committee to collaborate with hospitals, relevant authorities and the Malaysian Healthcare Travel Council to ensure the continuous growth of the medical tourism industry in Sarawak.
In an article in the New Straits Times in November 2018, Karim claimed that Sarawak received 33,400 foreign visitors for Jan-Sept 2018.
Source: IMTJ
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Muhammad Rasydan Ma’at
Asst. Manager, Communications
+603 8776 6168
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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/.
