Malaysia Braces For A Rise In Medical Tourism From Gulf, Muslim Countries

Malaysia is strategically focusing on attracting medical tourists from the Gulf and other affluent Muslim countries to boost its medical tourism sector. With the rising cost of treatments in neighboring Thailand and Singapore, Malaysia offers a competitive alternative with high-quality medical care in a familiar Muslim environment.

Patients from these countries prefer Malaysia for its advanced healthcare services and the comfort of being in a country with shared religious and cultural values. The Malaysian Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) reported that Malaysia attracted 880,000 medical tourists in 2014 and aims to increase these numbers by 10% in 2015 and reach one million by 2016.

Recognizing the significant contribution of medical tourism to the country’s GDP, Malaysia has allocated a substantial budget to promote this sector in 2016 and beyond. The MHTC, responsible for driving this growth, is intensifying its focus on halal health treatments to attract medical travelers from Muslim countries.

Halal-Certified Healthcare Facilities

Several hospitals in Malaysia are halal-certified, meaning they serve halal food, provide prayer rooms, and offer medical treatments that comply with Islamic law, excluding products derived from pork. For example, insulin, typically pork-based, is replaced with bovine products in these environments. Similarly, gelatin-based products and sutures are substituted with halal alternatives. Pharmacies in halal hospitals inform patients about products free of gelatin and porcine, ensuring compliance with halal standards.

A notable development is the effort by the Halal Industry Development Corporation to produce the world’s first halal vaccines for meningitis and hepatitis, expected to be available by 2017. This initiative is part of Malaysia’s broader strategy to cater to the specific needs of Muslim medical tourists.

Strategic Partnerships and Agreements

The MHTC has established partnerships with governments in Oman, Libya, and Kazakhstan to facilitate state-sponsored medical travel for their citizens to Malaysia. Malaysian hospital groups such as KPJ Healthcare, IHH Healthcare, and Ramsay Sime Darby have agents in Oman to arrange health travel.

According to the MHTC, there has been about a 50% annual growth in Omani patients traveling to Malaysia, making Oman the third-largest source of health tourists from the GCC, following Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Malaysia’s focus on halal medical tourism and its strategic partnerships highlight its commitment to becoming a global leader in this sector. By offering high-quality, Shariah-compliant healthcare services at competitive prices, Malaysia is well-positioned to attract an increasing number of medical tourists from wealthy Muslim countries. This not only enhances Malaysia’s tourism industry but also solidifies its reputation as a premier destination for halal medical treatments.