31/08/2025

ON SUNDAY August 31, 2025 VI theSunday Special

M ALAYSIA’S rise as a medical tourism hub didn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of carefully stacking the deck. For starters, the cost of private healthcare here is a fraction of what patients typically pay in the US, UK or Australia. According to RHB Research, a patient from the US could benefit from lower treatment costs of about 60% to 80% in Malaysia, 25% to 40% in Singapore and 50% to 75% in Thailand, depending on the type of treatment. Here’s a concrete example. The cost of angioplasty in the US might cost approxi mately US$55,000, but in Malaysia, it’s available for around US$3,000 and this without compromising medical outcomes or standards. It’s not only Westerners who find Malaysia appealing. Patients from In donesia which sends 60% to 80% of all foreign medical visitors are coming for procedures like heart care, cancer treat ment, orthopaedics, health screenings and gastroenterology. On top of competitive pricing, hos pitals in Malaysia are delivering strong outcomes. The National Heart Institute of Malaysia has earned regional recogni tion for its cardiology services, while eight hospitals have Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation. This is an internationally recognised benchmark. W LWK (QJOLVK VSHDNLQJ VWD̆ WUDQVOD tors for Mandarin and Bahasa Indonesia, as well as halal dining and prayer facilities, 0DOD\VLD R̆ HUV D SDWLHQW IULHQGO\ H[SHUL ence that caters especially well to visitors from Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Numbers don’t lie: Skyrocketing visitors and revenue • The statistics speak volumes. In 2023: • Over 1 million health tourists visited Malaysia. This is a 15% jump from 2022’s 850,000. • Medical tourism revenue hit US$526 million (about RM2.25 billion). • P UHOLPLQDU\ ¿JXUHV VKRZ million international patient arrivals LQ MXVW WKH ¿UVW TXDUWHU

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A GHFDGH ORQJ WUHQG FRQ¿UPV VXVWDLQ able growth: Over 10 million healthcare travellers have come in the past ten years up 90%. The sector aims even higher: US$2.7 billion in annual revenue by 2030. Penang deserves a shout-out. It leads Malaysia’s medical tourism through its private hospitals and strong transport links, contributing around 45% to 57% of the country’s sector revenue. How Malaysia stacks up against the US, UK and Australia • Costs and waiting times In the US and UK, patients often face sky-high bills or extended waits. Wait ing lists in the UK can stretch up to 52 weeks. Meanwhile, Malaysians and LQWHUQDWLRQDO YLVLWRUV JHW TXLFN DFFHVV WR TXDOLW\ FDUH DW D IUDFWLRQ RI WKH FRVW Patients from the US, UK and Australia typically save 60% to 80% compared to domestic prices by choos ing Malaysia. Despite the savings, Malaysia maintains JCI-accredited facilities and skilled specialists.