Amanda Siddharta
Research expert covering Malaysia
Medical tourism in Malaysia - statistics & facts
Many leading hospitals in Malaysia can only be described as similar to a hotel. Gleaneagles Hospital in Kuala Lumpur or Sunway Medical Center in Petaling Jaya, for example, boast not only quality healthcare but also luxurious patient wards in well-decorated buildings for a comfortable hospital stay. These lavish hospital spaces have made Malaysia a popular destination for medical tourism, an industry that generated a revenue of more than 1.3 billion Malaysian ringgit in 2022.
For Malaysians who have access to low-cost treatments at public hospitals, the costs of medical procedures at private hospitals in Malaysia are considered relatively high. Nevertheless, that is not the case for medical tourists who are looking for high quality medical care with friendly service. Malaysia has a competitive edge in terms of price as opposed to other popular destinations. For instance, the cost for angioplasty in the country was half of what the procedure would cost in South Korea. Moreover, although Malay is the official language, English is widely spoken in Malaysia, thus eliminating several possible language barriers. Some hospitals also provide translation services for other languages.
MHTC also aims to attract more healthcare tourists beyond its neighboring Southeast Asian countries. The agency reported that the majority of international patients in Malaysia in 2022 came from Indonesia. With support from the government and an estimated 35 billion Malaysian ringgit worth of expenditure on healthcare in 2024, Malaysia will cement its reputation as a major medical destination in Asia.
Private healthcare on the frontline
Malaysia has a two-tier healthcare system, subsidized medical care at public hospitals for its citizens, complemented by private healthcare. Privatized medical facilities will usually cater to international patients. In 2022, there were around 850,000 visitors who came to Malaysia for healthcare purposes. The country also had more private hospitals, with 207 as of 2022, compared to 148 public hospitals in the same year.For Malaysians who have access to low-cost treatments at public hospitals, the costs of medical procedures at private hospitals in Malaysia are considered relatively high. Nevertheless, that is not the case for medical tourists who are looking for high quality medical care with friendly service. Malaysia has a competitive edge in terms of price as opposed to other popular destinations. For instance, the cost for angioplasty in the country was half of what the procedure would cost in South Korea. Moreover, although Malay is the official language, English is widely spoken in Malaysia, thus eliminating several possible language barriers. Some hospitals also provide translation services for other languages.
Support to boost medical tourism
Due to the potential of medical tourism in Malaysia, the government established the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) in 2009 under the Ministry of Health. The agency is responsible for promoting and facilitating the country’s medical tourism industry in collaboration with leading Malaysian industry players like KPJ Healthcare and IHH Healthcare to build public-private partnerships.MHTC also aims to attract more healthcare tourists beyond its neighboring Southeast Asian countries. The agency reported that the majority of international patients in Malaysia in 2022 came from Indonesia. With support from the government and an estimated 35 billion Malaysian ringgit worth of expenditure on healthcare in 2024, Malaysia will cement its reputation as a major medical destination in Asia.
