JP/5/HOSPITAL

JP/5/HOSPITAL

Malaysian hospitals favorite among RI patients

Yuli Tri Suwarni
The Jakarta Post/Bandung

Indonesians are increasingly looking to Malaysia for medical
treatment.

Malaysian deputy tourism minister Achmad Zahid Hamidi said on
Friday that, last year, Indonesians visiting Malaysia for medical
purposes reached 126,000 out of 174,000 foreigners receiving
medical treatment in the country.

The 126,000 Indonesians were among 789,000 Indonesians to
visit Malaysia that year, said Hamidi, saying Indonesian visitors
had generated 1.125 million ringgit in revenue for the Malaysian
government or Rp 2.2 trillion.

"Patients stay in hospital for 12 days on average," said
Hamidi, while promoting Malaysian hospital in the West Java
capital of Bandung.

Hamid said the Indonesian patients spent 1,500 ringgit a day
each on average. The Malaysian hospitals obtained Rp 600 billion
from the patients or some 252 million ringgit.

He said there are 25 hospitals in Malaysia that are certified
to receive foreign patients, including in Penang, Selangor and
Johor.

"They have been approved by the International Organization for
Standardization, and their quality is controlled by the Malaysian
government," said Roslan Othman, the director of the Malaysian
Tourism Promotion Board.

Fertility, skin care, slimming and cardiology clinics are
especially popular, while other patients just want a general
checkup, said Selangor State Minister for Tourism, Health and
Consumer Affair Lim Thuang Seng.

"One patient usually travels with two or three others ... they
also visit tourist spots and shop," said Lim.

Hamidi said the success rate in Malaysian hospitals was 54
percent.