Medical Tourism: Why Malaysia is a Preferred Destination?

Healthcare in Malaysia has undergone major transformations. Compared to the pre-colonial days where medical care was confined to traditional remedies, medical tourism now has emerged as one of the key contributors to the nation's economic growth. In fact, Malaysia has developed as one of the Asia's most recognised developing countries in medical tourism. Healthcare in Malaysia is under the purview of the Ministry of Health (MOH). However, to boost medical tourism MOH works closely with the Ministry of Tourism and Culture (MOTAC) to provide an efficient system of health care encompassing of both government and private healthcare institutions. In fact, Malaysia has emerged as one of the leading choices for foreign patients seeking healthcare treatment abroad. The objective of this paper is to analyse the contributing factors for the rise in medical tourism in Malaysia. First, this paper discusses briefly the importance of tourism industry as one of the contributors to the national economy. Second, this paper analyses the importance and the popularity of medical healthcare and the contributing factors that have placed Malaysia as one of the preferred medical healthcare destinations in the region.