MELAKA EYES 300,000 INDONESIAN MEDICAL TOURISTS THIS YEAR

MELAKA, May 18 (Bernama) -- Melaka is targeting about 300,000 Indonesians to receive healthcare services at four private hospitals in the state this year, as part of efforts to boost its medical tourism sector.

State Health, Human Resources and Unity Committee chairman Datuk Ngwe Hee Sem said that of the 800,000 Indonesians who visited Malaysia for medical treatment and check-ups last year, over 25 per cent were treated in Melaka.

He added that various efforts were being actively undertaken to promote the services offered by the four private hospitals in the state, aiming to attract medical tourists from Indonesia, particularly from Pekanbaru.

“Last year, I was told that Mahkota Medical Centre received around 95,000 foreign patients, including from Indonesia, representing over 10 per cent of Indonesians who sought medical services in Malaysia.

“Recently, I joined the Putra Specialist Hospital team in Pekanbaru to promote its medical services, in collaboration with the city’s deputy mayor,” he said when met by reporters at the opening ceremony of the Wakil Rakyat Untuk Rakyat (WRUR) programme for the Sungai Udang state constituency here today.

Ngwe said private hospitals in Melaka were a preferred choice among Indonesians due to the lower cost of healthcare services compared to those in the republic and the state was conveniently located near Sumatra.

He said that, based on records, most patients were from Bengkalis and Dumai, travelling via ferry services.

Meanwhile, Ngwe said there had been a request for Melaka to resume flight services between Melaka International Airport (LTAM) in Batu Berendam and Pekanbaru.

“The request was made during a meeting with Pekanbaru leaders earlier this week. I have invited the Pekanbaru mayor and the Riau governor to Melaka to meet with Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh to discuss the matter.

“The meeting will also cover bilateral cooperation to further develop the state’s tourism sector, particularly the medical and religious subsectors, as well as student exchanges between Universiti Melaka and universities in Pekanbaru,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ngwe said that promotional efforts would also focus on Vietnam, alongside Indonesia, as a new potential market aimed at drawing medical tourists to Melaka.

--BERNAMA