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Dec 5 - 10, 2008 / No.1570
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Healthy headstart |
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Malaysia is giving its neighbours a good run for their money in the race for medical travellers, reports S Puvaneswary
THE Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) sees a silver lining in the world financial crisis.
With healthcare costs escalating in the West and consumers tightening their belts, Malaysia, where medical treatments are still cheaper and the quality and healthcare service is good, is in a good position to attract more medical tourists from the longhaul market.
Together with the tourism ministry, APHM is producing a book on Malaysia as a health tourism destination called Patients beyond Borders – Malaysian Edition, which will be published in July 2009 and sold worldwide.
The book, partly authored by American Mr Josef Woodman, and partly by locals and vetted through by APHM, provides background on Malaysia, its medical facilities, the services and a general range of fees for various medical treatments available in the 35 private hospitals accredited by the Ministry of Health.
APHM Committee on Database and Health Tourism chairman, Datuk Dr K Kulaveerasingam, said 20,000 copies would be printed.
Body Beautiful (UK) operations director, Mr Paul Turner-Mitchell, said seeking medical treatment in Malaysia was still a viable alternative for UK travellers as the total package cost – inclusive of travel, accommodation and medical treatment – was about 60 per cent cheaper than having the procedure done at home.
He added that despite the global credit crunch, the popularity of cosmetic surgery holidays in Malaysia showed no signs of slowing down.
“Client numbers are up 135 per cent from January to October 2008 compared to the same period in 2007.
“There can be no doubt in the current financial climate, that our clients are looking for a more cost-effective solution to having surgery without compromising on quality, hence the increase.”
He added Malaysia’s medical charges and hospitalisation costs were very competitive, with favourable exchange rates contributing further to the price competitiveness.
An abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) and mastopexy (breast lift) would cost approximately £10,000 (US$15,370) to £12,000 in the UK, but in Malaysia, a similar procedure inclusive of five-star accommodation for 14 nights would cost approximately £5,000 .
Mr Turner-Mitchell said: “The medical expertise in Malaysia ranks among the best in the world. The medical facilities have internationally recognised quality standards. Infection rates are also lower than in UK hospitals.
“As part of our quest to provide a ‘one-stop shop’, we are able to provide clients with comprehensive advice on flights, schedules and prices, working in conjunction with a number of leading travel agents in various countries.”
However, in the US and Canada, people are postponing their cosmetic surgery plans to the Far East.
MedRetreat managing director, Mr Patrick Marsek, said: “Many people are waiting until they have a clearer view of the end of this financial crisis in the US.
“They seem to be holding on to their discretionary income in case of an emergency.
“That said, we expect other more serious procedures, such as orthopaedic, neurological and cardiac surgeries to increase due to the high number of uninsured and underinsured Americans.
“Many of these types of procedures are being considered by people who want to alleviate their pain and improve the quality of their lives.
“The only way to accomplish this within a reasonable budget is to travel overseas for surgery. Malaysian private hospitals provide full service care, and some of our clients choose Malaysia because of the overall monetary value and the qualifications of the hospitals and surgeons.”
MedRetreat is another company that facilitates the healthcare needs of North American health tourism patients seeking all forms of medical travel programmes. It also works with local operators for clients who wish to sightsee before or after the medical treatment.
Arrangements can be made within a day’s notice.
The number of foreign patients travelling to Malaysia increased from 75,210 in 2001 to 341,288 in 2007. This trend is likely to grow at a rate of 30 per cent a year until 2010, according to APHM.
For Malaysia, the main feeder markets for medical tourism are still the shorthaul South-east Asian countries.
Local medical centres and agents promoting medical tourism to regional markets also claim they are doing well.
They say connectivity is key in the successful growth of medical tourism and low-cost carriers in Asia have helped to grow regional markets.
HSC Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur said its slice of the Indonesian market had grown due to improvements in direct connectivity, frequency and capacity between points in Indonesia and Malaysia. Executive director, Dr Y C Lim, said Indonesia was its biggest market, with Hong Kong, Australia, Spain, the UK and the US as other top sources. The centre focuses on early detection and treatment of heart disease, strokes and cancer.
Since the centre opened its doors in 2003, it has seen some 25,000 patients, where 70 per cent were foreigners, not including expatriates, Dr Lim said.
He said the centre had managed to penetrate the foreign markets as it was the exclusive tourism partner of Malaysia Airlines Golden Holidays, and by working with local and foreign travel agents.
HSC was competing with the likes of Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia, he added.
Perfect Enhancement, a travel agency specialising in medical tourism, said business was growing from regional markets such as Indonesia and Singapore. Managing director, Ms Lenny Irana Zahari, expects to capture a 10 per cent share of the cosmetic surgery market within five years. She said low-cost carriers such as AirAsia with connections to primary and secondary destinations in the region, was boosting the number of foreign health tourists seeking cosmetic surgery.
The company has not seen a decline in the number of foreign patients despite the world economic slowdown.
Ms Lenny said the company maintained strict quality control by working only with the best surgeons and private hospitals in the country to promote cosmetic surgery in Malaysia, but was concerned about the “alarming increase in cosmetic procedures being offered loosely to the public and performed by the unqualified”. “This can spoil the market,” she said. The company has tied up with two private hospitals and hotels in Kuala Lumpur and is looking at expanding into other areas such as cardiac surgery and stem cell treatment.
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