Growth in health tourism, despite economic slowdown - Subramaniam

The economic slowdown does not affect the arrival of health tourist to Malaysia, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam.

He said the health tourism sector continued to grow and cited a report by Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) which showed 800,000 tourists arrived in the country for health treatment in 2014, generating revenue of about RM777 million.

For 2015, there was also an increase in health tourist arrivals, although we may not meet the target, he told reporters after opening the Ponggal Unity Festival here yesterday.

The statistics on health tourist arrivals for 2015 will only be released in March this year.

Dr Subramaniam was commenting a web report, 'International Living', last Jan 19, which stated Malaysia as one of the four countries with the best health care in the world.

Dr Subramaniam said health tourists chose Malaysia as their destination because of the cheap cost of treatment, but quality service.

He said efforts were being made by the ministry to further promote Malaysia's health tourism sector, especially to the Middle East countries.

In another development, Dr Subramaniam said the ministry has sufficient supply vaccine for polio and whooping cough (pertussis) for children in the country, despite report shortage on the supply globally.