HEALTH MINISTRY TO AGGRESSIVELY TAP INTO HEALTH TOURISM

KUALA LUMPUR, May 11 (Bernama) -- The Health Ministry will come up with a
master plan to intensify promotion of health tourism in the country.

Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai said he would discuss the matter
soon with the Tourism Ministry and Malaysian Society for Quality in Health
(MSQH) in order to draw up a proper framework and guideline for the industry.

"We want to promote the industry for economic reason as we see it has so
much potential that should be properly tapped. We expect the industry to
continue to grow," he told reporters, here, Monday.

Liow said last year alone, the industry had brought in some 370,000 foreign
patients, generating about RM300 million in revenue for the country.

The industry recorded a growth of about 30 per cent annually.


The minister said Malaysia had the competitive edge compared with the
neighbouring countries in terms of price and services provided.

Among other things, he said, the master plan would include corporate social
responsibility (CSR) for private hospitals involved in medical tourism.

"This is crucial as the government does not want the private sector to just
focus on reaping profits from the foreigners at the expense of healthcare
services for the people," he said.

Earlier, Liow presented the MS ISO 9001:2000 certification by Sirim QAS
International to Tung Shin Hospital here.

He said that up to last April, 65 out of the 130 government hospitals
nationwide had been accorded accreditation by MSQH, while another 66 were
ISO-certified.


As for private hospitals, he said 18 had been MSQH-accreditated while
another 18 were ISO-certified.

"I hope more private hospitals, particularly those involved in health
tourism, would work for the accreditation and ISO status or go a step further to
acquire the world-renowned, international JCI accreditation," he said.

To date, three private hospitals -- Penang Adventist Hospital, Prince Court
Medical Centre and International Specialist Eye Centre in Kuala Lumpur -- have
gained the JCI accreditation.

-- BERNAMA