PM TO LAUNCH MALAYSIA HEALTHCARE TRAVEL COUNCIL IN DECEMBER

KUALA LUMPUR, Okt 8 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Najib Razak is expected to
launch the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council in December to position the
country as the healthcare hub in the region.

Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai said Thursday0 the council would initially be
set up as a department in the ministry and was answerable to an advisory
committee.

"The advisory committee, to be chaired by me and co-chaired by Minister
in the Prime Minister's Department (in charge of the Economic Planning Unit) Nor
Mohamed Yakcop, will start work this Oct 16," he added.

To ensure its success the government was working closely with the private
sector to strengthen the health services industry, especially healthcare
tourism, Liow told reporters after opening the Health Ministry Management
Conference here Thursday.

"We have the capability and lots of resources. Our Institut Jantung Negara
(IJN) and the private hospitals in Malaysia are all well equiped and are able to
serve well in this industry," he said.

Liow said presently the health tourism industry contributed RM300 million
(US$88.5 million) to the Gross Domestic Product and the ministry had targeted
that the industry could contribute more than RM1 billion (US$295.4 million) to
the GDP.
-- BERNAMA