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Dec 01, 2021
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8 months ago
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860 views
With 20 years of leadership, Mr. Mohd Daud Mohd Arif, Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) brings a fresh perspective to Malaysia Healthcare’s growth, furthering the country’s vision to be the leading global healthcare destination. In an exclusive interview, Mohd Daud discussed with Mrs. Kheang Siv Hung, Senior Editor & Pharmacist of HealthTime Cambodia, the overall concept of Malaysia's commitment and dedication into the medical field offering excellent medical services to Cambodian patients seeking effective treatment to their health problems.
1. Could you please provide us the background of Malaysia Healthcare?
‘Malaysia Healthcare’ is the brand of Malaysia’s healthcare travel industry, facilitated and promoted by the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC), a government agency under the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH).
Malaysia Healthcare’s foundations are strongly built upon public-private partnerships, comprising of government ministries and agencies, premier Malaysian private healthcare facilities, airline companies, travel agencies, hotels, and many more. Together we craft a seamless end-to-end healthcare journey experience for all visitors.
Malaysia is one of the few countries in the world where healthcare travel is a government supported industry while being driven by the private sector.
Once known as the Hidden Jewel of Asia, today, Malaysia is referred as “The World’s Healthcare Marvel”, having successfully built a strong reputation as a safe and trusted leading global destination for healthcare travel. Having been recognised as the Destination of the Year for healthcare travel by International Medical Travel Journal, from 2015 - 2018 and again most recently in 2020, Malaysia has certainly demonstrated a firm dedication towards offering world-class quality healthcare, competitive affordability, and ease of accessibility, delivered through a seamless end- to-end patient journey experience.
2. Why is Malaysia the preferred country for healthcare travel?
Malaysia has gained popularity as a safe and trusted healthcare and wellness destination over the past number of years. The growth and progress of the industry is to a large extent, attributed to Malaysia Healthcare’s proposition of world-class quality, ease of accessibility and comparative affordability.
Among the unique selling points that propels Malaysia as the destination of choice for healthcare travelers globally are:
World-Class Quality
Quality and safety standards in Malaysian hospitals are exemplary, benchmarked against the world's best, and are closely monitored and stringently regulated by the Ministry of Health Malaysia.
Our highly qualified professionals have received training from internationally renowned institutions from Malaysia, the UK, USA, Australia, and Europe.
Malaysia Healthcare network of member hospitals have been accredited by internationally recognised bodies: Malaysia Society for Quality in Health (MSQH), Joint Commission International (JCI), Reproductive Technology Accreditation Committee (RTAC) and other agencies under the International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQua).
Affordability
The Ministry of Health Malaysia regulates ceiling rates for healthcare treatments through the Fees Schedule 13, therefore, the cost of treatment is affordable compared to countries within the region.
Compared to the US, patients can save up to 60-80% in costs for major procedures like hip or knee replacements, coronary artery bypass graft, laminectomy, full facelift, etc.Source: Patients Beyond Borders, 2020
Ease of accessibility
Malaysia has 210 private hospitals, not including dental clinics and wellness centres. Virtually no waiting times for appointments for consultations and treatments with specialists, allowing real-time access. Besides, there are always connections by direct flights to major travel hubs across the world.
Global Halal Hub
Malaysian society is largely Muslim-friendly, all our hospitals serve only halal menus and provide prayer facilities.
Availability of porcine-free medical products, such as sutures and vaccines.
Many medical professionals and personnel, both men and women, are Muslims.
Tourist haven
Malaysia Healthcare’s attractiveness is also accentuated by its position as an ever-growing wellness sanctuary, Muslim-friendly nation, its many travel sights, a multilingual healthcare system that is able to cater to the language preferences of patients across Asia and the world.
Seamless End-to-End Service Offerings
Malaysia Healthcare offers more than just healthcare; healthcare travellers can enjoy a seamless end-to-end healthcare journey experience.
Upon arrival, healthcare travellers will be greeted by our Malaysia Healthcare Concierge and Lounge personnel who will greet them at the aerobridge, take them through fast-tracked immigration baggage claim and host them at the lounge until their hotel or hospital transport receives them.
At every step of the way, Malaysia Healthcare will be there to assist and guide healthcare travellers throughout their healthcare journey until they return home.
3. What are the medical treatment services being provided for healthcare travellers in Malaysia? What is the expertise in terms of treatments that Malaysia’s healthcare system offers?
Among the healthcare treatments sought by healthcare travellers in Malaysia include fertility, oncology, cardiology, orthopaedic, and aesthetic treatments, among others.
Fertility Treatments: Malaysia boasts a success rate of one in two fertility patients for in vitro fertilisation (IVF), and provides advanced treatments including oncofertility, and AI technology for fertility viability testing, strengthening its position as the Fertility Hub of Asia. Eight out of 30 fertility centres that have International RTAC accreditation are located in Malaysia alone.
Oncology Treatments: Many healthcare travellers seek cancer treatments in Malaysia as hospitals here provide comprehensive oncology services – ranging from ground-breaking imaging to cancer detection technologies – to ease and smoothen the patient’s treatment journey. Malaysia has emerged as the third most prepared country in the Asia Pacific to battle cancer in a study conducted by The Economist Intelligence Unit (The EIU).
Cardiology Treatments: Over the last decade, Malaysia has also gained popularity as the Heartbeat of Asia, due to our expert medical fraternity and healthcare infrastructure. As a matter of fact, the National Heart Institute (IJN) received fanfare in the global healthcare industry by becoming the first hospital outside of the United States to implant a Micra AV pacemaker, an implantable device for the treatment of a slow heart rate via pacing. It is these developments that attract a niche group of patients to Malaysia, looking for quality care that is both reliable and affordable.
Orthopaedic Treatments: Our seasoned orthopaedic surgeons are ready to help you overcome the difficult times in your life. From orthopaedic surgeries to rehabilitation exercises, we provide them all, paired with the one-of-a-kind Malaysian hospitality spirit.
Aesthetic Treatments: Our medical marvels wholeheartedly commit themselves to turn your dream into reality. Rest assured, as all the aesthetic practitioners in Malaysia are authorised and have approval to practise by the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC), Annual Practising Certificate (ACP), and Licensing and Credentialing to Practise (LCP)
Hepatitis C Treatment: Being the first country in the world to be given conditional approval for Ravidasvir in combination with Sofosbuvir to treat Hepatitis C, Malaysia is poised to offer access to an affordable and efficacious treatment solution for those infected with the virus. This is in line with WHO’s mission to reduce new viral hepatitis infections by 90% and reduce deaths by viral hepatitis by 65% by 2030. Malaysia is offering Hepatitis C patients a treatment with a cure rate of 97% and cost reduction of 95%.
4. What are the top hospitals in Malaysia that were accredited and partnered with MHTC?
Malaysia Healthcare has a network of 73 globally accredited member hospitals which forms the strong foundation for healthcare service delivery through our seamless end- to-end patient journey. The healthcare travel ecosystem is also supported by collaborative efforts from public-private players throughout the value chain.
At present, Malaysia Healthcare’s member hospitals comprise of Elite and Ordinary Members consisting of private healthcare facilities that promote healthcare travel to foreign patients.
These hospitals possess at least one accreditation from international healthcare accreditation bodies, such as the Joint Commission International (JCI), Malaysian Society for Quality in Health (MSQH), Reproductive Technology Accreditation Committee (RTAC) and other agencies under the International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQua) and represent the best of Malaysia Healthcare, ensuring we provide quality healthcare to our patients in a safe and trusted manner.
For the full list of our network of member hospitals, please visit:
https://malaysiahealthcare.org/healthcare-facilities/
5. What are the most sought-after healthcare treatments in Malaysia and what are the specific treatments undergone by the different nationalities? (For example, Thai people go for heart check-ups; Cambodians go for eyes, ears, nose check-ups)
Over the many years of serving healthcare travellers, Malaysia has built a reputation as a safe and trusted destination for healthcare travel for a variety of treatments including (in no particular order): In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF), Cardiology, Oncology, Orthopaedics, Neurology, Dental, Aesthetics, and General Health Screenings.
Malaysia Healthcare has flourished from humble numbers of 643,000 health travellers in 2011, to approximately 1.220 million in 2019, signifying trust in our healthcare services, with arrivals from countries such as: (in no particular order):
Australia
Bangladesh
Brunei
Cambodia
China
India
Indonesia
Japan
Myanmar
Philippines
Singapore
United Kingdom
United States
Vietnam
6. When should Cambodian patients consider travelling to Malaysia for medical treatment? What are the current Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in place for healthcare travellers seeking treatments in Malaysia (pre / during / post-travel)?
Patients should seek medical attention as soon as possible. The risks of not getting the much-needed medical treatment outweigh far beyond that could lead to irreversible and serious negative effects on the patient’s overall health.
Whilst at present Malaysia’s international borders remain closed, we can only facilitate the entry of foreign patients on a case-by-case basis. Malaysia Healthcare remains committed in providing continuity of care for patients seeking critical healthcare treatments, such as cardiac and cancer patients, via way of medical travel bubble guided by stringent SOPs.
Malaysia Healthcare works closely with the Ministry of Health and the Malaysian National Security Council (MKN) to ensure that critical patients receive care in a safe and trusted manner.
Below are the SOPs which need to be followed for healthcare travellers coming into Malaysia:
Schedule for treatment with a private hospital registered as a member of the MHTC and request a Doctor’s Letter from your doctor.
Submit to the required documents to the selected hospital and apply for Permission to Enter Malaysia for Medical Treatment to the hospital.
The application will be submitted by MHTC to the member hospital of your choice.
Upon successful application, an Entry Approval Letter will be issued by MHTC which will be sent to you via the hospital.
Apply for visa (if applicable) for yourself and your companion and make the necessary arrangement for air transportation after receiving the Entry Approval Letter from the hospital.
Both the healthcare travellers and the companion must undergo the COVID- 19 PCR test (Round 1) at MHTC recognized testing center 3 (three) days prior to the arrival date into Malaysia.
Fully vaccinated patients will need to undergo mandatory quarantine period of 7 days and take their COVID-19 PCR tests on Day 1 and Day 5 of their quarantine period.
As for unvaccinated or partially vaccinated patients, the mandatory quarantine period is 10 days, and they will be required to undergo COVID-19 PCR tests on Day 1 and Day 8 of the quarantine period.
Visit https://malaysiahealthcare.org/sop-for-healthcare-travellers-entering- malaysia/ for the latest updates on SOPs for healthcare travellers.
7. Do you have testimonies from previous patients, who successfully received treatment from Malaysia’s healthcare services?
Yes, we have many testimonies from our previous patients who successfully received treatments. Please refer to this link for more information.
English
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