Medical Tourism to Malaysia

Malaysia is one the fastest emerging destinations for medical tourism in Asia, mainly catering for Asian health travelers.

According to the Association of Private Hospitals of Malaysia (APHM), the majority of Malaysia's medical tourists come from Indonesia mainly due to the superior quality of healthcare that Malaysia offers. The same reason draws health travelers from other Asian countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Patients from richer Asian countries like Singapore and Japan, (which are the second and third highest origins of medical travelers respectively), visit Malaysia due to the lower prices of medical procedures.

Australians and people from the European Union are attracted to the lower cost of medical procedures in Malaysia, whilst Middle Eastern medical travelers visit Malaysia for both the price and the quality of healthcare provided. The country has also been targeting Muslim tourists with its options for Halal treatments, such as medicine not derived from pork.

The Healthcare System in Malaysia

The majority of hospitals offering services to medical tourists are privately owned institutions following internationally recognized standards in healthcare.

Currently, there are at least 35 hospitals in Malaysia that are being geared towards medical tourism. All are accredited locally by the Malaysian Medical Society for Quality of Health (MSQH) and are licensed by the Malaysian Ministry of Health. Most of these hospitals are accredited by international bodies including the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the Joint Commissions International (JCI) among others, making them on par with medical institutions in western countries.

Doctors and staff practicing at Malaysian international hospitals are English-speaking and internationally trained. Over 90 percent of these doctors were trained in the UK, USA or Australia, and in some cases are involved in international medical research.

Top Hospitals in Malaysia for Medical Tourism

• Penang Adventist Hospital
  Jalan Burma, Malaysia
  First accredited by the JCI on November 2007. Established in 1924, this non-profit hospital is fully owned and controlled by a Malaysian company and has grown since then as a tertiary healthcare institution using up-to-date medical equipment and procedures.
• Twin Towers Medical Center
  Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  Located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur is the in-house medical facility situated in the Petronas Twin Tower complex. This medical center is the largest outpatient polyclinic in Malaysia's premiere commercial center, catering to both local and international patients.
• Institute Jantung Negara National Heart Institute
  Also known as IJN, it is the leading heart institution in Malaysia that is also JCI accredited offering advanced cardiovascular and thoracic health services to both adult and pediatric patients, working in conjunction with leading international medical organizations and using the latest techniques in heart care.
• International Specialist Eye Center (ISEC)
  Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  First accredited by the JCI on February 2009. An ambulatory surgical center or ASC, ISEC is Malaysia's premiere center for ophthalmology and eye care.
• Browse our list of hospitals in Malaysia >>.

Common Treatments done by Medical Tourists in Malaysia

Hospitals and healthcare facilities in Malaysia offer a wide array of procedures and services for medical travelers, which include but are not limited to the following:

• Cosmetic and Reconstructive surgery
• Endocrinology
• Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT)
• General and Cosmetic Dentistry
• Gastroenterology
• General Surgery
• Dialysis and Nephrology
• Health Screening and Special Diagnostic Services
• Health Screening Packages
• Health rejuvenation packages
• Immunization and Vaccination Services
• Internal Medicine
• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Ophthalmology
• Orthopedics
• Pediatrics
• Urology

Cost of Medical Treatment in Malaysia

The following are cost comparisons between Medical procedures in Malaysia and equivalent procedures in the UK and the United States:

Cost comparison with the UK General and Cosmetic Dentistry
Procedure	UK Hospitals	Malaysia	Average Savings
Face Lift (rhytidectomy)	$11,000 - $12,000	$2,500 - $3,500	70% - 77%
Breast Augmentation (Mammoplasty)	$7,000 - $8,000	$3,000 - $4,000	50% - 57%
Breast Reduction	$8,000 - $9,000	$3,000 - $4,000	55% - 63%
Breast Lift	$2,000 - $3,000	$900 - $1,000	55% - 67%
Tummy Tuck	$6,000 - $7,000	$2,000 - $2,500	64% - 67%
Liposuction (lipoplasty)	$5,000 - $6,000	$2,000 - $3.000	50% - 60%
Nose Surgery (Rhinoplasty)	$5,500 - $6,500	$2,000 - $2,500	61% - 64%
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Procedure	UK Hospitals	Malaysia	Average Savings
Porcelain Bonded Crowns	$950 - $1,000	$150 - $200	80% - 84%
Root Canal (per canal)	$300 - $400	$200 - $250	33% - 38%

Cost comparison with the USA Medical Procedures
Procedure	US Hospitals	Malaysia	Average Savings
Angioplasty	$55,000 - $57,000	$7,500 - $8,500	80% - 86%
Heart Bypass	$120,000 - $130,000	$11,500 - $12,500	90% - 91%
Heart-valve Replacement	$150,000 - $160,000	$14,500 - $15,500	90% - 91%
Hip Replacement	$41,000 - $43,000	$9,500 - $10,500	75% - 77%
Hysterectomy	$18,000 - $20,000	$3,500 - $4,500	77% - 81%
Knee Replacement	$38,000 - $40,000	$7,500 - $8,500	78% - 80%
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Procedure	US Hospitals	Malaysia	Average Savings
Face Lift (rhytidectomy)	$7,000 - $9,000	$2,500 - $3,500	61% - 64%
Breast Augmentation (Mammoplasty)	$5,000 - $8,000	$3,000 - $4,000	40% - 50%
Breast Reduction	$4,000 - $6,000	$3,000 - $4,000	25% - 33%
Complete Liposuction (lipoplasty)	$4,000 - $6,500	$2,000 - $3.000	50% - 53%
Nose Surgery (Rhinoplasty)	$5,500 - $6,500	$2,000 - $2,500	61% - 63%
General and Cosmetic Dentistry
Procedure	US Hospitals	Malaysia	Average Savings
Root Canal	$600 - $1,000	$200 - $250	67% - 75%
Porcelain Crown	$600 - $1,000	$150 - $200	75% - 80%

Malpractice and Liability Laws in Malaysia

Statistics from 2004 have indicated that at least 50 percent of private medical practitioners in Malaysia had no medical indemnity cover, although the Ministry of Health in Malaysia have declared an increasing trend in the amount of compensation paid by the Malaysian government for liability cases since the year 2000. At present, the Malaysian government follows the Tort system for the control and regulation of litigation cases due to medical malpractice of negligence, wherein compensation is paid only for proven negligent cases.

Pros

• Medical facilities

  State-of-the art medical, healthcare and diagnostic facilities

• Prices

  Competitive prices for medical procedures and treatments

• Language

  English-speaking, highly trained and qualified medical specialists and staff

• Quality standards

  Strict adherence to internationally recognized quality medical standards

• Tourism infrastructure

  Affordable accommodation and a favorable tourism destination, suitable for post-surgery recovery

Cons

• Safety concerns

  Terrorist activities and kidnapping of tourists are still primary concerns, particularly in certain areas of the country that are geared toward Western visitors and tourists

Traveling to Malaysia

There are six international airports in Malaysia catering for more than 35 international carriers from all around the world. This makes Malaysia very accessible from neighboring Asian countries as well as from outside the continent.
Average estimated travel time in hours

From/To	Malaysia
New York City	20
Los Angeles	19
London	12
Singapore	1
Jakarta	2
Dubai	7
Riyadh	7
Bangladesh	3
Pakistan	5
Tokyo	6.5
Sydney	8

Entry and Exit Requirements to Malaysia

There are various visa requirements to Malaysia depending on the country of origin. Length of stay is typically 1 to 3 months; however extensions may be available upon request to the Malaysian High Commission.
The following is a brief summary of visa requirements from prominent nations where most medical tourists are arriving from (October 2009):

• No Visa Requirements:
  • UK and British Commonwealth / protected countries
  • United States of America
  • Switzerland
  • Netherlands
• No Visa Requirements depending on maximum length of stay:
  • 3 months maximum:
    Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Bosnia Herzegovina, Chile, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Norway, Oman, Peru, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Slovakia, Tunisia, Turkey, U.A.E., Uruguay, and Yemen.
  • 1 month maximum:
    Asian Countries, Hong Kong, Macau, British National Overseas and North Korea
  • 14 days maximum:
    Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Macau (travel permit) and Portugal Alien Passport.
• Needs Malaysian Visa for a stay exceeding one month:
  • Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia, Cambodia and the Philippines
• Needs Malaysian Visa for Entry
  • Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo Republic, Cote D'Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea Republic, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Western Sahara, Taiwan
• Special Approval Required
  • Citizens of Israel and Yugoslavia

Statistics of Medical Tourism in Malaysia

Malaysia is one of the few countries where the government actively supports and promotes medical tourism. The number of medical tourists has risen dramatically, with 770,134 health tourists arriving for treatment in the country in 2013, making it one of the major destination countries within the region. Globally, it has been ranked as one of the top 5 medical tourism destinations in the world and it is expected that earnings for 2014 will be over 200 million USD.