Healthcare tourism boost in Penang
THE Penang government encourages technology in healthcare in a bid to boost medical tourism in the state and the improvement of quality of patient care.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said that digital transformation was the way forward and believed that advanced technologies would continue to accelerate patients’ recovery and increase life expectancy.
“Technologies such as robotics, Internet of Things (IoT) and data can transform healthcare services in providing customised and accurate services for each and every patient,” he said at a launch in Penang recently.
Penang Medical Tourism president Dr Mary Ann Harris, Therapedic founder James Tan and Therapedic chief executive officer Jennifer Lok also attended the event, where a mock cheque of RM100,000 from the Therapedic Foundation was handed over to Dr Harris on behalf of all beneficiaries of Penang within the B40 community.
At the event, Tan claimed that the robotic rehabilitation centre, the first of its kind in the northern region, provides one of the most affordable robotic rehabilitation treatment services in South-East Asia.
Help for Sabah tourism players
Meanwhile, in Sabah, the Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry will set up a committee to formulate and implement measures to revive the tourism industry in the state post-Covid-19, said its Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin.
He said in a statement recently that the committee would comprise industry players, and that a meeting and discussion session with these industry players had already been held.
Jafry said some of the issues discussed were related to the government’s allocation channelled specifically to help the tourism industry and the welfare of workers affected
by the pandemic.
He said the ministry would work together with several related agencies to refine the views submitted by tourism industry players, particularly regarding the aid.
The way forward for Sarawak
Elsewhere, the Sarawak Economic Planning Unit and state Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry are conducting a joint third Sarawak Tourism Master Plan 20202035 study to chart the way forward for the tourism industry to recover from the impact of Covid-19.
Sarawak Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister, Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, said that the master plan will identify new business models and strategies for both the demand and supply side of the tourism industry.
“From the master plan, we will be able to identify and develop strategic directions and an action plan to spur both immediate and long-term growth, encourage innovation and allow existing tourism operators and potential investors to identify business ventures, in particular through public-private partnership.
“We will make sure that tourism development will benefit not only the corporate sector, but also the public by involving them in the community-based tourism, arts and culture industry,” he said in Kuching, recently.
He said public and private sector industry experts and players will be involved in drafting the master plan to ensure its successful implementation as the state government has identified tourism as one of the important economic sectors in the state.
Abdul Karim said in drafting the master plan, those involved will be guided by Sarawak’s Tourism Aspiration 2030 to become a leading destination for eco-tourism and business events in the Asean region.
He said the Covid-19 outbreak has caused some concerns, especially for the Sarawak More To Discover campaign tag lined “Rediscover Yourself in Sarawak” which is targeting the domestic market, and his ministry has been reviewing its marketing strategies.
“This includes turning the promotional and marketing initiatives to domestic tourism by launching the Sia Sitok Sarawak tour packages to encourage more locals to choose Sarawak as their preferred holiday destination, as well as to boost the local tourism industry,” he said. – Bernama