More foreigners seeking treatment here

Cosmetic surgery among most sought-after

PUTRAJAYA: The cosmetic surgery sector in Malaysia is booming with the increase of healthcare travellers coming to the country.

It is among the most sought-after medical specialisation by foreign patients along with the orthopaedics and cardiology sectors, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

He said international patients had expressed confidence in the quality of healthcare service in Malaysia, which was provided at reasonable cost.

“They (foreign patients) are now coming to Malaysia for cosmetic surgery. Most of our surgeons are highly qualified and trained overseas. We get patients (from as far as) even Britain,” Liow said at his ministry here yesterday.

He was speaking to reporters with Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) co-chairman Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop after handing out certificates to 14 healthcare facilities for their registration with the council.

The council was set up under the ministry in 2009 to be the primary agency in promoting the local healthcare travel industry.

A total of 583,296 healthcare travellers contributed receipts worth Rm511.2mil to the local health industry last year.

The industry’s income had surged by 34.9% compared with its previous year when its annual income was recorded at Rm378.9mil.

Indonesians topped the list of foreign patients seeking treatment here last year with 335,150 visitors contributing some Rm325.3mil.

Other top spending healthcare travellers were from India (Rm13.4mil), Australia (Rm12.5mil) and Japan (Rm11.1mil).

“We now have 63 facilities registered with the council and as members, they will all enjoy an investment tax allowance until 2014 for the purpose of their capital expansion,” said Liow.