Sarawak sets up medical tourism coordination committee

KUCHING, Nov 12 (Bernama) – The  Sarawak Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports has established a Medical Tourism Coordination Committee (MHTC) to facilitate the entry of medical visitors in the first quarter of next year.

Its minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the committee would collaborate with hospitals, relevant authorities and Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) to boost the medical tourism industry in the state.

“MHTC will roll out eVisa to facilitate entry of medical visitors,” he said when winding up his ministry ‘s debate on the Supply 2019 Bill at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly sitting here today.

He said the medical tourism sector has been expanding and contributing to the economy of the state, which recorded 33,400 medical visitor arrivals generating RM42.4 million in receipts up to September this year.

The majority of the medical visitors during that period (January-September) were from Jakarta and Pontianak, Indonesia, he said.

In 2017, Sarawak recorded 44,700 foreign patients who came to Sarawak to seek medical treatment and brought in receipts of RM60.7 million.

On regional tourism cooperation, Abdul Karim said Sarawak would host the 2nd Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines - East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) BUDAYAW Festival of Arts and Culture here on Oct 9-13, 2019.

“The cross border markets of Brunei and Indonesia are our main foreign arrivals contributor,” he said, adding that from Dec 28 this year Bandar Seri Begawan and Kuching would have twice-weekly flights via Royal Brunei.

He said for Indonesia’s West Kalimantan (KALBAR), the daily flight offered by Air Asia and Wings Air from Pontianak had tremendous impact in increasing arrivals who came for medical and educational tourism.

As of January to September this year, Sarawak recorded visitor arrivals of 3,230,201, which was a decrease of 13.27 per cent  as compared to the corresponding period in 2017.

-- BERNAMA