Malaysia hopes for boost to world medical tourism industry

Chief of Malaysia Tourism Board recently said he hoped the country’s medical tourism facing Muslim market would give a boost to the rapid developing industry worldwide.
He said in Kuala Lumpur that Singapore and Thailand lead world’s medical tourism industry by their annual industry output value of 55 billion and 38 billion U.S.dollars respectively.
Besides, Malaysia ranks the third of the world’s "most affordable health-care country" according to International Living magazine, the chief added.
Malaysia has an advantage of price and technology, and high-end surgery such as cardiac bypass surgery, which is the biggest attraction of medical tourism, according to the chief of Malaysia Tourism.
Meanwhile, head of the Association of Private Hospitals of Malaysia said that Malaysia had further loosen entry restriction for medical tourists, attracting about 770,000 in five years by end of 2013.