Global Health Asia-Pacific Special Issue | Page 53

Moud Daud Mohd Arif
themselves as wellness hotels by complementing nearby private hospitals . Popular accommodations such as Sutera Harbour Resort and Hyatt Hotels inculcate wellness aspects such as healthy food and rejuvenating spas to appeal to leisure and health tourists alike . Banyan Tree Hotel and Prince Court Medical Centre , as well as Ascott Hotel and Gleneagles Hospital in Kuala Lumpur , to name a few , provide premium wellness packages encompassing medical care and hospitality . These also include health screening , medical consultations , wellness spas , and nutritional meals .
MOU with Bangladesh The MHTC also exchanged a memorandum of understanding ( MOU ) with the Bangladesh-Malaysia Chambers of Commerce & Industry ( BMCCI ), Prime Bank Ltd ., and Shimanto Bank Ltd . to advocate for Malaysian healthcare services and facilitate Bangladeshi healthcare tourists coming to Malaysia . Mohd Daud anticipated that the benefits of the MOU would include commercial agreements between the MOU signatories and Malaysian private hospitals , knowledge-sharing sessions between specialists and Bangladeshi medical universities , and corporate social responsibility ( CSR ) activities . The MHTC CEO believes that the Bangladeshi market will continue to be one of the sector ’ s focus markets . “ We understand that the local private hospitals would require partners abroad , outsourcing their patients to neighbouring countries like Malaysia to complement the healthcare ecosystem in their country to cater for the growing population in Bangladesh ,” he explained . Furthermore , religious similarities and the encouraging interest from Bangladeshi healthcare travellers make Bangladesh a
target market for attracting healthcare travellers .
Medical e-visa MHTC collaborated with the Malaysian Immigration Department to roll out a medical e-visa for the convenience of healthcare travellers . Mohd Daud shared that the medical e-visa application process had been streamlined to produce multiple advantages , including a short processing time of three to five days and a single application for patients and their companions . In addition , the medical e-visa enables proper logistics planning for hospital arrangements and flight bookings . “ When patients arrive here through e-visa medical , the immigration officials are assured the patients have been pre-screened by MHTC , ensuring a more secure and smooth entry process ,” he added . The e-visa medical also allows for a more straightforward extension in case the patient needs to receive critical care beyond the 30- day visa period . “ The cost of e-visa medical renewal will be cheaper , and the validation process will be quicker due to verified documentation in the initial application ,” he stated .
Return to normalcy With Malaysia being a popular destination for almost any type of medical services , from cancer and heart care to fertility treatment and health screening , the MHTC CEO believes that the Malaysian healthcare tourism sector will continue to rebound in the foreseeable future . “ With this positive momentum and the continued trust towards Malaysia Healthcare , we believe that the industry would be able to achieve the targets that were initially set for 2025 , by next year , one year earlier than anticipated .”
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