Why 1 million Indonesians flock to Malaysian hospitals annually

A cardiologist performs an echocardiography test during the launch of the cardiovascular center at the Metropolitan Medical Center Hospital in South Jakarta on Jan. 23, 2020. - Photo: Tribunnews file

JAKARTA: While waiting for an appointment with an orthopedic doctor in a Penang hospital in Malaysia with my family last week, I read last year's edition of The Jakarta Post, which quoted President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo complaining that around 2 million Indonesians make overseas medical trips every year, including 1 million to Malaysia and 750,000 to Singapore.

This costs the country Rp 165 trillion (US$10.6 billion) in capital outflows.