Budget 2021: Medical tourism receives RM35mil allocation

A magnetic resonance imaging machine or MRI at a hospital in Johor. Malaysia's healthcare tourism will get RM35mil to boost the industry in 2021. — Bernama RA

The healthcare tourism sector has the potential to be the country’s new investment, said Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz.

Budget 2021 has allocated RM35mil to the Malaysia Healthcare Tourism Council (MHTC) to promote the country’s healthcare tourism industry, up from RM25mil last year.

MHTC chief executive officer Sherene Azli said this will further optimise the healthcare travel industry for economic revitalisation.

"Malaysia healthcare has the potential to contribute up to RM10bil to the economy as the industry recovers,” she said.

Sherene added that the healthcare sector in Malaysia has adapted well to the Covid-19 pandemic thanks to support from the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy), Health Ministry, Finance Ministry and the National Security Council.

"Their continued faith in Malaysian healthcare will open more doors to embrace transformations in healthcare which will improve overall healthcare economics and benefit Malaysians as well,” she said.

Also announced was a tax exemption for the export of private care services until 2022.