Johor medical tourism promotion to go into high gear

JOHOR BARU: The state government plans to aggressively promote medical tourism via the recently set-up Johor Medical Tourism Council (JMTC).

Tourism Johor director Suhairi Hashim (pic) said medical tourism was among the key initiatives, besides education and heritage, to attract foreign tourists to the state.

“We are getting many tourists from Indonesia, Singapore and China who are keen on getting world-class medical treatments at affordable prices here,” he said when contacted yesterday.

According to him, many tourists are interested in in vitro fertilisation treatments, and there are 14 private hospitals in the city alone.

The JMTC is chaired by state tourism, environment, heritage and culture committee chairman K. Raven Kumar and involves various stakeholders, including private hospitals.

“We are promoting medical tourism in countries around the region through JMTC, and we have a great working relationship with our partners,” he added.

On Sept 19, The Star reported that more Indonesians are expected to visit Johor following the introduction of the Jakarta-Johor Baru route by Indonesia-based TransNusa Airline.

Senai Airport Terminal Services Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Kennedy Ayu said the service by the airline would give air travellers more choices.

“We hope the new route will attract more Indonesians to seek treatment at private hospitals, especially in Johor Baru,” he said when met at Senai International Airport to welcome the airline’s maiden flight from Jakarta.

The report also quoted Columbia Asia regional manager Rahani Yaakob as saying that many middle-income Indonesians were seeking medical treatment and services across the region.