As Malaysia’s healthcare ecosystem continues to strengthen its reputation for quality and innovation, Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur (PHKL), part of the IHH Healthcare multinational network, has been recognised as one of the World’s Best Hospitals for 2026 by Newsweek.
The recognition reflects not only clinical excellence, but also the growing trust patients place in healthcare institutions that prioritise safety, experience and continuity of care and adds to Malaysia’s growing visibility as a destination for high-quality healthcare.
The annual global ranking evaluates hospitals across several key pillars including hospital quality metrics and accreditations, peer recommendations from healthcare professionals, patient experience and the implementation of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).
In Malaysia, hospital accreditations and patient experience play a particularly important role in the evaluation due to limited publicly available clinical data.
PHKL’s inclusion in the global list comes at a time when Malaysia’s healthcare sector continues to gain international attention, with institutions like PHKL treating a growing number of international patients.
Chong Soon Mei, who was recently appointed chief executive officer of PHKL, said: “Healthcare continues to advance through strong medical expertise and close collaboration across the ecosystem. Institutions like PHKL are proud to contribute to raising the standard of care both locally and regionally.”
Patient trust remains a cornerstone of PHKL’s philosophy of care. The hospital closely monitors patient satisfaction through its Net Promoter Score (NPS) framework, with feedback reviewed across departments such as the emergency department, specialist centres and inpatient wards. This structured approach enables the hospital to continually improve service delivery while ensuring that patient needs remain central to every aspect of care.
Malaysia’s growing reputation as a healthcare destination is also reflected in PHKL’s diverse patient community. Approximately 20% of patients treated at the hospital come from overseas, including Indonesia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, Korea, Singapore, China, Cambodia and Australia.
PHKL’s International Patient Centre supports these patients with personalised coordination throughout their treatment journey, helping them navigate consultations, treatment planning and recovery while away from home.
“At PHKL, we focus on supporting patients throughout their entire health journey,” Chong said. “This includes not only treatment but also preventive care, education and encouraging early health screenings so that individuals are empowered to take charge of their health.”
