D-8 to Hold the 1st D-8 Working Group meeting on Health Tourism in Antalya, 28 February-2 March 2009

Istanbul, Turkey | February 13, 2009 by D-8 Secretariat

the 1st International Health Tourism Congress held last year attracted overflowing visitors

D-8 Organization in collaboration with the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and Association of Improving Health Tourism, Turkey, is scheduling to hold the first D-8 Working Group meeting on Health Tourism in Antalya, 28 February-2 March 2009.

In tandem with that, the 2nd International Health Tourism Congress to be held between February 27th – March 2nd, that is projected to be a platform where bothdomestic and foreign participants will discus the matters on health tourism comprehensively. This congress will gather the sector together, and provide a medium for business interviews.

Many ministers, deputy ministers, senior officers, lecturers, journalists, investors, and insurance representatives from many countries including Greece, Bulgaria, Syria, Georgia, Azerbaijan, USA; Dubai, Bahrain, Lebanon, Hungary, Finland, Austria, Egypt, Moldova, Albania, Iraq, Iran, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, India, France, Germany, Jordan, Sudan, Afghanistan, TRNC, Macedonia, and Kosovo will be present as participants, and the health tourism, including the medical, elderly, and thermal spring tourism will be comprehensively discussed.

Besides, there will be a great lounge in the congress hall, the parties of health tourism and the medical firms will be able to open their stands and introduce themselves. The sellers and the buyers will meet face to face.

D-8 Organization and event organizators are expecting all hospitals, special clinics, thermal spring facilities, insurance, medical and tourism sector firms to participate in the congress.

Online Portal Helps Increase Foreign Patients, Says Malaysia

Pact sealed: Suresh (left) shaking hands with MMC chief executive director Francis Lim (right) while State Women’s Affairs, Family Development and Health Committee chairman Norpipah Abdol looks on at the event in Malacca recently

Despite the global economic downturn, Malaysia expects to see a 28% rise in foreign patients seeking medical treatment in the country. Among the reasons for this is the establishment of a one-stop medical and tourism online portal to facilitate all needs be it consultation, treatment, accommodation or tours.

MalaysiaHealthCare.com (MHC) chief executive officer Suresh Ponnudurai said the country would continue to attract health tourists from countries such as Indonesia, Singapore, Bangladesh and Japan and those from the Middle East and Europe.

“Malaysia is one of the region’s centres of medical excellence owing to its quality and affordable facilities and services. About 360,000 health tourists visited Malaysia in 2007, a 20% increase from 2006,” he told reporters here during a press conference after signing a Memoradum of Understanding between Mahkota Medical Centre and MHC recently.

He said the use of technology and the Internet had positioned the health care industry as one of the best in the region.

Malaysia’s state of Malacca received more than 64,000 medical tourists last year, mostly Indonesians, and was ahead of Penang, Federal Territory, Johor and Selangor. The numbers are expected to increase after the upgraded Batu Berendam Airport opens early next year to bring in tourists from neighbouring countries.

Also, a RM300mil 300-bed private hospital known as Straits of Melaka Specialist Centre will be developed in Klebang within the next two years.
MHC acts as a channel to network, integrate, facilitate and manage all aspects of health and medical tourism for health tourists and service providers i.e. hospitals, travel and insurance agents, airlines and hotels.

At the www.malaysiahealthcare.com website, medical tourists can schedule their treatment and holidays by making online bookings for services.

Read Also

• 1st D-8 Working Group Meeting on Health Tourism Confirms to Boost Cooperation
• SG Expects that Issues of Elderly will be Discussed by Task Forces in 1st D-8 Working Group on Health Tourism
• D-8 Eyes the Potency of Health Tourism
• Iran to Hold 1st Ministerial Meeting on Industry on February 28 - March 1, 2010 in Tehran
• Malaysian Air Asia facilitates Health Tourism with Low-Cost Carrier Business
• Malaysian Air Asia facilitates Health Tourism with Low-Cost Carrier Business
• D-8 tourism ministers Meeting Successfully Held in Tehran
• Among D-8 Countries, Malaysia and Turkey Ahead in Tourism Opportunities
• D-8 Needs More Power Plants will be Discussed in next Working Group on Energy Meeting
• Among D-8 Countries, Malaysia and Turkey Ahead in Tourism Opportunities