MALAYSIA -According to Ling Tian Soon, the head of the state health and environment committee, Johor received more than RM140 million from the medical tourism sector last year.
According to Ling, the state government has been collaborating closely with local members of the medical community to expand the state’s medical tourism industry, including expanding its ability to accommodate the industry’s rising demand.
“The medical tourism sector contributed some RM143mil to Johor last year, and we are working towards increasing the figure this year and for years to come,” he stated.
“To help us accommodate more health tourists in Johor, we have also set up a special committee and met with key players in the health industry,” Ling continued.
Then he continued, stating that several private hospitals had also been growing to accommodate more visitors seeking medical care here. This expansion included the addition of extra wards and beds.
After attending the state-level Nurses’ Day celebration at Hospital Permai here, Ling made these remarks at a press conference.
Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi stated earlier in his speech that the state’s tourism industry was in great demand, particularly from Indonesia’s Riau Islands.
“I visited the Riau Islands recently, and I got excellent reviews on our health sector. They hold this industry in the highest respect.
“They requested that Johor and the Riau Islands work together to develop their health tourism sector,” he said.
Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi also revealed during the function an RM300,000 allotment for Johor’s nursing staff.
Additionally, he gave all 12 government hospitals in Johor funds ranging from RM50,000 to RM390,000 apiece to update their pantries.
The state government will also be allocating funds to health clinics so they may modernize their pantries, the Mentri Besar recently said.
