Melaka: Melaka is targeting about 300,000 Indonesians to receive healthcare services at four private hospitals in the state this year, as part of efforts to boost its medical tourism sector. State Health, Human Resources and Unity Committee chairman Datuk Ngwe Hee Sem shared that of the 800,000 Indonesians who visited Malaysia for medical treatment and check-ups last year, over 25 percent were treated in Melaka.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, various efforts are being actively undertaken to promote the services offered by the four private hospitals in the state, aiming to attract medical tourists from Indonesia, particularly from Pekanbaru. Datuk Ngwe Hee Sem noted that Mahkota Medical Centre received around 95,000 foreign patients last year, including from Indonesia, representing over 10 percent of Indonesians who sought medical services in Malaysia.

Recently, Datuk Ngwe Hee Sem joined the Putra Specialist Hospital team in Pekanbaru to promote its medical services, in collaboration with the city’s deputy mayor. He stated that private hospitals in Melaka were a preferred choice among Indonesians due to the lower cost of healthcare services compared to those in the republic, and the state’s convenient location near Sumatra.

He highlighted that based on records, most patients were from Bengkalis and Dumai, traveling via ferry services. Additionally, there had been a request for Melaka to resume flight services between Melaka International Airport (LTAM) in Batu Berendam and Pekanbaru. The request was made during a meeting with Pekanbaru leaders earlier this week.

Datuk Ngwe Hee Sem has invited the Pekanbaru mayor and the Riau governor to Melaka to meet with Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh to discuss the matter. The meeting will also cover bilateral cooperation to further develop the state’s tourism sector, particularly the medical and religious subsectors, as well as student exchanges between Universiti Melaka and universities in Pekanbaru.

Meanwhile, promotional efforts will also focus on Vietnam, alongside Indonesia, as a new potential market aimed at drawing medical tourists to Melaka.