MAS-TMC tie-up to tap medical tourism

PETALING JAYA (June 30, 2011): Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has teamed up with Tropicana Medical Centre (TMC) to tap into medical tourism following the rising number of foreigners coming here for treatment, MAS executive vice-president of commercial strategy Datuk Dr Amin Khan said.



In the last 10 years, he said, the number of people coming to Malaysia for medical treatment had increased four times, with an average of RM600 spent on each health screening.

"Most passengers come here for health screening, cosmetic surgery and further treatment," Amin told reporters after the signing of a memorandum of understanding with TMC Thursday.

TMC will offer MASholidays customers executive health screenings at attractive rates and bundled into travel, accommodation and tour packages.

He added that Malaysia's health industry offers competitive prices at international standards.

Through the packages, customers may choose between economy or business class return travel exclusively on MAS, three nights' accommodation in a four- or five-star hotel, daily breakfast and a roundtrip private transfer from the hotel to TMC.

TMC Life Sciences Bhd group chief executive officer Francis Lim said the hospital receives about 100 foreign patients a month and as many as 200 during school holidays.

"Most of our foreign patients come from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Cambodia and some from Vietnam," he said, adding that the partnership would help TMC make inroads in Europe, the Middle East and other countries that MAS flies to.

"If we see a trend in certain countries, we will go there and establish a presence," he said, adding that it could also expand the products and services at a later stage if there is demand.

"Our advantage is, we're fairly new and we're well prepared to receive more patients. We haven't reached full capacity yet and we still have landbank (to expand)," he said.

Lim said TMC is going for licensing for 180 beds. It currently has a capacity of 70 beds.

Meanwhile, Amin said MAS expects to grow its annual passenger numbers from 16 million to three digits by mid-2012 when it becomes a member of oneworld alliance.

He said of the 16 million passengers, 10 million are international passengers and MAS' membership in the alliance would help it achieve the growth.