Healthcare in Southeast Asia - statistics & facts
Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore boast Southeast Asia's highest-rated healthcare systems, with Singapore topping the global health system ranking. Apart from leading the region's healthcare industry, these countries are also world-renowned medical tourism destinations, whether for health screenings, fertility treatments, organ transplants, or cardiac surgeries. The main pull factors for health tourists to the region include its high quality of care for comparatively lower costs, shorter waiting times for treatments, and access to otherwise unavailable procedures.
Many national governments across Southeast Asia have invested in initiatives to promote and facilitate healthcare tourism in their countries. The Philippines has identified the sector as a key priority in their most recent tourism development plan and Indonesia has established a designated zone on Bali to promote synergies between the medical and the tourism sector.
To boost medical tourism in Malaysia, a designated council was established under the Ministry of Health in 2009. While locals might opt for lower-cost treatments at public hospitals, the country's private hospitals attract foreign tourists with their luxurious amenities and treatments that are comparatively affordable to patients from countries like South Korea or the United States.
Medical tourism to Southeast Asia
Estimated at over one million, Thailand has the largest annual number of medical tourists in Southeast Asia, followed by Malaysia and Singapore. While the latter two countries are particularly popular among intra-regional health tourists from other Asian countries, Thailand is also a go-to destination for visitors from the United States, Europe, and Australia. Apart from medical treatments, the country is also specialized in cosmetic procedures.Many national governments across Southeast Asia have invested in initiatives to promote and facilitate healthcare tourism in their countries. The Philippines has identified the sector as a key priority in their most recent tourism development plan and Indonesia has established a designated zone on Bali to promote synergies between the medical and the tourism sector.
To boost medical tourism in Malaysia, a designated council was established under the Ministry of Health in 2009. While locals might opt for lower-cost treatments at public hospitals, the country's private hospitals attract foreign tourists with their luxurious amenities and treatments that are comparatively affordable to patients from countries like South Korea or the United States.
