HO CHI MINH CITY, 10 APRIL 2017: The Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) or better known as Malaysia Healthcare, launches “YTE Malaysia”, a one-stop portal for healthcare travel. The newly launched website was an appeal to the digitally savvy Vietnamese.
The market of healthcare traveller spending from Vietnam to Malaysia has seen a growth of 86% throughout 2016, amounting to hospital revenues of RM10.8 million with oncology and cardiology being the top choice treatments. (Source: MHTC Informatics).
Launched by H.E Mohd Zamruni bin Khalid, Ambassador of Malaysia to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, “YTE Malaysia” aims to furnish healthcare and travel related information for Vietnamese patients. The website will be a touchpoint for information on our facilities, specialists, and allows Malaysia Healthcare to better understand the demand factors from one of its core markets. Additionally, potential healthcare travellers from Vietnam can browse through without facing any language barriers as the website is in Vietnamese.
46% of the Vietnamese population are internet users and 33% out of that have active social media accounts. “As Vietnamese are very digital savvy, this website is the perfect platform to reach potential healthcare travellers as social network is the hub for people’s conversation,” says Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Healthcare, Sherene Azli.
Apart from digital engagements, Malaysia Healthcare continues to reach out to potential healthcare travellers via established representative offices in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Together with its partner in Vietnam, Insmart XXXXX, , Malaysia Healthcare introduced the “My Health Programme” (MYHP), an affiliation programme with clinics aimed to improve Malaysia Healthcare’s presence in the Vietnamese market. The programme connects participating Vietnamese hospitals and clinics with well-experienced healthcare professionals and doctors in Malaysia to enhance the delivery of healthcare in Vietnam.
During the launch, Malaysia Healthcare presented certificates to three new participants for MYHP, here being: Dr. Binh Clinic, Hung Viet Hospital, Vigor Clinic, and Sai Gon ENT. Through these collaborations, Malaysia Healthcare will be providing medical and nursing knowledge transfer sessions by specialists, free consultations and second opinions, special packaged benefits for health screening, and discounts for treatments.
According to Sherene, “We strongly believe that trust is important in building a relationship and hence presence is a must. The representative officers will be able to guide, advise and ease any worries in a more direct manner, to potential healthcare travellers, as they seek medical treatment abroad.”
With an estimated 92.7 million inhabitants, as of 2016, Vietnam is the ninth most-populous Asian country and has one of the highest economic growth rate in the world. Given the upward trend of Vietnamese healthcare travel arrivals, Malaysia Healthcare is carefully targeting niche markets that complements health services available in Vietnam.
Healthcare travel is one of the fastest growing industries in Malaysia today. Reflecting this healthcare efficiency is International Living’s rating of Malaysia as the “Best Country in the World for Healthcare” in their Annual Global Retirement Index from 2015 – 2017. Malaysia was also awarded as the “Medical Travel Destination of the Year” by the International Medical Travel Journal (IMTJ) for 2 consecutive years in a row (2015 & 2016).
Malaysia has the right qualities for achieving greater heights in international healthcare travel: excellent quality in healthcare services, accessibility and affordability. To top it off, it is easy for travellers to communicate with health professionals here, where English and several local dialects are widely spoken with Vietnamese translators available upon early request.
“Matched with strong government backing and commitment from the private healthcare sector, Malaysia has everything it takes to achieve our ambition of being number one in Asia for healthcare travel. As Malaysia’s reputation grows to be the preferred healthcare destination of choice, we will press on in our efforts to sustain Malaysia as a global force to be reckoned with,” said Sherene Azli further.
Malaysia Healthcare recently unveiled “Share My Love”, a continuation of the “Malaysia Loves You” campaign, launched in 2016. “Share My Love” carries a message of love, unity and kindness, inviting all to come and experience Malaysia’s excellent healthcare and indulge in our famed Malaysian hospitality. “This concept encompasses the essence of Malaysia’s healthcare, which provides great care, compassion and warmth at the same time. It is this very love and welcoming spirit that we hope to convey to all who come to our shores,” added Sherene.
