Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) or better known as Malaysia Healthcare, today signed a partnership agreement with NCH Consumer Healthcare from Bangladesh, for patient referrals to Malaysia.
As the market of healthcare traveler spending from Bangladesh to Malaysia is increasing, with a growth of 34% in 2016 from 2015, MHTC is eager to leverage on NCH Consumer Healthcare vast network to expand their horizon and presence in the second largest city in the country, Chittagong, which has over 2.5 million population.
“Malaysia Healthcare seeks to establish a stronger brand presence, as well as build greater relationships with Bangladeshi consumers and industry stakeholders. The Asian market plays a key role in our development strategy, with Bangladesh being one of our strongest markets, and one we want to engage with more closely”, commented MHTC Chief Executive Officer, Sherene Azli.
Malaysia Healthcare’s growth over the years has been encouraging with humble numbers of 643,000 healthcare travelers in 2011 to a high of more than 921,000 travelers in 2016 receiving treatment in Malaysia. Though faced with economic challenges in 2016, healthcare travel in Malaysia grew by 23% from 2015, collecting RM1.12 billion in hospital revenues.
NCH Consumer Healthcare is an established pharmaceutical company in Bangladesh, and have been in operations in the country for more than 30 years. Hoping to expand their portfolio by venturing into healthcare travel, and after having seen Malaysia as the preferred destination for healthcare travelers, NCH is targeting Malaysia as a primary location for their new business venture.
“We are confident of our partnership with Bangladesh as we cater well to the needs of healthcare travelers from Bangladesh – from providing prayer facilities to offering halal food and understanding the Muslim culture, the ease of communication and cultural similarities provide a natural environment for Bangladeshi patients seeking treatment in Malaysia,” added Sherene.
To ensure a seamless end-to-end care, the Malaysian Immigration Department with the support from the High Commissioner’s office in Bangladesh has implemented special considerations for registered medical travelers, where visa applications are fast-tracked from 5 working days to only 2, and within 12 hours for emergency medical cases.