Medical Tourism

Medical tourism is not a new concept that comes out from our need of changing lifestyle or habit reveal by the literature review. According to Shamimi & Puspavathy (2010) define medical tourism as “the act that patients travel to other countries obtaining medical, dental, and surgery care”. In the modern world or situation right now, medical tourism is combination of patient seeks for the medical care and at the same time holiday at the destination country they do the health care. It is the good industry because developing country really could take advantage of the new form of business that could diversify their economic activity (Shamimi & Puspavathy, 2010).

In 2005-2006, it almost 2 million foreign patient choose Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia as major destination for treatment (Magnus et al, 2011). Among the factor foreign patient choose Southeast Asia is high-quality medical service (accreditation by Joint Commission International (JCI)), long queues and supply shortage in home countries, low costs and strong focus on hospitality (Magnus et al, 2011). In term of Malaysia, reasonable medical fees and up to date medical technologies are two important factors that cause health tourists to choose Malaysia as their destination (Shamimi & Puspavathy, 2010). It would cost them less for the same treatment in their country if they undergo treatment in any part of Malaysia (Shamimi & Puspavathy, 2010).

Even it is an interesting industry, it’s still facing challenge and problem. One of the problems is whether the medical care in the destination country comparable with the home country service in term of safety and also pain threshold thus it’s important element in persuade the far away potential patient (John Connell, 2006). It’s a normal perception where cheap price for the lower quality of good. Same case goes to the problem where medical tourism facing especially perception of the service serve in develops country like Malaysia,