M'SIA SHOWCASING SUPERIOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES

By Muin Abdul Majid

DUBAI, March 16 (Bernama) -- Malaysia will pull out all the stops to promote
its healthcare services at the Malaysia Services Exhibition (MSE) 2009 here this
week.

Malaysian trade commissioner in the United Arab Emirates Noraslan Hadi
Abdul Kadir said Malaysia's health ministry and the Association of Private
Hospitals of Malaysia would bring 10 leading providers of medical care,
wellness, health tourism and healthcare technology to MSE 2009.

According to him, healthcare was a key service sector in which Malaysia was
globally acknowledged as a leader in terms of facilities, standard of delivery,
quality assurance and regulatory environment.

"With its highly-trained and skilled medical personnel, state-of-the-art
diagnostic equipment, modern facilities, accreditation based on international
healthcare standards, competitive cost of treatment and excellent hospitality,
Malaysia is a preferred destination for people seeking treatment for various
ailments," he said ahead of the show.

Citing industry data, Noraslan Hadi said over a million medical tourists
visited Malaysia during the last five years.

According to Nuwire Investors, an online source for news related to real
estate investment and other investment opportunities, Malaysia was ranked among
the world's top five medical tourism destinations in 2008.

Noraslan Hadi said Malaysia had a two-tier healthcare system with a robust
private sector complementing public sector facilities, in terms of providing
primary, secondary as well as tertiary care.

There are over 140 hospitals and 5,000 primary healthcare facilities in the
public sector while the private sector accounts for more than 230 private
hospitals and about 4,000 medical and dental clinics.

The trade commissioner said Malaysian hospitals were especially known for
their resources and expertise in cardiology, orthopaedics, cancer treatment,
fertility treatment and reconstructive surgery.

"MSE 2009 will help visitors understand about health and wellness
facilities in Malaysia, along with other world-class services, and establish
fruitful partnerships to avail such services," said Noraslan Hadi.

A services forum on March 18 will present, among others, a healthcare topic
on 'Malaysia - Your Preferred Healthcare Destination', with presentations from
participating healthcare service providers.

To run from March 17 to 19 at the West Hall of Dubai Airport Expo, MSE 2009
will represent 13 service clusters, namely construction, engineering, financial
services, healthcare and hospital-related services, ICT, oil & gas, education
and specialised training, energy and power generation, logistics and
transportation, professional services, franchising, design and art.

Organised by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade),
MSE 2009 will bring together over 200 service providers aiming to expand their
coverage into the vibrant and emerging markets in the Middle East, North Africa
and Commonwealth of Independent States.

Noraslan Hadi observed that economic prosperity and growing populations had
resulted in rising demand for high quality services in the Middle East and its
neighbouring regions.

"MSE 2009 will display the diversity and superior standards of Malaysian
services and show how they can support and help sustain economic and social
development," he said.

Entry for visitors is open from 1pm to 9pm on the first day, and from 10am
to 9pm over the next two days.

The inaugural Malaysia Services Exhibition was held in Sharjah last year.

-- BERNAMA