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Move aimed at attracting more medical tourists
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysian private health-care providers will be allowed to advertise their services following the government’s decision to liberalise regulations concerning advertising, in a move to boost medical tourism.
Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai said the government aims to raise the number of foreigners coming to Malaysia for health-care services by 20 per cent annually from 336,000 visitors last year, local media quoted him as saying on Thursday.
Malaysia attracted 23.6 million tourists last year, according to data on the Tourism Ministry’s website.
The liberalisation would also ensure that Malaysia maintains its competitiveness in attracting health tourists, Datuk Seri Liow said.
The move will benefit more than 7,000 private clinics and 200 private hospitals nationwide, the New Straits Times (NST) newspaper reported.
Previously, advertisements by the clinics and hospitals were confined to health magazines, directories, leaflets and billboards, while press advertisements were limited to congratulatory messages.
Banners and advertisements outside the country were prohibited.
“The liberalisation of the (legal) provisions, which comes into effect immediately, will allow private hospitals, clinics and even dental clinics to advertise their facilities and services in newspapers, the electronic media and on the Internet, as well as put up banners to announce new facilities.
“They can also advertise abroad but they will have to abide by the laws in those countries as well as the laws here,” Mr Liow was quoted by The Star newspaper as saying after an official event.
The Health Ministry is allowing medical establishments to put up banners announcing the opening of new facilities, but for a limited period that the minister did not specify.
“They can mention the latest equipment or treatment they have but they are not to use superlatives like ‘best’ or make comparisons,” he added.
The ads should be aimed at “informing and not promoting services”, he said.
To further help the industry’s growth, the Health Ministry’s Medicines Advertising Board has shortened the time to approve applications for advertisements from six weeks to between three and five days.
But he warned that the ministry would keep close tabs on these advertisements and those flouting the law would face a fine of up to RM3,000 (S$1,300) and a year’s jail or both for the first offence.
The ministry had, in the past, discouraged advertising for the medical profession as it was a service sector, which required little publicity, NST reported.
But the sector has since blossomed into a key economic activity with some countries going “all out” to advertise, said the minister.
“We have to follow. Certain leeway for advertising is important. That said, we are not giving them total freedom because medical ethics are still involved.
“There are still some limitations,” he said.
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