Penang, a vibrant Malaysian state off the northwestern coast of Peninsular Malaysia, divided into Penang Island and mainland Seberang Perai, renowned as the “culinary capital of Asia”, highlighted by UNESCO - listed George Town, beautiful tropical beaches, and lush nature, is experiencing a relevant growth in the Medical Tourism sector.
The state is a premier global hub for medical tourism, attracting international patients by combining world - class healthcare, significantly lower costs than Western countries, and seamless leisure recovery. Penang treats over 40% of Malaysia’s medical tourists, with a large majority coming from Indonesia, Australia, and neighbouring regions.
The Malaysian state is home to several internationally accredited private hospitals equipped with state - of - the - art diagnostic, advanced robotic surgical technology, offering comprehensive cardiac care, oncology, general surgery with also a notable reputation for luxury and comfort.
The number of foreign patients who came to private hospitals in the Malaysian state in 2025 for treatments increased by 26% compared to the previous year. This was stated by the Chairman of the state’s tourism and creative economy committee, Wong Hon Wai, as reported by Bernama, a news agency linked to the Malaysian government.
According to the Penang Medical Tourism Centre, which brings together 16 private clinics, in 2025 more than 527.000 foreign patients were treated there. The previous year, that figure was 418.000 people coming from abroad.
The increase in patients generated revenue for the state’s hospitals worth 1.14 billion Malaysian ringitts (approximately US$285 million). The previous year, that figure was 897.07 million ringgits (about US$224.52 million).
The state government cooperates with airlines to develop medical tourism and implements a program that allows international travellers to get a 15% discount on medical check up packages. Patients are also offered the possibility to pay for services in their national currency, for example in Indonesian rupiah, using a local QR code.
Penang authorities participate in medical tourism fairs in China, Indonesia, and other countries. In addition, efforts are underway to improve air connectivity with cities from which many health tourists come, such as Aceh, Jakarta, Medan, Surabaya (all in Indonesia) and Yangon, Myanmar.
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