Huge Potential For Health Tourism In Sabah - Masidi

KOTA KINABALU, April 29 (Bernama) -- Health tourism in Sabah has a huge potential following the establishment of more private hospitals with the medical expertise and facilities designed to meet international standards.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said with the medical expertise and proper hospital facilities in Sabah, he was confident the state would be a prefered destination.

For instance, he said, the establishment of Gleneagles Hospital which was expected to open in May, here, could help promote and boost health tourism in Sabah.

"At least I will have more confidence in promoting Sabah because we also have a hospital that is as good as anywhere in the world," he told reporters after the state cabinet's visit to the private hospital, here, today.

The visit was led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.

Gleneagles Hospital, located along the Coastal Highway at the city centre of Kota Kinabalu, is also poised to be the new private referral centre in East Malaysia, including drawing patients among others from Indonesia, Brunei, Korea, Japan and China.

It will also cater to the healthcare needs of the local residents and the surrounding areas including Tawau, Sandakan and Labuan, with a total of 200 nurses of whom 90 per cent are Sabahans, including 20 per cent who used to work abroad but have returned to serve in Sabah.

Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu chief executive officer Jean-Francois Naa said the hospital also worked together with five-star hotels in Sabah in providing a health screening package for patients who came as tourists.

"They (tourists) can have it (health screening) done at an affordable price and which is of the same (international) standard. This developmental effort is towards promoting health tourism in Sabah," he said.
-bernama.