Dilip Barua, industries minister, visits a stall of 'Robi Presents – Showcase Malaysia 2013' co-organised by Malaysian High Commission in Dhaka and Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, at a hotel in the capital yesterday. Photo: Robi

Bangladeshis are increasingly travelling to Malaysia in search of better medical treatment at affordable costs thanks to cheaper hospitals than in Singapore and Thailand.
Some 11,569 Bangladeshis went to Malaysia for medical tourism in 2012, which is more than double from the previous year, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Culture of Malaysia.
“The number of medical tourists to Malaysia is gradually rising as the country offers medical services with qualified doctors and nurses,” said Vincent Tey, assistant marketing manger of Pantai.
Pantai is one of Malaysia's leading healthcare companies with a network of 11 multi-disciplinary hospitals throughout Malaysia under two brands -- Pantai Hospitals and Gleneagles Hospitals.
Tey, while on a visit to Dhaka to attend a fair on Malaysia presented by Robi, said the cost of medical treatment in Malaysia is significantly lower than in Singapore and Thailand.
For instance, it takes around $18,500 for a heart bypass operation in Singapore, whereas it costs $12,000 in Malaysia, Tey said.
Another advantage of receiving medical treatment in Malaysia, according to Tey, is that Malaysian hospitals do not charge so-called admin fees like Thai hospitals.
"We plan to open a branch in Bangladesh to ensure better health cheek-up for patients," he said, adding that Pantai has a representative or sales agent in Dhaka.
Pantai Hospital provides Bangla translators for the patients from Bangladesh, he added.
Malaysia wants to promote its health sector internationally, which prompted Pantai Hospital to participate in the Showcase Malaysia fair in Dhaka.
The three-day showcase took off yesterday with a call for strengthening partnership for mutual benefits in trade and investment relations between the two countries.
Bangladesh-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry in collaboration with the High Commission of Malaysia in Bangladesh, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation, Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia, and Malaysia South-South Association organised the business exposition sponsored by Robi-Axiata.
Industries Minister Dilip Barua who inaugurated the fair at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel called upon the Malaysian businesspeople to invest in the country's pharmaceutical, shipbuilding, agro-based industries, jute and light-engineering sectors.

He also stressed joint-ventures to boost foreign direct investment in Bangladesh.
Malaysia High Commissioner in Dhaka Norlin Binti Othman said there is a lot of potential for joint-investment between the countries for which the business communities need to closely interact with each other.
The exhibition will provide opportunities for the business communities of both countries to mingle and extend relations further, she added.
About 40 Malaysian manufacturers, exporters and service providers are showcasing products, related to telecoms, banking, information technology, tourism, education and healthcare.

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