Public health is one area that has remained in
the back seat for some time since its heyday of the 1960s and 1970s when
infectious diseases were a concern.
The
subject has changed much, especially after massive urbanisation, cross-border
movement of workers, and rapid industrialisation. As for now, investments in
hospitals and clinics have come to the fore with the changing pattern of
ailments.
In a way,
this explains the large investments in the health sector. However, this creates
a new opportunity by giving the health sector a new source of export earnings
in the form of health tourism.
An
increasing trend now is cross-border consumption of health services, taking the
form of health tourism. Malaysia has its share of this trade, given the
increasing number of private specialist hospitals in Kuala Lumpur, Penang,
Johor Baru and Malacca.
We have
received health tourists mainly from Indonesia and Singapore, given our lower
costs and modern medical facilities. In the region, Singapore and Thailand have
acquired a prominent role in this service trade.
Thailand
has received many patients from the Middle East. In other words, Thailand has
taken advantage of its strong tourism and related services industry, such as
transportation and hotels, to advance into health tourism.
As early
as 2007, Thailand had received over one million foreign patients compared with
about 700,000 for Malaysia in 2010.
London
has received health tourists from many parts of the world, including the Middle
East, given its strong attraction as a premier tourist centre and its modern
medical and health facilities. From a public health perspective, a hygienic
food industry is important.
This is
one avenue Malaysia can take advantage of in the years to come with our
prominent position in halal food and services. Health tourism rightly falls in
place because it involves various services, including halal food, which
Malaysia can easily provide. Food is one component in health tourism.
Other
components include immigration, transportation and ambulatory services,
accommodation, hospital services, marketing, and availability of specialists,
doctors, nurses and support staff.
Not only
that, these facilities must be available readily, and their quality,
organisation and coordination must be superb. This is most critical for health
tourism to grow and expand. The whole chain of services has to be connected and
work in unison.
This is
where Malaysia may want to improve to move forward in this industry.
Patients
come with their relatives, who may want other amenities. Supporting all these
is the availability of clean and hygienically-prepared food for patients and
their relatives.
Our food
handling industry has to meet international standards of preparation and
handling to ensure there are no incidences of food poisoning in all places
where food is supplied.
Our
hospitals take extreme care in this matter. Elsewhere, however, especially in
food stalls and retail-handling level, there may be complacency in enforcing
high standards.
Over the
years, cases of food poisoning in hostels and wedding functions have been
reported. News of these cases may not be heartening as they give the impression
that the industry is not well regulated and the average Malaysian does not give
much concern about the matter. It is not that we do not have the regulations
but adhering to them at the individual level may be lukewarm.
To
improve health tourism, we have a national council to spearhead its development
and its role in the industry is essential and important.
The fact
that Muslims from the Middle East patronise Thai hospitals illustrate that the
Thais have taken every aspect of the industry into consideration, making their
hospitals a welcome place for treatment and recuperation as well as
convalescence.
Secondly,
the role of local governments in making cities and towns clean and healthy
cannot be underestimated, too, because local governments maintain a good image
of the community with their roles in maintaining public amenities, drains,
parks, and building standards as well as local public health concerns, such as
licensing of food stalls and outlets.
In fact,
the role of public health is primarily the job of the local governments as per
the Local Governments Act. We should focus on our health tourism industry as a
source of earnings.
By dr.
Norlaili abdul aziz
Dr. Norlaili Abdul Aziz, a public health
specialist, has worked in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya as a public health doctor
and has taught public health in local universities
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