Indonesia Set to Launch Medical Tourism Hubs

The Sanur integrated medical tourism hub will be the largest of its kind in Asia

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JAKARTA - Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin sees popular tourist destinations such as Bali and Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara as strategic locations to develop Indonesia's medical tourism industry, amid efforts to reduce the number of citizens seeking treatment abroad.

He said that each year an estimated one million to two million Indonesians travel abroad for treatment, primarily to Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the United States.

"Indonesia loses approximately 163 trillion rupiah (S$12.8 billion) annually in capital outflow, equivalent to nearly 1 per cent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) last year," he said on June 12, as quoted by Kompas.

Mr Budi noted that the massive capital outflow underscores the urgent need to develop high-quality medical tourism within Indonesia, particularly in popular spots such as Bali and Labuan Bajo.

"This way, people can spend their money not only on enjoying the beach, art or culture during their vacation, but also on accessing quality healthcare services. Such a strategy could also help attract international travellers," he said.