KUCHING: Sarawak can draw international patients, particularly from neighbouring countries, with its competitive pricing and comprehensive healthcare packages.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the state government is improving its infrastructure and access in its effort to make the state a preferred healthcare destination.
“There are three international standard hospitals to be set up in the state.
“Therefore, with the right package and price, we can see a lot of medical tourists converging to Sarawak,” he said when officiating at the D-Dentist dental clinic Tabun Jaya branch here on Sunday (Feb 23).
Abang Johari added the state’s own airline, AirBorneo, is also poised to bring in patients from Indonesia and other regions to the state for medical tourism.
“Just like some of our people going overseas, going to Singapore for their treatment. Now it is the reverse. Hence, we have to upgrade our infrastructure, including building a new airport.
“In addition, our public transportation must be of a certain standard and easy, so that people can make use of our public transport.
“These are all the infrastructures taking place. We hope that these infrastructures will attract people to come over to Sarawak,” he said.
On a related note, he said healthcare is not just about building hospitals but encompasses the entire spectrum, including dentistry.
“I must share with you my experience when I officiated at the first phase of the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) Teaching Hospital, I saw a lot of new devices and technology which are capable of scanning a patient’s body and analysing health data through artificial intelligence (AI).
“The same applies to dentistry. With new technologies, dentists can scan a patient’s face and oral structure in high definition, enabling precise diagnosis and treatment.
“These innovations improve the accuracy of dental procedures and overall patient confidence,” he said, while lauding D-Dentist for using the latest technology in their service.