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Under the MYMT 2026 initiative, the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council hosted 30 to 40 senior executives from China’s medical sector for hospital site visits and exchange activities.
KUALA LUMPUR, MalaysiaApril 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — From April 26 to 30, 2026, the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) hosted a delegation of 30 to 40 senior decision-makers from China’s non-public medical sector, representing the Chinese Non-Government Medical Institutions Association (CNMIA), for hospital site visits and exchange activities. This visit was incorporated into the special program of the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Year 2026 (MYMT 2026), showcasing Malaysia’s healthcare tourism ecosystem to China’s largest coordinating body for non-public medical institutions through carefully arranged hospital tours and strategic discussions.
Qu Juanjuan, spokesperson for the Chinese Non-Government Medical Institutions Association, and Lokman Izam, Vice President of Marketing Communications at the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council, exchange institutional commemorative pins, symbolizing further deepening of medical cooperation between China and Malaysia.
Currently, demand for medical tourism in China continues to rise. Data shows that the number of Chinese medical tourists to Malaysia increased from 50,000 in 2021 to 121,000 in 2025; over the same period, related revenue grew from 54.4 million ringgit to 200.4 million ringgit, more than tripling. The most significant growth occurred between 2023 and 2025, reflecting post-pandemic market confidence recovery and a steady rebound in cross-border medical visits.
Suriaghandi Suppiah, CEO of the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council, commented on the visit: “Chinese patients’ trust and recognition of Malaysia’s healthcare system have significantly improved. This visit is a strong testament to the depth of our cooperation. The Chinese Non-Government Medical Institutions Association, which oversees over 500,000 medical institutions nationwide, sending a high-level team to Malaysia sends a powerful signal of mutual trust. We are committed to building long-term, stable partnerships that benefit patients in both countries, enabling leading Chinese medical institutions to deeply connect with Malaysia’s high-quality clinical services and patient-centered healthcare experiences.”
Established with approval from China’s State Council, the Chinese Non-Government Medical Institutions Association covers over 500,000 medical institutions nationwide, including approximately 27,000 hospitals. It serves as the primary coordinating body for China’s non-public medical sector, bridging medical service providers, investors, and policymakers, while promoting service standards and international medical cooperation.
For the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council, partnering with the Chinese Non-Government Medical Institutions Association marks a shift in market strategy from broad promotion to targeted institutional collaboration, directly opening cross-border referral channels and medical cooperation pathways. Chinese medical institutions tend to choose regions with geographical convenience and stable cooperation for medical partnerships. Malaysia, with its proximity, reasonable costs, multilingual service support, and humanized medical care, has become a preferred destination for medical cooperation in Asia.
The visiting delegation included investors, hospital board chairs, directors, clinical heads, and international medical tourism experts from China’s leading non-public medical groups and specialized institutions. The itinerary covered several top-tier private medical facilities in Malaysia, including Alpha IVF & Women’s Specialists, Prince Court Medical Centre, Gleneagles Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Cengild G.I Medical Centre, and the 2026 flagship Medical Tourism Hospital Award winner—Subang Jaya Medical Centre. The delegation conducted on-site assessments of Malaysia’s medical service capabilities, laying the groundwork for deepening institutional connections and future collaboration.
Suriaghandi added: “MYMT 2026 is our invitation to the world to experience firsthand the comprehensive strength of Malaysia’s healthcare system. By visiting hospitals and engaging face-to-face with clinical experts, the CNMIA delegation will directly experience Malaysia’s ‘Healing Meets Hospitality’ service philosophy—building a patient-centered medical journey on top of world-class professional care. We warmly welcome the delegation and look forward to exploring the vast opportunities for deepening medical cooperation between China and Malaysia.”