Strict Guidelines for Medical Ads Disadvantage For Medical Tourism Industry in Malaysia

Tagged: asia, Malaysia, Medical Tourism

There is an unlikely stumbling block to the growth of the medical tourism industry in Malaysia: the advertising guidelines for medical institutions. While other countries are struggling with promoting their country’s hospitals because of the medical standards and the lack of world-class facilities, the stumbling block to Malaysia’s medical tourism industry is the strict guidelines implemented for medical ads.

Because of the stiff competition in the medical tourism industry, many medical institutions and governments are implementing aggressive marketing and advertising campaigns to attract more medical travelers.

But in Malaysia, doctors are only allowed to put up ads with the following information: name, qualifications, qualifications, address and telephone numbers. Overseas doctors use flashy advertisements to get patients to consider their facilities for their medical treatments. Even websites of medical institutions must be approved by the Medicines Advertisement Board in Malaysia. The internet is a very valuable marketing tool for attracting foreign patients.

Branding and promotion are very valuable marketing tools and while they have nothing to do with the medical capabilities and qualifications of medical practitioners, they do help in getting people to notice the medical institution and the medical doctor.

Malaysia’s health , Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said that health care is not a commodity and medical advertisements should not breach the code of ethics of doctors.

Because of the strict advertising guidelines, some medical institutions in Malaysia have resorted to placing advertisements in foreign magazines sold in Malaysia.

Question: Should there be a universal standard for the way hospitals are able to advertise for new patients?

Related Site : New Ad rules for medical Tourism in Malaysia