"The medical tourism sector has high development potential, as Indonesia has a strategic location. Besides this, we want to seize the potential opportunity, as several local people have gone abroad to conduct medical checkups," Secretary of the Tourism Ministry Ukus Kuswara noted here on Tuesday.
To realize development, both institutions -- tourism and health ministries -- have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on developing medical tourism during the National Coordination Meeting for Tourism III held in Jakarta on September 26-27, 2017.
Kuswara said the MoU was aimed at achieving better coordination among institutions to develop medical tourism.
The agreement includes several points, such as institutional coordination, policy adjustment, quality improvement, and innovative promotion.
Moreover, the MoU encompasses community empowerment as well as information and data exchange among institutions that support the development of the medical tourism sector.
The program also plans to offer technical training and integrated monitoring system to develop the sector.
The Tourism Ministry will prepare a regulation for the medical tourism business and promote the industry that not only focuses on the medical tourism sector but also Indonesias tradition, hospitality, and ease of access.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry will formulate the policy on medical tourism and support the private sector to construct superior hospitals and improve traditional medical services.
"We will also facilitate health services to protect tourists in 10 priority tourism destinations," Secretary of the Health Ministry Untung Suseno Sutarjo noted in a press release received on Tuesday.
Both ministries will establish a working team comprising representatives from hospitals, spas, and healthcare associations to prepare a joint task plan.
At least, 350 thousand Indonesians went abroad in 2006 to avail medical services, with up to US$500 million being spent.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2017
