KUALA LUMPUR: For the first time, Malaysia has been invited to send a speaker to the World Medical Tourism and Global Health Congress -- a tremendous boost and recognition for the country's growing medical tourism industry.

National Heart Institute (IJN) chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Radzif Mohd Yunus will attend the four-day congress in San Francisco, in the United States, from Sept 9.

Mohd Razif, who is one of 50 international speakers, said he would sell Malaysia's medical facilities and services to the 1,000 participants from all over the world.

"We meet international standards and we are comparable with any super speciality care in the world. We have specialists and surgeons in a variety of specialities."

The number of foreign patients seeking medical treatment increased to 341,288 last year, contributing a revenue of RM253.84 million. Foreign patient admission is estimated to grow at an average rate of 27 per cent annually.
Most seek cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, general and cosmetic dentistry, gynaecology and urology treatment.

Mohd Radzif said many foreigners were turning to IJN for heart problems and surgeries.

This was not surprising as IJN had carved out a name for itself internationally for its achievements, including being the first in Southeast Asia to perform coronary bypass surgeries and the complex thymectomy procedure on conscious or "awake" patients without general anaesthesia.