The Health Ministry and Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry signed an agreement on Thursday for the development of health tourism, now considered as one of prime motors for economic growth in the Asia Pacific.
Under the agreement signed by Health Minister Nafsiah Mboi and Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Mari Elka Pangestu, the government will work with its public and private stakeholders, including hospital representatives, spa providers, and health associations, to create the Indonesia Wellness and Healthcare Tourism (IWHT) working team which will jointly design a work plan to follow up the agreement.
Medical tourism and wellness tourism are two core components of the health tourism industry Indonesia is now focusing on.
Health Minister Nafsiah Mboi said that wellness such as spa treatments was one of traditional healthcare services which had a huge potential to boost the health tourism industry in the country. Two well-known spa treatment methods from Indonesia, namely Java spa and Bali spa, were actually the most commonly used spa methods throughout the world.
“Unfortunately, it is still quite difficult to compete on a global level,” she told journalists after the signing of the agreement on the sidelines of 2012 International Health Tourism Conference which continues until Saturday.
In 2012, 4,500 spa therapists have received certification from the Education and Culture Ministry. However, many skilled spa therapists from Indonesia are now working in wellness centers in countries throughout Asia, Europe and America.
Five private hospitals – Premier Hospital in Bintaro, Premier Hospital in Jatinegara, Eka Hospital BSD, Siloam Hospital in South Tangerang, and Sentosa Hospital in Bandung, West Java – are currently accredited internationally.
Meanwhile, two public hospitals, Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital (RSCM) in Jakarta and Sanglah in Bali, are also in the process of getting international accreditation which will allow them to deliver the most attractive offers for medical tourists.
“We will keep improving the quality of hospital care particularly on its competency on specific treatment,” said Nafsiah.
The number of health tourists from Indonesia has reached 600,000 in 2012, up from 350,000 in 2006. The total spending of health tourists from the country reached US$1.4 billion this year, compared to $500,000 in 2006.
A study from Klynfeld Pear Marwick Goerdeller International shows that globally, the people’s spending for health tourism has reached $100 billion in 2012, up in between 20-30 percent from $78.5 billion in 2010.
“I think we have to take a look at some of the ways our business in health sector run in order to increase our market share,” said Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Mari Elka Pangestu.
source: http://www.TheJakartaPost.com / Home> National / by Elly Burhaini Faizal, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta / National / Thursday, November 29th, 2012
