Malaysia Alternative Medicine

Malaysia draws a number of medical tourists seeking alternative treatments and natural therapies, with the use of complementary medicine widespread. The multicultural make up of Malaysia means that it benefits from Indian, Chinese and Malay influences, with each ethnicity having its own healing traditions.

While only attracting moderate numbers of foreign patients seeking alternative medicine, Malaysia looks set to become a forerunner in this field in the future. The government is striving to improve healthcare facilities, including those practicing alternative medicine, in a regularized framework.

Alternative treatments are popular in rural areas where healthcare facilities do not meet the exceptional standards seen in the capital and other developed cities. But recently many alternative treatments have become accessible to medical tourists, with private clinics operated by English-speaking practitioners opening in Kuala Lumpur and select holiday destinations such as Penang and Langkawi.

Among the most commonly sought alternative treatments in Malaysia are herbal remedies, which are regularized by the government to ensure their safety; detox treatments; oxygen therapy; acupuncture; and homeopathy. The cost of these therapies is often far below what you would pay for the same treatment in Europe or North America. In addition, many treatments offered here are not available in other parts of the world.

Medical tourists rarely come to Malaysia for the sole purpose of seeking alternative medicine, but instead they typically combine treatment with a relaxing holiday.