BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (Borneo Bulletin/Asia News Network): Brunei Darussalam has the potential for medical tourism as an industry which can contribute to the country’s economy.
Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Mohd Isham Jaafar said this in response to a suggestion from Legislative Council (LegCo) member Dato Seri Setia Awang Abdul Rahman Ibrahim to promote and develop Brunei as a medical tourism destination during the March 14 LegCo session.
The minister said that international accreditation, such as Gleneagles JPMC’s Joint Commission International (JCI) – a gold standard for healthcare providers maintaining a high level of patient care and safety – can attract foreign patients.
Gleneagles JPMC is also one of the established cardiac centres in the region, offering leading services as well as facilities comparable with other notable institutions.
Other medical services such as soon to be introduced organ transplant medical procedures, made possible through collaboration with other foreign institutions, will allow Jerudong Park Medical Centre (JPMC) to be one of the few medical institutions providing such medical procedures in the region.
The minister also touched on the potential of specialised centres such as the Pantai Jerudong Specialist Centre (PJSC) Maxillofacial, Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Centre (MFPRSC), The Brunei Cancer Centre and Brunei Neuroscience Stroke and Rehabilitation Centre.
Currently JPMC and PJSC are building a strategy aimed at promoting their medical services internationally and to recognise and study the market to create a competitive ecosystem for medical tourism in the country.
One such initiative is to offer medical packages and services in the Sultanate to interested tourists as one of the many offers provided and promoted by Brunei Tourism.
