MHTC and local start-up PubliCT.io partner up to promote Malaysia as a healthcare travel destination

Collaboration to achieve 800 million healthcare travellers through a global publicity campaign

Kuala Lumpur, 17 May 2022 – The Malaysia Travel Healthcare Council (MHTC) inked a partnership with PubliCT.io (formerly Supernewsroom) in a bid to promote healthcare travel regionally and globally. The collaboration aims to achieve the arrival of 800 million healthcare travellers this year.

The partnership was marked by the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will benefit some 80 MHTC member hospitals enabling them to obtain end-to-end publicity services at a discounted price by the award-winning media tech start-up PubliCT.io. Upon signing on with the platform, member hospitals will enjoy guaranteed coverage in some 3,000 media partners, regionally and beyond.

“Borders have reopened (since April 1, 2022) and we look forward to welcoming healthcare travellers into the country. This partnership with PubliCT.io is timely to further position and promote Malaysia as a healthcare travel destination, and the cutting edge facilities that our hospitals have to offer,” said Mohd Daud Mohd Arif, Chief Executive Officer of MHTC.

The recently launched Malaysian Healthcare Travel Industry Blueprint 2021-2025 is aimed at re-positioning the country as a leading healthcare travel destination, globally. In the past decade, Malaysia has been recognised with awards and returning patients, thus exemplifying the nation’s success as a healthcare travel destination.

The blueprint has the Malaysian healthcare industry aspiring to provide the best healthcare travel experience to healthcare travellers seeking treatment in Malaysia – with ‘experience’ being the primary industry focus in the next five years.

“As stated in the blueprint, we hope to provide guidance to the healthcare travel value chain and industry, by creating value and opportunities that will benefit all stakeholders and ensure growth,” Mohd Daud said, adding that Elite member hospitals (22 of them) will be prioritised in signing on for privileges offered by PubliCT.io.

The healthcare industry has seen great success in the last 10 years, and achieved close to RM1.7 billion in healthcare travel revenue with a Compounded Annual Growth Rate of 16.3% (2015 to 2019). In 2019, Malaysia attracted and welcomed some 1.22 million healthcare travellers, before the pandemic struck.

“Since the borders have reopened in April, we look to welcome more travellers who will be able to enjoy affordable, high-quality healthcare in our country, especially since we have institutions that have state-of-the-art technology, combined with internationally qualified and trained medical personnel,” he added.

Backed by more than 120 Malaysian hospitals that are internationally accredited by certification bodies under International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua), and the nation being recognised by the Global Retirement Index as the Top Country in the World for Healthcare, consecutively between 2015 and 2021, MHTC is confident that the nation will achieve Best Healthcare Travel Experience by 2025.

PubliCT.io is committed and ready to help MHTC healthcare members in achieving broader reach through its services that includes virtual public relations consultants, press release writing and translation services.

“Publicity is crucial for any organisation as it provides credibility, visibility and validation. Being a home-grown Malaysian start-up, we are excited to support the country’s healthcare travel industry players by providing them with publicity in top news agencies not only in Southeast Asian countries, but across the globe,” said Manminder Kaur Dhillon, Chief Executive Officer, PubliCT.io.

Citing partnership with 3,000 media partners including the likes of the Associated Press that has wide coverage in the US, Middle East and Asia, Manminder is confident that our healthcare brands will be recognised in more countries.

“PubliCT.io’s users are guaranteed coverage in top publications through our news-partner network, using our unique content marketplace platform.  Our unique value proposition offers news agencies the authority to choose editorial content that will be published, and empower brands to obtain media coverage in selected news sites,” she explains.

The partnership with MHTC also marks the start of a rebranding effort by the agency. In the coming months, PubliCT.io is looking to join arms with more news sites and start-up-enablers, and encourage more government-linked corporations and government agencies to partner Malaysian start-ups.

“When industry enablers such as MHTC collaborates with local start-ups, it solidifies the notion that Malaysia has highly innovative start-ups with game changing products and services that can ultimately contribute to the growth of any industry. Collaborations such as this should be emulated by other corporations and we thank MHTC for leading the way.

“There is a definite win-win in these collaborations: targets can be achieved and there is support for the local start-up ecosystem. PubliCT.io is also looking forward to working with other councils as we help get things moving again for the country, and for the region,” Manminder adds.