GEORGE TOWN, May 11 -- Penang recorded strong growth in its medical tourism sector, with foreign patient numbers rising to 527,176 in 2025.

State executive councillor for tourism and creative economy Wong Hon Wai said this represents a 25.94 per cent increase compared to the previous year.

"The increase in medical tourism generated revenue of up to RM1.136 billion, which is a 26.6 per cent annual increase compared to RM898.07 million in 2024," he told the state legislative assembly today in reply to a question from Ong Ah Teong (PH-Batu Lancang).

He said data from the Penang Centre of Medical Tourism (PMED), covering 16 private hospitals in the state, showed foreign patient numbers stood at 418,608 in 2024.

"For 2025, the number of fo...