31-Oct-16 Quang Ninh Province in Vietnam is extending healthcare services to rural populations by providing telehealth across 24 hospitals and community healthcare centres. Quang Ninh is mountainous, and access to healthcare means long journeys to a central hospital or medical centre. The Polycom video technology allows consultations for patients hundreds of kilometres away, and improved training for doctors in rural areas. [image: Networks Asia]

24-Oct-16 The world is getting older, richer and more connected, and there are enormous variations between countries in quality of care. It is no surprise that medical tourism is more substantial every year. A related phenomenon is the rise in insurance that includes cross-border medical treatment. This is mostly ‘bottom-up’ demand from local nationals who are upgrading from a local health insurance policy. [image: IHMT / Getty Images]

24-Oct-16 With the increasing demand for TCM in Singapore, the integration of three important aspects - education, clinical practice and research - is seen as essential. To kick start research efforts, Singapore's Ministry of Health has ring-fenced SGD3 mn (USD2.2 mn) to encourage collaborative clinical research in TCM. [image: Yahoo! / Singapore Business Review]

17-Oct-16 Singapore's medical tourism receipts were SGD1.1 bn (USD791 mn) in 2012, dropping to SGD994 mn (USD715 mn) in 2014. Southeast Asia's medical tourists are looking elsewhere for treatment. In Singapore, a hip replacement at a private hospital costs SGD14,000. The same procedure at Mahkota Medical Centre in Malaysia - which treats 80,000 foreign patients annually - costs only SGD8,800. [image: The Straits Times]

21-Oct-16 A total MYR25 bn (USD6 bn) has been allocated by the Malaysian government in the 2017 Budget to boost the health of the people and the quality of healthcare in the country. The allocation is for numerous programmes, including building and upgrading of new hospitals and clinics in Perlis, Kuching, Mukah, Jempol, Muar and Johor Bahru. [image: Saw Siow Feng]