Post-pandemic, the development of international medical tourism injects new vitality into Taiwan's medical institutions. Since 2022, the China Medical University Hospital has successfully undertaken the Ministry of Health and Welfare's New Southbound Policy, promoting specialized medical services for complex and difficult diseases such as cancer cell therapy to Malaysia, Brunei, and expanding to Singapore. This has significantly attracted international medical flows. President Der-Yang Cho stated that in 2023, compared to the previous year (including health check-ups), there was a 256-fold increase in Malaysia and a 47-fold increase in Brunei. Besides benefiting hospitals, the influx of international patients also creates considerable benefits for medical tourism in Taichung, facilitating international sales for Taiwanese medical and health manufacturers under the "bringing production with medicine" outbound strategy.
Before the pandemic, mainland China had the highest proportion of international medical visits. However, due to various unfavorable factors affecting cross-strait relations, this has now been surpassed by countries in the New Southbound region. Thanks to the promotion of the New Southbound Policy, the China Medical University Hospital has extended its specialized medical services to Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur, Sarawak, Sabah) and Brunei, leading to a significant increase in health check-ups and medical visits. This includes treatments for brain cancer and various cardiovascular diseases (such as atrial fibrillation, arrhythmia, aortic valve replacement, peripheral vascular occlusion) using non-invasive methods like catheterization; the use of "gamma knife" for non-invasive treatment of severe tremors; and minimally invasive surgery for skull base tumors. These have helped many critically ill patients in Malaysia and enhanced the hospital's reputation there.
Commissioner Wu Ling-ying from the Ministry of Health and Welfare also stated that the benefits of the New Southbound medical cooperation and industrial development, as part of the medium to long-term plan, have become increasingly apparent in the third year, with promising prospects ahead. This year's New Southbound Policy has seen the China Medical University Hospital, under the guidance of President Der-Yang Cho, lead a team, including President Huang Zhikun from the International Medical Center, to Kuala Lumpur. On April 29, they conducted the first surgery demonstration for the "Asian Physician Minimally Invasive Surgery Training Platform" in collaboration with the Nonverbal Good Teacher Academy. They then signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the top Malaysian International Medical University (IMU International Medical University), initiating medical personnel training and various medical exchanges. This trip also involves an important mission to connect Taiwanese medical and health industries with Malaysia. On May 2, the China Medical University Hospital, together with Imedtac, which provides smart hospital solutions, and Wistron Medical, which provides lower limb exoskeleton robots (Keeogo), participated in the IMU-2024 Next Generation of Care: Merging Healthcare & Technology Conference and Exhibition, jointly promoting the international medical services of the China Medical University Hospital and the excellent medical and health products of Taiwan.
Taichung is already the second largest city in Taiwan and a benchmark for livable cities. It boasts the internationally renowned Fengjia Night Market, as well as the international level Taichung Opera House, Luce Memorial Chapel, and Asia Modern Art Museum, which gather works of architecture by Pritzker Prize-winning architects. It also has the Guguan hot springs and is adjacent to the internationally renowned Sun Moon Lake, with great potential for international medical tourism development. Through the integration of resources and the promotion of the New Southbound Policy, the China Medical University Hospital not only allows international visitors to experience Taiwan's excellent medical technology and services firsthand but also helps to generate a new wave of economic value in Taichung's medical tourism sector amidst the post-pandemic trend of international medical tourism.
Resource (Mandarin):
