Halal medical tourism

There is a growing market in Southeast Asia for medical care that is halal – or adheres to stipulations under Islamic law – especially in Malaysia and Singapore, where large numbers of medical tourists arrive each year from neighbouring Muslim-majority Indonesia.

Halal medicines, for example, cannot include certain ingredients, such as pork derivatives. Prayer facilities are often made available in halal hospitals and clinics, and some more traditional patients may request caregivers of the same gender.

Malaysia was the most popular country in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for Muslim tourists to visit last year, according to the Global Muslim Travel Index 2015. Among non-OIC countries, Singapore was the top destination for Muslim travellers, while Thailand came in second.

Of these travellers, many of those seeking medical care are likely to prefer sharia-compliant services. “We realise that if we can come up with halal pharmaceutical products there’s a big market for it,” Jamil Bidin, chief executive of Malaysia-based Halal Industry Development Corp, told Reuters. “As far as Muslims are concerned, if you have a halal product, there’s no compromise.”