Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council presents first-ever Medical Travel Media Awards (MTMA) 2018

Recognising excellence in medical travel journalism – Calls for global media entries

KUALA LUMPUR, 4 October 2018 – Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC), is calling for participation from both international and local journalists, as well as media agencies for the inaugural Medical Travel Media Awards (MTMA) 2018. The prestigious global medical travel journalism award, supported by Supernewsroom, introduced five categories to honour and recognise media organisations and journalists who have contributed towards building awareness of Malaysias medical travel industry.

Speaking at the launch of MTMA 2018, Chief Executive Officer of MHTC, Sherene Azli said the award is part of the agencys purview to raise Malaysias profile as a leading global destination for healthcare.

MTMA 2018 is part of Malaysia Healthcares campaign journey to pave the way towards Malaysia Year of Healthcare Travel 2020 (MYHT2020). Malaysia Healthcare aims to position the nation as the Asian hub for fertility and cardiology, as well as the leading global destination for healthcare travel. This is in line with the countrys aim of achieving RM2.8 billion in revenue with an estimated economic impact of RM10 billion towards the total GDP contribution.

Malaysia is already recognised internationally as a preferred medical travel destination due to its easily accessible, and competitively affordable world-class quality healthcare. Malaysias cutting-edge technology and state-of-the-art facilities in the fields of cardiology and fertility have propelled the country into a hub for both these treatments.

“The media has played a significant role through its reporting on Malaysias medical travel industry. MHTC recognises and acknowledges the support given by the media fraternity not only in Malaysia but around the world in our initiative to position Malaysia as a leading global healthcare destination. The awards aim to honour the best in medical travel journalism in categories covering print, television, radio and online,” said Sherene.

A total of five categories will be contested at the Medical Travel Media Awards 2018. The categories are:

• Medical Travel Media Award (Best Print Feature)
• Medical Travel Media Award (Best Broadcast Feature)
• Medical Travel Media Award (Best Online Feature)
• Medical Travel Journalist of the Year
• Medical Travel Editorial Team of the Year

For the first three categories, each winner will receive a cash prize of RM8,000 and a trophy. The award criteria will be based on the reporters journalistic flair in providing engaging, thought-provoking feature and insightful reporting. The key element that should be present is the reach or share-ability of the feature on social media platforms.

For the fourth category, Medical Travel Journalist of the Year, the winner will receive a cash prize of RM8,000 and a trophy. This award will be presented to a journalist who has provided the most timely, accurate and original news reporting on Malaysias medical travel industry in any print, broadcast or online media.

Additionally, the winner will also receive a grand prize of a 3-day-2-night Malaysia Healthcare Experience whereby the journalist will get a chance to experience first-hand Malaysia Healthcares services and hospitality.

The highlight of MTMA is the final category which is the Medical Travel Editorial Team of the Year category. The award will be presented to a media outlet that has provided the most insightful analysis of all aspects of Malaysias medical travel industry. The winning team will receive a cash prize of RM10,000 and a trophy. This category will also reward an additional media outlet for the Highly Commended Editorial Team of the Year award where the winning team will receive RM 5,000 and a trophy.

All entries for MTMA will be judged by a team of professionals from the industry and subject matter experts. The winning criterion would encompass an in-depth outlook on the medical travel industry in Malaysia, if the entry has increased the awareness (based on shares and likes on social media) and provided a greater understanding of the countrys medical travel industry, amongst others.

The secretariat is now accepting entries for any articles or broadcast features that were published or aired between 1 June 2018 to 30 June 2019. The deadline for submission is 30 June 2019 and the results are scheduled to be announced at the award presentation ceremony in Kuala Lumpur in August 2019. For more information, please visit www.mylovesyou.com/mtma2018.

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ABOUT THE MALAYSIA HEALTHCARE TRAVEL COUNCIL

The Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) is a government agency that has been entrusted with the responsibility of curating the countrys healthcare travel scene. Founded in 2009 to facilitate and grow Malaysias healthcare travel industry under the brand “Malaysia Healthcare” with the intended goal of making Malaysia the leading global healthcare destination. Since then, MHTC has worked to streamline industry players and service providers into a more focused development strategy to raise Malaysias profile in healthcare travel on an international stage. It is an example of a successful model of public-private partnerships (PPP) in growing the healthcare travel sector in Malaysia.

End-to-End Seamless Care

MHTC Call Centre, contactable at 1-800-188-688 (within Malaysia) or at +603 272 68 688 (outside Malaysia), was set up to handle all healthcare travel inquiries. The MHTC Call Centre operates from Mondays to Fridays from 9.00am to 6.00pm (GMT +8).

The MHTC Concierge and Lounge (MCL), which is also integrated with the MHTCs Call Centre, is a one-stop centre that provides healthcare travellers with easy access to all the information needed to have a comfortable and fruitful stay in Malaysia. The MCL has been set up at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport Arrival Hall (Gate 8), and the Penang International Airport for:

• Disseminating healthcare services information;
• Facilitating information about transport, accommodation, and travel in Malaysia

A team of dedicated personnel will assist with information that caters to each health travellers needs from hospitals and treatment centres to certified doctors, treatment available, accommodation, and all other healthcare travel needs.

Potential healthcare travellers can also obtain information on seeking healthcare in Malaysia including medical treatments, accommodation and travel at these websites:

• medicaltourismmalaysia.com
• mhtc.org.my

MHTC Social Media

• Facebook – com/mhtcmalaysia
• Twitter – com/mhtcmalaysia
• YouTube –com/mhtcmalaysia
• Instagram –com/malaysiahealthcare
• LinkedIn linkedin.com/company/malaysia-healthcare-travel-council/

Malaysia Healthcares Recent Awards & Recognition:

International Living (Global Retirement Index 2015, 2016 and 2017)

• Malaysia – “Best Country in the World for Healthcare”

International Medical Travel Journal – Medical Travel Awards 2015 – 2018

2018

• Health and Medical Tourism: Cluster of the Year – Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council
• Highly Commended: Health and Medical Tourism: Destination of the Year – Malaysia
• International Hospital of The Year – Gleneagles Kuala Lumpur
• International Specialist Patient Centre of the Year: Institut Jantung Negara (National Heart Institute)
• International Cosmetic Surgery Clinic of The Year – Beverly Wilshire Medical Centre
• International Fertility Clinic of the Year – TMC Fertility Centre
• Best Marketing Initiative – Gleneagles Kuala Lumpur (Less Pain, More Gain – a Minimally Invasive Surgery Campaign)
• Best Quality Initiative – Tropicana Medical Centre
• Highly Commended: Excellence in Customer Service – Gleneagles Kuala Lumpur

2017

• Health and Medical Tourism: Destination of the Year – Malaysia
• Health and Medical Tourism: Cluster of the Year – Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council
• International Hospital of the Year: Sunway Medical Centre
• Best Marketing Initiative: Sunway Medical Centre
• International Fertility Clinic: TMC Fertility Centre
• Highly Commended: Best Quality Initiative – Sunway Medical Centre

2016

• International Hospital of the Year – Sunway Medical Centre
• International Cosmetic Surgery Clinic of the Year – Beverly Wilshire Medical Centre
• International Fertility Clinic of the Year – TMC Fertility Centre
• Best Marketing Initiative – Gleneagles Kuala Lumpur
• Highly Commended: Medical Travel Agency of the Year – Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council

Asia Pacific Healthcare & Medical Tourism Awards (2017 – 2018)

2018

• Medical Travel Organisation of the Year – Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council
• Medical Tourism Hospital of the Year in Asia Pacific – Sunway Medical Centre
• Hospital of the Year Malaysia – KPJ Healthcare
• Best New Hospital of the Year in Asia Pacific – Cardiac Vascular Sentral
• Fertility Service Provider of the Year in Asia Pacific – Mahkota Medical Centre and TMC Fertility
• Cardiology Service Provider of the Year in Asia Pacific – Institut Jantung Negara
• Paediatric Cardiology Service Provider of the Year in Asia Pacific – Institut Jantung Negara
• Oncology Service Provider of the Year in Asia Pacific – Sunway Medical Centre
• Neurology Service Provider of the Year in Asia Pacific – Sunway Medical Centre
• Orthopaedic Service Provider of the Year in Asia Pacific – KPJ Healthcare
• Gastroenterology Service Provider of the Year in Asia Pacific – KPJ Tawakkal Specialist Hospital
• Ophthalmology Service Provider of the Year in Asia Pacific – International Specialist Eye Centre
• Best Health Screening Provider of the Year in Asia Pacific – Prince Court Medical Centre
• Cosmetic Surgery Provider of the Year in Asia Pacific – Penang Adventist Hospital
• Womens Health and Wellness Service Provider of the Year in Asia Pacific – TMC Fertility and Tropicana Medical Centre
• Diabetes Service Provider of the Year in Asia Pacific – Prince Court Medical Centre and Tropicana Medical Centre
• Paediatric Service Provider of the Year in Asia Pacific – Prince Court Medical Centre
• ENT Service Provider of the Year in Asia Pacific – Tropicana Medical Centre

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