The Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding with Hong Kong health-care firms, Amber Medical and Swindon Medical and Diagnostics, on facilitating SAR patients to get services at a cheaper price in Malaysia.

Malaysia has served over 10 million medical tourists over the past decade, and more than 3,000 Hongkongers went to the country last year for procedures that included cardiology, fertility and oncology.

The cost of doing a coronary bypass surgery in Malaysia is US$20,000 (HK$156,000), 63 percent cheaper than Singapore's US$54,000.

The two Hong Kong companies will help with transportation arrangements throughout the trip and pre-trip assessments and screenings that will be done here so that patients from Hong Kong and elsewhere in the Greater Bay Area can receive treatment at once without waiting for the results.

Council acting chief executive Farizal Jaafar said the agency, which comes under the ministry of health, aims to provide a "seamless" experience from immigration convenience to a chargeable one-on-one companion service.

Two express immigration lanes have been set up at Kuala Lumpur International Airport for medical travelers, while the council will also help with extending the patients' and their families' tourist visas should they need extra time.

Jafaar said Malaysian staff speak multiple languages, and the companion service also provides interpretations during consultations.

Of some 300 private hospitals in Malaysia, 95 are council members, Jaafar said, adding that Malaysia could be the most budget-efficient choice for patients, as the government has capped the maximum charge for each therapy.

Medical tourism revenue hit 1.3 billion ringgit (HK$2.22 billion) last year, rebounding to 76 percent of the 2019 level of 1.7 billion ringgit, and Jafaar said the council estimates revenue can hit 2.5 billion ringgit by 2025.