Health Care in Malaysia

Hospitals are modern, clean, and furnished with all the equipment that you would expect from a hospital in the U.S. or Canada.

Local “kliniks” offer good treatment for minor illnesses at extremely reasonable prices.

A visit to one of these kliniks usually costs around US$5. The general practitioners working there tend to be foreign-educated and proficient in English. Specialists may have their own clinics or have offices located in hospital medical complexes.

A visit to a specialist costs around US$30 for an initial consultation, and follow-up visits are often included at no additional charge. If you have a condition that requires hospitalization, you will be pleased at how affordable high quality health care can be.

Most medications prescribed by Western physicians can be found in Malaysia, often at much lower prices.

Many drugs, including most antibiotics, can be purchased over the counter in Malaysia, though some routine medications—mostly painkillers such as ibuprofen—require a prescription. If you must take a specific medication, you may want to confirm that it is available in Malaysia.

Narcotics are illegal in Malaysia and cannot be prescribed, purchased, or imported. Illegal importation of narcotics can carry the death penalty.

Health statistics in Malaysia compare favorably with the United States and Western Europe—numbers like infant mortality rate (10 in 2005) and age expectancy (74 years in 2005).