Health Care
Health care in Penang is provided by public as well as private hospitals. The public health care system first established by the colonial authorities was supplemented by health care provided by local Chinese charities, and Christian missionaries such as the Roman Catholic and the Seventh-day Adventist.
Today public hospitals are funded and administered by the Ministry of Health. The Penang Hospital is a tertiary-care regional referral centre. In addition to public hospitals are numerous smaller community clinics (klinik kesihatan) and private practices. Private hospitals supplement the system with better facilities and speedier care. These hospitals cater not only to the local population but also to patients from other states and health tourists from neighbouring countries such as Indonesia. Penang is actively promoting health tourism. In 2010, 250,000 foreign patients were treated. The state earned an estimated RM 230 million through medical tourism in 2010, up from RM 162 million in 2009. Penang also contributed 70% to Malaysia's medical tourism revenue. Hospices are also increasingly becoming the choice for long-term and terminal care. Infant mortality rate at present is 0.4% while life expectancy at birth is 71.8 years for men and 76.3 years for women.
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Public hospitals Penang Island
Seberang Perai
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Private hospitals Penang Island
Seberang Perai
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Read more about this topic: Penang
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