As India tighthens medical visas to bangadeshis against backdrop of strained relations between two neighbouring countries, high–end patients are avialign themselves in Some Association of Southeast Asain countries (ASEAN), soruces said.
Bangaldeshi patients are goiing to Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore in good number during the last two years.
A total of 12,729 Bangladeshis visited Indonesia in 2024, 19,329 Bangaldeshi in 2025 and a total of 3,194 Bnagladeshis during January-Februray period of 2026, sources said
Meanwhile, Indonesia has launched its first medical tourism special economic zone in Sanur, on the resort island of Bali, marking a major step in the country’s efforts to develop world-class healthcare services integrated with tourism.
In recent years Indonesia has been working to reform its healthcare sector to improve service standards and reduce the outflow of Indonesians seeking treatment overseas, including in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, who spend up to 150 trillion rupiahs ($9.2 billion) abroad annually.
The Sanur medical tourism zone will include a range of facilities, including an international hospital, specialist clinics, medical research centers and a garden with over 380 medicinal plant species.
“I think this is the first of its kind in our country — we envisioned creating a special economic zone offering world-class healthcare services,” President Prabowo Subianto, who inaugurated the project last year, said during his speech.
Indonesia, a country of more than 270 million people, has about seven doctors for every 10,000 people, according to World Health Organization data. This is below Thailand with nine doctors, the Philippines with eight doctors and Australia with 41 doctors per 10,000.
Meanwhile, the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Dhaka (KBRI Dhaka) supported and facilitated the participation of four leading Indonesian hospitals at the International Health Tourism and Services Expo held in Dhaka, Bangladesh from 7–9 May 2026. To maximize the visit, KBRI Dhaka facilitated various meetings and visits with health sector partners in Bangladesh, as well as organized a Business Gathering and Networking Session to promote Indonesia’s health tourism sector, said a press release.
The series of activities formed part of Indonesia’s economic diplomacy efforts in the health sector by showcasing the quality of Indonesia’s healthcare services and promoting Indonesia as one of the region’s leading healthcare destinations, while at the same time strengthening bilateral cooperation in the health sector between Indonesia and Bangladesh, particularly as both countries already have a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on health cooperation.
The Indonesian delegation participating in the event consisted of representatives from Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo National Referral Hospital (RSCM), Harapan Kita National Cardiovascular Center, Dharmais National Cancer Hospital, and Siloam Hospitals Group.
In her remarks during the Business Gathering and Networking Session on 7 May 2026, the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Bangladesh, Listyowati, emphasized that the event was not only about introducing the quality of Indonesia’s healthcare services, but also about building bridges and strengthening partnerships between the two countries.
“The momentum of this visit can be utilized to encourage stronger cooperation between healthcare institutions and hospitals of both countries, including through capacity building, exchange of expertise, experiences and best practices in healthcare services, exchange of delegation visits, and training for healthcare professionals. This activity also serves as a platform to expand cooperation networks and open concrete collaboration opportunities in medical services, health tourism, and healthcare human resource development,” Ambassador Listyowati stated.
The Ambassador of Indonesia to Bangladesh, together with representatives of Indonesian hospitals, also conducted a courtesy meeting with the Secretary of the Health Services Division, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of Bangladesh, to discuss potential avenues for strengthening bilateral health cooperation, including the implementation of concrete programs that could provide direct benefits to the people of Indonesia and Bangladesh, said a press release of Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Dhaka
KBRI Dhaka also facilitated various strategic agendas and institutional visits by the Indonesian hospital delegation to several leading healthcare facilities in Bangladesh, including United Hospital, the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Bangladesh Specialized Hospital, and the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital.
Efforts to promote Indonesia’s medical tourism sector were also marked by the signing of a cooperation agreement between Siloam Hospitals Group and GD Assist Bangladesh on 8 May 2026. The collaboration is expected to encourage the people of Bangladesh, with a population of more than 170 million, to consider Indonesia as a healthcare destination in the region.
Overall, the series of activities and visits by the Indonesian delegation to Dhaka were carried out smoothly and productively, marked by a number of commitments for future cooperation in various health sectors to be followed up by both parties, in efforts to enhance mutually beneficial health sector cooperation.
