Dhini Oktavianti reporting for Travel Trade Gazette Asia (TTG Asia) writes how the Indonesia Medical Tourism Association (AWMI) is working to develop medical tourism in rural areas as part of the country’s push to sharpen its healthcare offerings.
Taufik Jamaan, chairman of AWMI, speaking to TTG Asia on the sidelines of the World Tourism Network Summit 2023 in Jakarta, said the association’s work started in late-2022, and ongoing efforts include collaborating with food processing trainers to ensure hygienic food processing.
AWMI is also embracing digitalisation through the implementation of the Community Telehealth Pavilion (ATM Health). This solution, linked to the Ministry of Health, allows travellers to conveniently check their blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood sugar, and oxygen saturation, say TTG Asia. The portable nature of ATM Health, which resembles a suitcase, gives it mobility and ease of use in tourism villages, “for instance, before embarking on a mountain climb, individuals can assess their health condition using ATM Health,” Taufik explained.
Taufik explained that AWMI’s role extends beyond medical tourism promotion, as it also actively develops businesses avenues, educates the public, and conducts research on herbal resources across the country. It recently welcomed the Association of Indonesian Herbal Medicine Doctors as a partner in its medical endeavours.
Looking forward, AWMI aims to establish downstream processes to ensure that the community can benefit from research findings. By leveraging research outcomes, it plans to develop various products, such as supplements, powders, herbs, and beverages, which will strengthen Indonesia’s reputation in herbal medicine, report TTG Asia.
At present, AWMI is collaborating with pharmaceutical companies on verification of herbal medicine by the National Agency of Drug and Food Control and to make herbal medicine more easily accessible to tourists.
Source: TTG Asia
Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash
