JOHOR BAHRU, Apr 15 – The Language Academy’s Knowledge Sharing Session (KSS) organised by Language Academy (LA) recently featured an insightful presentation by Dr. Wan Fatimah Solihah Wan Abdul Halim, a senior lecturer from Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) Kuala Lumpur Campus, who delved into the transformative role of digital discourse in Southeast Asia’s booming medical tourism industry.
Held as the second installment of the KSS series, Dr. Wan Solihah’s talk focused on how hospitals and healthcare providers across Southeast Asia particularly in Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore; are leveraging multimodal online platforms to promote medical tourism. Her analysis was rooted in her extensive research in multimodal discourse, race and racism, intercultural communication, and higher education.
Highlighting the rapid growth of medical tourism in the region, Dr. Wan Solihah noted that Southeast Asia welcomed approximately 2.5 million medical tourists annually prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients are drawn by a combination of high-quality medical services, cost-effective treatment options, and the appeal of tropical destinations.
Malaysia, in particular, has made strategic moves to sustain and expand this sector. From VIP lounges and concierge services at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to luxury recovery packages in Penang and Kuala Lumpur, the country has built a patient-centered ecosystem designed to appeal to international clients. Dr. Wan emphasised the pivotal role of the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) and government-backed initiatives like the RM35 million allocation in Budget 2021 to digitalise healthcare travel.
Using a systemic functional linguistic (SFL) framework, Dr. Wan Solihah analysed hospital websites as persuasive tools composed not just of text, but also images, multimedia, and interactive elements. Her findings revealed cultural differences in digital communication strategies: Malaysian websites adopt more direct, text-heavy approaches, while Singapore and Thailand emphasise visually persuasive content.
Dr. Wan stressed the importance of culturally adaptive digital content, especially in the post-pandemic landscape where building international trust is vital. “Websites must appeal across cultural boundaries, integrating both verbal and visual modes to create compelling narratives,” she explained.
She also introduced a promotional strategy framework to guide stakeholders and content creators. This model calls for multimodal integration, audience-focused messaging, and culturally sensitive communication that highlights core elements like medical expertise, advanced technology, and patient care.
In conclusion, Dr. Wan Solihah urged healthcare institutions to adopt a multidisciplinary approach to digital promotion. This includes not only marketers and medical experts, but also communication specialists, graphic designers, and cultural analysts to ensure that Southeast Asia remains a top destination for medical tourists in the digital age.
The session underscored the significance of effective digital storytelling in shaping the future of global healthcare travel and Malaysia’s readiness to lead the charge.
