03-Feb-17 The Korean government will invest KRW315.7 bn (USD276 mn) to secure original technologies for bio sectors such as new drugs, medical devices, future medical care, genomics and brain science in 2017. This includes KRW263 bn for bio-medical technology development projects. This year's budget is 31% more than last year’s. [image: Business Korea]

02-Feb-17 While the healthcare sector claims to be 'satisfied' with the move to formulate new rules regarding medical devices, industry still seeks more clarity. The rules are proposed to be internationally harmonised to attract investments, and thereby reduce costs of devices. [image: Deccan Herald]

02-Feb-17 Aiming to attract more tourists and boost trade, the Indian government has approved a new liberalised visa policy that includes a long-term multiple-entry comprehensive visa by merging tourist, business, medical and conference visas into one. Citizens from Pakistan and China will not be covered under the new liberalised visa policy. [image: IMTJ]

01-Feb-17 Malaysia is a popular destination for tourists from the Middle East, with nearly 200,000 arriving in 2016. The country is a key destination for medical tourism. In neighboring Thailand, tourism officials said the US ban could lift visitor numbers. "The Middle East is a big market for us, especially in the medical tourism sector," said Tourism Authority Governor Yuthasak Supasorn. [image: Reuters]

01-Feb-17 Medical tourists are coming to Malaysia, lured by high-quality yet affordable healthcare and the climate. “It’s more lucrative than conventional tourism because healthcare travellers tend to stay longer,” MATTA vice-president S. Jayakumar said. The country welcomed about 850,000 medical tourists in 2015 with revenue of MYR900 mn (USD203 mn) compared with MYR777 mn (USD175 mn) in 2014. [image: The Star]