House Sees Bali Hospital as Potential Medical Tourism Hub

RRI.CO.ID, Denpasar - The Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) said Bali International Hospital (BIH) has significant potential to be developed as a medical tourism destination in Indonesia. A member of the DPR, Syarif Fasha, said BIH’s healthcare facilities and services are well-equipped to support such development. However, he said the potential needs to be accompanied by a stronger promotional strategy to raise public awareness of the hospital and its advantages.

"The services are already exclusive, but promotion is also an issue. So, everyone, including Ms. Lucy, has high hopes that Dr. Noel will bring the management experience from Mount Elizabeth (a hospital in Singapore) to Bali International Hospital, so that, gradually, some patients currently going to Mount Elizabeth can shift their treatment here," Syarif said while leading a meeting with representatives of IHC’s board of directors and the Bali International Hospital management in Denpasar, Bali, on Friday, September 11, 2026.

According to him, patients’ experiences and doctors’ recommendations are among the most effective ways to build public trust in healthcare services in Indonesia. He added that Bali’s appeal as a tourist destination could provide an additional advantage in developing medical tourism.

Syarif also encouraged BIH to build a supporting ecosystem through partnerships with the hospitality sector. One possibility, he said, would be to explore partnerships with hotels to provide discounts or accommodation vouchers for patients and their families receiving treatment at BIH.

"Perhaps BIH could cooperate with several hotels in Bali, with hotels offering, say, a 50-percent discount and so on. Hopefully, this will make Bali one of the healthcare destinations because its added value is tourism. Australians, once they know about it, will definitely come here," he said.

Meanwhile, BIH President Director Sheira Aurani said the hospital continues to develop healthcare services based on public needs, including treatments that Indonesians have traditionally sought abroad.

She said some of the services already available include immunotherapy and precision radiotherapy. According to Sheira, the availability of these services has begun to attract Indonesian patients who previously sought treatment in Malaysia and Singapore.

"There are already patients who previously sought treatment in Malaysia and usually in Singapore, and they have now returned. One of the things that brought them back was the doctors who treat them in Singapore informing them, 'I practice in Bali, so you should just come to Bali'," Sheira conveyed.

Sheira added that BIH would continue mapping healthcare needs while developing its existing capacity. The efforts are expected to strengthen BIH’s position as a healthcare option for Indonesians while creating opportunities to develop medical tourism in Bali.

Development of these services is also expected to create opportunities for Indonesian doctors practicing overseas to return and provide healthcare services in Indonesia. BIH is therefore expected to contribute to strengthening the country’s national healthcare ecosystem.

Bali International Hospital is a new hospital located within the Health Special Economic Zone of Sanur in Denpasar, Bali; operated by thestate-owned Indonesia Healthcare Corporation (IHC), a subsidiary of energy company Pertamina. Established in 2025, the hospital has partnered with several global healthcare organizations, including the Mayo Clinic in the United States.