Sunway Medical Centre Penang has been recognised in Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals and Clinics for Medical Tourism 2027, The Star reported, with the hospital in Seberang Jaya named in the ophthalmology and orthopaedics categories.
The list is compiled jointly by the magazine and data firm Statista, and selected 295 hospitals and clinics across 13 countries from more than 25,000 institutions assessed, according to VnExpress International. It is the first edition of the medical tourism ranking, and it carries 1,025 entries across nine specialties.
Those specialties are bariatric surgery, breast augmentation, breast cancer, cardiac care and surgery, liposuction, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, prostate cancer and rhinoplasty.
Evaluation combines recommendations from medical professionals and medical tourism facilitators, relevant accreditations and certifications, patient reviews, services for international patients, and findings from Statista’s medical tourism facility survey.
Entries are graded in airplane symbols. Five symbols mark facilities that reach at least the 80th percentile on both performance and peer recommendations. Four cover the 55th to 80th percentile on either measure, while three go to the rest of the ranked list.
Sunway Medical Centre Penang chief executive officer Christine Lee said the recognition reflected the dedication of its medical specialists and healthcare teams in delivering quality care while continuously strengthening its clinical capabilities.
The hospital lists more than 110 medical specialists, 312 beds, 10 operating theatres and eight centres of excellence, supported by multidisciplinary expertise and advanced medical technology.
Lee said the hospital’s International Patient Centre helps overseas patients with appointment scheduling, medical documentation, accommodation arrangements, airport transfers and interpreter services.
She said the hospital also emphasises transparent treatment plans, clear communication and advance cost estimates, so patients and their families can make informed healthcare decisions.
The hospital sits in Sunway Township in Seberang Jaya, within walking distance of Sunway Hotel Seberang Jaya and Sunway Carnival Mall.
Malaysia is one of 13 countries in the 2027 list, alongside Brazil, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
Gleneagles Hospital Penang received five airplane symbols for orthopaedics, while its Kuala Lumpur branch took five for cardiac care and surgery. KPJ Damansara Specialist Hospital drew four for bariatric surgery.
Seven hospitals from Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand appear in the ranking. Thailand’s BPK 9 International Hospital received four symbols for liposuction and Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital four for ophthalmology, while Singapore’s Mount Elizabeth Hospital Novena took five for ophthalmology.
