A growing number of nations in Southeast Asia – including Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, and Indonesia – now offer basic medical coverage to their citizens. This trend is leading to fast expanding demand for medical devices, drugs, and diagnostic test kits and reagents, benefiting Western companies marketing their products in the region.
For example, Indonesia initiated a universal health coverage system in January 2014. Full implementation, covering approximately 250 million Indonesians, is planned for 2019. The government will build an additional 150 public hospitals and is expected to promote the construction of private clinics as well. The first year of implementation has seen an explosion in patient volume and medical spending.