Three more private hospitals will be established in Penang if negotiations are likely to succeed towards their state-owned establishments, said Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.

Without specifying any timeframe for the hospitals to be set up, he said the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) is currently involved in discussions with several private entities to set up facilities in the Batu Kawan area, which has also been designated as a state medical hub.

He told reporters after the opening of Linde Malaysia "Penang is seeing a healthy growth in health tourism over the past few years, and that is why demand for the medical facility will increase,".

According to Chow, Penang Adventist Hospital's development over the past 10 years has become an indicator of the growing place of the state in the medical tourism arena, which also enables the state government to accommodate more stakeholders ' who desires to be involved.

He added "The industry is growing and the service providers realize that the need to stay competitive with the best facilities and equipment and professional guidance so that we can stay as the top in Malaysia's medical tourism industry,".