IPOH, Sept 13 — Perak is delving into the lucrative medical tourism industry following the launch of Malindo Air’s Ipoh-Medan route.

State Tourism Committee chairman Tan Kar Hing said presently, there are three flights weekly from the Sultan Azlan Shah Airport here on Monday, Friday and Sunday that began during the second quarter of this year.

"Hospitals in Perak are confident they can provide similar treatments that are available at other states at a lower cost,” he said.

Speaking to reporters at his office at the State Secretariat building here today, Tan said Perak had been sidelined by Medan tourists, something which the current administration wants to rectify.

"They prefer to go either Penang or Melaka,” he said, adding an FAM trip would be held next month to attract tourists from Medan.

The state, added Tan, has also received the commitment of industry players to have specific packages targeted for the Medan market.

On a separate matter, Tan said Gua Tambun will reopen today for visits after being closed since July.

Gua Tambun is the site of South-east Asia’s largest hematite Neolithic rock art.

Discovered by a British soldier in 1959, the cave paintings are believed to date back 3,000 years though some claim they could even be 12,000 years old.

Measuring 24.38 metres wide and 8.13 metres high, they are believed to be the only drawings of their kind in Malaysia.