Hospitals in Penang: All 20 Government and Private Hospitals
Last updated: October 2026
This guide lists all 20 hospitals in Penang, on both Penang Island and the Seberang Perai mainland, with each hospital's address, main phone number and whether it runs a 24-hour emergency department. It covers the six Ministry of Health government hospitals, ten private hospitals on the island and four on the mainland, including Columbia Asia Hospital Batu Kawan, which opened in July 2025. Every entry was verified in October 2026.
Penang is Malaysia's busiest medical tourism destination: its private hospitals treated about 527,000 foreign patients in 2025, many of them from Indonesia. That means most large private hospitals here have international patient desks, interpreters and fixed-price health screening packages. Government hospitals are cheaper but busier, and charge non-citizens higher fees than Malaysians.
Phone numbers use the Penang area code 04. From a foreign phone, dial +60 4 and drop the leading 0.
Hospitals in Penang at a Glance
| Hospital | Area | Type | 24h A&E | Main phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penang General Hospital | George Town | Government | Yes, 24 hours | 04-222 5333 |
| Hospital Balik Pulau | Balik Pulau | Government | Yes, 24 hours | 04-866 9333 |
| Hospital Seberang Jaya | Seberang Jaya | Government | Yes, 24 hours | 04-382 7333 |
| Hospital Bukit Mertajam | Bukit Mertajam | Government | Yes, 24 hours | 04-549 7333 |
| Hospital Kepala Batas | Kepala Batas | Government | Yes, 24 hours | 04-579 3333 |
| Hospital Sungai Bakap | Sungai Bakap | Government | Yes, 24 hours | 04-582 4333 |
| Gleneagles Penang | Pulau Tikus | Private | Yes, 24 hours | 04-222 9111 |
| Island Hospital | Jalan Macalister | Private | Yes, 24 hours | 04-238 3388 |
| Loh Guan Lye | Jalan Macalister | Private | Yes, 24 hours | 04-238 8888 |
| Penang Adventist | Pulau Tikus | Private | Yes, 24 hours | 04-222 7200 |
| Lam Wah Ee | Jelutong | Private | Yes, 24 hours | 04-652 8888 |
| Pantai Hospital Penang | Bayan Baru | Private | Yes, 24 hours | 04-643 3888 |
| Northern Heart Hospital | Pulau Tikus | Private | Yes, 24 hours | 04-217 5588 |
| Georgetown Specialist Hospital | Jalan Masjid Negeri | Private | Yes, call first (24h not confirmed) | 04-827 5118 |
| Kek Lok Si Charitable Hospital | Air Itam | Private | Yes, 24 hours | 04-299 9333 |
| Mount Miriam Cancer Hospital | Tanjung Bungah | Private | No | 04-892 3999 |
| KPJ Penang | Bandar Perda | Private | Yes, 24 hours | 04-548 6688 |
| Sunway Medical Centre Penang | Seberang Jaya | Private | Yes, 24 hours | 04-373 9191 |
| Bagan Specialist Centre | Butterworth | Private | Yes, 24 hours | 04-371 0000 |
| Columbia Asia Batu Kawan | Batu Kawan | Private | Yes, 24 hours | 04-305 9999 |
Jump to a place (20)
- Penang General Hospital
- Hospital Balik Pulau
- Hospital Seberang Jaya
- Hospital Bukit Mertajam
- Hospital Kepala Batas
- Hospital Sungai Bakap
- Gleneagles Penang
- Island Hospital
- Loh Guan Lye
- Penang Adventist
- Lam Wah Ee
- Pantai Hospital Penang
- Northern Heart Hospital
- Georgetown Specialist Hospital
- Kek Lok Si Charitable Hospital
- Mount Miriam Cancer Hospital
- KPJ Penang
- Sunway Medical Centre Penang
- Bagan Specialist Centre
- Columbia Asia Batu Kawan
Government hospitals in Penang
The six Ministry of Health hospitals in Penang all run 24-hour emergency departments. Two are on the island (George Town and Balik Pulau) and four are in Seberang Perai. Treatment is heavily subsidised for Malaysians; foreign visitors are treated but pay non-citizen rates.
Penang General Hospital (Hospital Pulau Pinang)
Penang General Hospital is the state's main government hospital and the tertiary referral centre for northern Peninsular Malaysia, with more than 1,000 beds. It runs a 24-hour Emergency and Trauma Department (Jabatan Kecemasan dan Trauma) and nearly every specialist discipline, including neurosurgery, cardiothoracic surgery and burns care that smaller hospitals send their patients here for.
Main line 04-222 5333. Foreign visitors are treated, but pay non-citizen fees, which are higher than local rates though usually still below private-hospital prices. Waiting times for non-critical cases in the emergency department can be long, because patients are triaged by severity. There is no dedicated international patient desk; for a faster, English-language private service, Gleneagles, Island Hospital and Loh Guan Lye are all within 2 km.
Hospital Balik Pulau
Hospital Balik Pulau is a district hospital of about 70 beds serving the south-west of Penang Island, including Balik Pulau town, Teluk Kumbar, Gertak Sanggul and the coastal fishing villages. A new Emergency and Outpatient Department building opened in 2023, so it is the nearest 24-hour emergency department if you are touring the durian farms or west-coast beaches.
Main line 04-866 9333. Serious and specialist cases are transferred to Penang General Hospital in George Town, about 45 minutes away by road. Good to know if you are staying on the quieter side of the island.
Hospital Seberang Jaya
Hospital Seberang Jaya is the main government specialist hospital on the Seberang Perai mainland, a short drive from the Penang Bridge and the Butterworth-Kulim Expressway. It has a 24-hour emergency department and covers the major specialties for central Seberang Perai.
Main line 04-382 7333. If you are staying in Butterworth, Perai or Seberang Jaya, this is closer than crossing to George Town. Sunway Medical Centre Penang, a private option, is about 1 km away.
Hospital Bukit Mertajam
Hospital Bukit Mertajam is a government hospital on Jalan Kulim at the edge of Bukit Mertajam town in Central Seberang Perai. It has a 24-hour emergency department and handles general medical, surgical, obstetric and paediatric cases for the surrounding district.
Main line 04-549 7333. Complex cases are referred to Hospital Seberang Jaya or Penang General Hospital.
Hospital Kepala Batas
Hospital Kepala Batas opened in 2003 and serves North Seberang Perai, from Kepala Batas and Bertam up to the Kedah border. It has a 24-hour emergency department and is the closest government hospital if you are travelling on the North-South Expressway north of Butterworth.
Main line 04-579 3333. Specialist and complex cases are referred to Hospital Seberang Jaya or Penang General Hospital.
Hospital Sungai Bakap
Hospital Sungai Bakap is the government district hospital for South Seberang Perai, covering Sungai Bakap, Nibong Tebal and Sungai Jawi. The hospital is well over a century old; its emergency department was refurbished in 2024 and the Ministry of Health has announced plans for a new building next to the current site.
Main line 04-582 4333. It has a 24-hour emergency department; serious cases are transferred to Hospital Seberang Jaya or Penang General Hospital. Columbia Asia Hospital in Batu Kawan is the nearest private alternative.
Private hospitals on Penang Island
Most of Penang's private hospitals are clustered in George Town around Jalan Macalister, Lebuhraya Peel and Jalan Burma, a 10 to 15 minute ride from the heritage core. Pantai Hospital Penang covers the airport and Bayan Lepas side of the island.
Gleneagles Hospital Penang
Gleneagles Penang, part of the IHH Healthcare group, has been operating in George Town for more than 50 years and now has over 300 licensed beds and more than 40 specialties, including a cancer centre with radiotherapy, a heart centre, orthopaedics and robotic surgery.
Main line 04-222 9111; 24-hour emergency and ambulance 04-222 9199. It has an international patient service for overseas visitors (appointments, cost estimates and coordination) and a health screening centre with set packages. It sits at the junction of Jalan Pangkor and Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, about 10 minutes by Grab from central George Town.
Island Hospital
Island Hospital, founded in 1996, is one of the largest private hospitals in Penang and a major receiver of overseas medical travellers. It was acquired by IHH Healthcare's Pantai group in 2024.
General line 04-238 3388; 24-hour emergency hotline 04-226 8527. The hospital runs International Patient Services and a medical concierge, and sells health screening packages. It is on Jalan Macalister near Lebuhraya Peel, a short ride from the heritage core.
Loh Guan Lye Specialists Centre
Loh Guan Lye Specialists Centre (LGL) opened in 1975 and has about 276 beds across three wings: the Main Wing, a Diagnostic Wing, and a Women and Children Wing with a fertility centre.
Main line 04-238 8888; 24-hour emergency 04-226 6911. Its International Desk greets overseas patients and offers airport pick-up, currency exchange and interpreters for Indonesian and Japanese. Health screening packages are available. It is on Jalan Macalister, a few hundred metres from Island Hospital.
Penang Adventist Hospital
Penang Adventist Hospital is a non-profit hospital run by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It began as a clinic in 1924 and in 2007 became the first hospital in Malaysia to gain Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation. It is known for its heart centre and for promoting a vegetarian diet.
Main line 04-222 7200; 24-hour emergency and ambulance 04-222 7799 or 04-222 7700. It offers international patient services and health screening packages. The hospital is on Jalan Burma in Pulau Tikus, close to Gurney Drive.
Hospital Lam Wah Ee
Hospital Lam Wah Ee is a long-running non-profit private hospital in the Jelutong and Green Lane area, founded by the Penang Chinese community. Fees tend to sit at the lower end of the private-hospital range, which makes it popular with local families.
Main line 04-652 8888; 24-hour emergency department 04-652 8946; ambulance 04-652 8686. The A&E on the ground floor triages patients by colour code (red, yellow, green). Health screening packages can be booked online, and there are night clinics for paediatrics and obstetrics.
Pantai Hospital Penang
Pantai Hospital Penang is the main private hospital in the south of the island, in Bayan Baru near the Bayan Lepas industrial zone and about 15 minutes from Penang International Airport. It is part of IHH Healthcare and is expanding to around 300 beds.
Main line 04-643 3888; 24-hour emergency and ambulance 04-643 8799; WhatsApp for specialist appointments 016-613 3888. International patients are handled through IHH Malaysia's international service, and the hospital sells health screening packages. Handy if you are staying in Batu Maung, Bayan Lepas or Queensbay.
Northern Heart Hospital
Northern Heart Hospital is a specialist cardiac and vascular hospital on Peel Avenue. It treats heart attacks, heart rhythm problems and vascular disease, and does cardiac surgery and catheter procedures.
General line 04-217 5588; 24-hour emergency line 04-217 5555. Specialist clinics run Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 5 pm and Saturday 8:30 am to 1 pm. Choose this for suspected heart problems; for general injuries or illness, go to a general hospital emergency department.
Georgetown Specialist Hospital
Georgetown Specialist Hospital (GTSH) is a small private hospital of about 20 beds that opened in 2019 on Jalan Masjid Negeri, near the State Mosque. It positions itself on lower prices than the larger private hospitals.
Main line 04-827 5118; WhatsApp 011-1052 2116. It has an Accident and Emergency department for acute illness and surgical emergencies, but the hospital asks patients to call before arriving, and we could not confirm 24-hour emergency cover. Phone first, or use one of the larger hospitals at night.
Kek Lok Si Charitable Hospital
Kek Lok Si Charitable Hospital is a 50-bed non-profit hospital run by the nearby Kek Lok Si Temple. It opened in 2021 to give lower-income patients affordable care, and it has an emergency department, operating theatres and haemodialysis.
Main line 04-299 9333. The hospital has a stated policy of not chasing medical tourism, so there is no international patient desk, but it is the closest emergency department if something happens while visiting Kek Lok Si, Penang Hill or Air Itam.
Mount Miriam Cancer Hospital
Mount Miriam Cancer Hospital is a non-profit cancer hospital founded in 1976 by Franciscan Catholic sisters, on a hillside in Tanjung Bungah. It specialises in radiotherapy (including tomotherapy and radiosurgery), chemotherapy, brachytherapy and palliative care.
Main line 04-892 3999; patient relations 04-892 3808. It is a specialist oncology hospital, not a general emergency hospital, so for accidents or sudden illness in the Tanjung Bungah and Batu Ferringhi area go to Gleneagles, Penang Adventist or Penang General Hospital instead.
Private hospitals in Seberang Perai (mainland)
The mainland has four private hospitals, spread from Butterworth to Batu Kawan. They are the quickest private option if you are staying in Butterworth or Seberang Jaya, or driving the North-South Expressway.
KPJ Penang Specialist Hospital
KPJ Penang Specialist Hospital in Bandar Perda is part of the KPJ Healthcare group and grew to about 319 beds after its south wing expansion in 2025. Centres include cardiothoracic surgery, oncology and radiotherapy, renal dialysis, gastroenterology, orthopaedics and spine, and women's and children's health.
Main line 04-548 6688; emergency line 04-548 6799. International patient services include a medical concierge, visa help and partner hotels, and it sells health screening and surgical packages.
Sunway Medical Centre Penang
Sunway Medical Centre Penang is a newer private hospital in Seberang Jaya, run by the Sunway healthcare group, which markets it as a medical hub for northern Malaysia. It is a few minutes from the mainland end of the Penang Bridge.
Main line 04-373 9191; 24-hour emergency and ambulance 04-373 9111. It has an International Patient Centre that helps overseas patients with travel to Penang International Airport and accommodation, plus health screening packages.
Bagan Specialist Centre
Bagan Specialist Centre is a long-established private multi-specialty hospital in Taman Bagan, Butterworth. It is about 3 km from Penang Sentral, Butterworth's ferry, rail and bus hub.
Main line, including emergency, 04-371 0000. It is on major insurers' 24-hour accident and emergency panels. It is smaller than Sunway or KPJ, and is the closest private emergency department for Butterworth town.
Columbia Asia Hospital Batu Kawan
Columbia Asia Hospital Batu Kawan opened its first phase in July 2025, making it the newest hospital in Penang and Columbia Asia's first in the state. The six-storey building is designed for 145 beds and 31 specialist clinics, and is licensed for 49 beds and 21 clinics at present.
Main line 04-305 9999. It has a 24-hour Accident and Emergency department, a cardiac catheterisation lab, radiology and health screening. It serves Batu Kawan, the IKEA and Design Village area, Simpang Ampat, Nibong Tebal and the southern end of the Second Penang Bridge.
Practical Tips for Visitors Needing a Hospital in Penang
- 999 and 112: 999 reaches ambulance, police and fire. From a mobile, 112 also works with no SIM or credit. Government ambulances take you to the nearest government hospital; if you want a private hospital, call its own ambulance line instead.
- Grab can be quicker: for conscious, stable patients, a Grab car to the nearest emergency department is often faster than waiting for an ambulance in George Town traffic.
- Deposits: private hospitals usually ask for a deposit or credit-card guarantee on admission. Call your travel insurer's assistance line early so it can send a guarantee letter directly to the hospital.
- Language: doctors and most staff at Penang hospitals speak English. Large private hospitals also have Mandarin, Malay and Bahasa Indonesia speakers, and some offer Japanese interpreters.
- Island or mainland: the Penang Bridge and the Second Penang Bridge can jam at rush hour. If you are on the mainland, use a Seberang Perai hospital rather than crossing to George Town.
- Minor problems: for colds, stomach upsets or small cuts, a local GP clinic (klinik) is cheaper and quicker than a hospital. Many are open late, and some 24 hours.
- Health screening: most private hospitals sell fixed-price screening packages that can be done in a morning without a referral. Book a few days ahead and fast overnight if bloods are included. Arriving medical travellers can use the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council concierge and lounge at Penang International Airport.
Hospitals in Penang: Frequently Asked Questions
What number do I call for an ambulance in Penang?
Call 999 from any phone, or 112 from a mobile phone (112 works even without a SIM card or credit). Ask for an ambulance and give the street name, nearest landmark and your phone number. Private hospitals also run their own ambulances; for example Gleneagles Penang 04-222 9199, Island Hospital 04-226 8527 and Pantai Hospital Penang 04-643 8799.
Which hospitals in Penang have 24-hour emergency departments?
All six government hospitals (Penang General, Balik Pulau, Seberang Jaya, Bukit Mertajam, Kepala Batas and Sungai Bakap) have 24-hour emergency departments. Private hospitals with 24-hour A&E include Gleneagles Penang, Island Hospital, Loh Guan Lye, Penang Adventist, Lam Wah Ee, Pantai Hospital Penang, Kek Lok Si Charitable Hospital, KPJ Penang, Sunway Medical Centre Penang, Bagan Specialist Centre and Columbia Asia Batu Kawan. Northern Heart Hospital has a 24-hour line for cardiac emergencies. Mount Miriam is a cancer hospital without a general emergency department.
Can tourists use government hospitals in Penang?
Yes. Penang General Hospital and the other Ministry of Health hospitals treat foreign visitors, especially in emergencies, but non-citizens pay higher fees than Malaysians. Waits for non-urgent cases can be long. Many travellers with insurance choose a private hospital, where an emergency consultation is faster and staff are used to dealing with overseas insurers.
Why is Penang popular for medical tourism?
Penang's private hospitals treated about 527,000 foreign patients in 2025, roughly 45% of Malaysia's medical tourism revenue, according to figures reported by EdgeProp. Many visitors come from Indonesia for health screening, cardiac care, cancer treatment, orthopaedics and fertility treatment. The Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council runs a medical concierge and lounge at Penang International Airport, and most large private hospitals have international patient desks.
What should I bring to a hospital in Penang as a visitor?
Bring your passport, your travel insurance policy number and the insurer's 24-hour assistance number, a list of any medicines you take, and a credit card. Private hospitals usually ask for a deposit on admission unless your insurer issues a guarantee letter. Keep all receipts and the medical report for your claim.