PETALING JAYA: The New Straits Times came out tops in the Medical Travel Media Awards, with Nadia Badarudin bagging Medical Travel Journalist of the Year for her story on Datuk Siti Nurhaliza’s heartwarming journey to motherhood.
Nadia beat other finalists from Radio Televisyen Malaysia, The Star and Total Croatia News.
The same article, published in Heal, the newspaper’s health and wellness pullout on Tuesdays, also won Best Print Report.
Nadia took home RM8,000 for each award and also won the Grand Prize of a three-day, two-night stay at The Haven to experience the country’s medical tourism.
The NST’s sister paper, Berita Harian, bagged the Highly Commended prize for Medical Travel Editorial Team of the Year.
The awards were given out by Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Amiruddin Hamzah at the inaugural awards, organised by the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council.
MHTC chief executive officer Sherene Azli said the media’s efforts had been instrumental for Malaysia’s transition from being the hidden jewel of Asia to one of the leading healthcare travel destinations in the world.