RUDYANTO, 52, had long suffered from a thyroid disorder. An employee of the Pertamina-Medco company, his ailment had been examined in two major hospitals in Jakarta. After calculating the medical fee, however, his employer decided to send him to the Pantai Medical Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. "The rate is not much different," he was told by the company's finance section.

There, hospital service made Rudyanto feel at ease. &