Japanese brands are gaining popularity as their prices become more competitive, altering the traditional preferences for American and European products. The government is determined to provide adequate medical services to the entire population, and healthcare has been a high priority on its agenda. Purchases of high-end scanners were also on the rise as a result of a burst in healthcare expenditures and the high expectations of wealthy Malaysian patients. The economic crisis caused a significant decrease in purchases of high-end equipment. The trend of scaling down purchases is most apparent in Malaysia, where demand is relatively strong and capital is available, although limited.
Buyers now have a fixed and stable price for purchases of medical diagnostic equipment.
Japanese manufacturers continue to dominate the market, with Hitachi and Toshiba in the lead. Toshiba Medical has a strong presence in the markets for MRI, CT, and ultrasound scanners. Healthcare provisions vary widely throughout the country, with the most developed islands, like East Java and Sumatra, offering much better availability of services than the smaller, less-populated islands. The Indonesian market for medical diagnostics is extremely price sensitive. Traditionally, government expenditure on healthcare has been minimal, thereby encouraging the growth of the private sector, from which arises most of the demand for medical diagnostics.