A successful fetal cardiac intervention performed on a Singaporean patient by doctors from Children’s Hospital 1 and Từ Dũ Hospital in HCM City brings bright prospects ahead. Photo suckhoedoisong.vn

Việt Nam is increasingly becoming a trusted destination for medical treatment, not only known for its stunning landscapes, rich culture, and cuisine, but also for its high-quality, reasonably priced healthcare and professional services.

According to estimates from the Ministry of Health, around 300,000 people from abroad come to Việt Nam for medical examinations and treatment each year.

Recently, a successful fetal cardiac intervention performed on a Singaporean patient by doctors from Children’s Hospital 1 and Từ Dũ Hospital in HCM City drew regional medical community attention.

The success of the operation not only demonstrated the capability of Vietnamese doctors to master and apply advanced techniques but also served as a boost to attract more foreign patients to Việt Nam.

Minister of Health Đào Hồng Lan sent a commendation letter to the medical team and hospital leadership.

She noted that the successful fetal heart intervention opened up great potential for developing advanced medical techniques and building international trust and reputation for Việt Nam’s healthcare sector.

In another case, a family from Australia living in Bali in Indonesia brought their four-year-old daughter to Việt Nam for single-incision laparoscopic surgery to treat a choledochal cyst, a technique successfully performed in only two hospitals worldwide.

The girl recovered quickly, with a small incision and no large scars. The family was completely satisfied with their choice to come to Việt Nam.

At Việt Đức Hospital in Hà Nội, a 30-year-old Vietnamese expatriate in New Zealand successfully underwent reconstruction surgery for the perineum and anal sphincter after three failed operations in New Zealand.

She was discharged in good health after 10 days and she and her Iranian husband expressed their complete satisfaction with the treatment and care provided.

Việt Đức Hospital’s Colorectal and Perineal Surgery Centre has recently treated numerous patients from Poland, Hungary, Japan, and the UK who had previously failed to have successful treatment for anal fistulas or abscesses abroad.

Foreign patients are increasingly choosing Việt Nam due to the improving quality of healthcare services, significantly lower treatment costs compared to other countries, and the professional skills of Vietnamese medical workers, which are on par with those in developed nations.

HCM City, accounting for over 40 per cent of international patients using medical services in Việt Nam, has immense potential for developing medical tourism if it is effectively promoted and supported by suitable policies.

Seize the opportunity

The rising number of foreign patients presents a major opportunity for medical tourism, a sector with significant development potential in Việt Nam.

To stay ahead of this trend, major hospitals are actively training high-quality personnel, upgrading infrastructure, and fostering international cooperation.

Speaking with Tuổi Trẻ (Youth) newspaper, Dr Nguyễn Thanh Tuyên, deputy director of the Institute of Traditional Medicine in HCM City, said that the institute had been developing medical tourism for about three years.

While this aligns with the institute’s development direction, the results so far have been modest and not reflective of its potential, according to Tuyên.

Despite participating in promotional efforts with the city's tourism authority and travel agencies, most engagements remain at the exploratory or introductory stage. There haven’t been many actual collaborative tours, primarily due to limited group bookings from travel agencies.

As a result, the institute mainly serves individual international clients.

Still, medical tourism remains a top priority for the institute, with future plans focusing on working closely with travel companies to meet the diverse needs of international tourists. They also aim to develop a team of highly skilled, communicative medical workers offering comprehensive services from reception to treatment.

“There are differences in needs among travellers from various countries, depending on disease patterns and interest in Vietnamese medicine. We need tailored collaboration models to suit each group’s specific needs,” Dr Tuyên said.

A leader from a top-tier specialist hospital in HCM City noted that public hospitals still faced challenges in developing medical tourism, with relatively low numbers of foreign patients. International visitors and patients often chose aesthetic clinics or large private medical centres.

However, the HCM City Dermatology Hospital, a first-class specialist facility, has become a prestigious destination for treating dermatological and cosmetic conditions for both local and international clients.

According to Dr Nguyễn Thị Phan Thuý, the hospital's director, its main draw is the solid expertise of its highly trained doctors, combining modern medicine with advanced cosmetic technologies.

The hospital is now offering specialised packages such as full-body rejuvenation, post-treatment skincare, medical-beauty hybrids, and tailored medical tourism programmes for overseas Vietnamese.

The Central Military Hospital 108 authorities said that their development strategy involved ongoing staff training and expanded research and study partnerships with over 40 countries and various international organisations.

This helped bring global medical expertise and techniques to Việt Nam.

Such medical achievements not only improved patients’ quality of life but also reflected Việt Nam’s growing medical capacity and international integration.

The hospital aimed to be a trusted, friendly healthcare destination, not only for military personnel and locals but also for foreigners living, working, or visiting Việt Nam.

The HCM City Dermatology Hospital has become a trusted destination for treating dermatological and cosmetic conditions. Photo bvdl.org.vn

Resources and capabilities

Dr Tăng Chí Thượng, director of the HCM City Department of Health, said that more and more international visitors were seeking medical care in Việt Nam thanks to its good service quality and competitive pricing.

In addition to infrastructure investments, hospitals in HCM City were striving to improve their expertise to meet international standards and working with global insurance companies, facilitating foreign patient access to treatment.

According to Dr Vũ Nam from the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality at the National Economics University (and former Deputy Director of the Tourism Market Department, Việt Nam National Administration of Tourism), medical tourism and health/wellness tourism are fast-growing trends globally.

Việt Nam possesses the necessary resources and potential to develop both sectors.

Health-focused tourism options like hot spring resorts, spas, meditation, and traditional wellness have become widespread.

However, medical tourism, which involves in-depth medical diagnosis and treatment, still has room for growth.

First, Việt Nam now has a network of modern hospitals, many of which meet international standards, especially in major cities like Hà Nội and HCM City.

Second, Vietnamese doctors are highly skilled, comparable to their regional and global peers.

Third, beyond modern medicine, Việt Nam offers substantial potential in traditional medicine, with options like acupuncture and herbal treatments.

Finally, treatment costs in Việt Nam remain far more affordable than in many other countries.

Việt Nam’s tourism development strategy toward 2030 also emphasises high-quality, diverse, and distinctive tourism products.

Among those, health-oriented tourism, such as medical and wellness tourism, is a priority, leveraging the country’s natural resources, cultural richness, and national identity. VNS