Well-off Vietnamese Receiving Medical Treatment Overseas on the Rise
The country’s remarkable economic growth has seen an increasing number of Vietnamese patients go abroad for medical treatment.
Vu Huu Dong, of Thailand Bangkok Hospital’s representative office in Ho Chi Minh City, confirmed the trend saying since opening in 2000, his office had sent hundreds of patients to Thailand.
He said while the number this year alone was 135, those seeking medical consultation rose 2-3 times.
Most of those going to Bangkok were for heart ailments, mental illnesses, and plastic surgery, Dong added.
Chief of Thailand Bumrungrad International Hospital’s office in HCMC, Huynh Ngoc Hoang Vy, said improved living conditions were leading to more health concerns among Vietnamese.
Up to 80 per cent of those seeking information at the office actually went overseas for treatment, he added.
The number of patients receiving medical care at Bumrungrad hospital in Thailand last year was 3.6 times as much as in 2003, he said. Heart ailments, tumors, vertebrae and cosmetic surgery, and marrow implants were the most common cases, Vy said.
The hospital also runs two hotels in Thailand for overseas outpatients and their relatives, which a good number of Vietnamese patients use.
Many wealthy Vietnamese going overseas cared more about the treatment quality than fees, Vy added.
HCMC-based Family Medical Practice, which mainly provides medical and emergency services for foreigners in Vietnam, recently launched a program to help send Vietnamese abroad for medical assistance.
The demands were actually growing, thanks to Vietnam’s recent economic strides, Dr Rafi Kot, its director, said.
Another city institute, the French-Vietnamese (FV) Hospital, is set to sign September an agreement with the Singapore National Heart Center for treating Vietnamese heart patients in Singapore.
Vietnam’s first-ever emergency craft coming
With demand for overseas health care soaring, Australia’s Global Air Services (GAS) has purchased a US$2.5 million Learjet for use in medical emergencies in Vietnam.
The project has been jointly launched by GAS, Vietnam Air Services Co. (Vasco) and domestic hospitals.
The jet is fully equipped with 1-2 patient beds as well as other state-of-the-art emergency equipment.
The aircraft, which should have arrived in early August, was awaiting the completion of formalities, GAS’s project manager in HCMC, Le Do Yen Huong, said.
In the past, foreign-owned hospitals in Vietnam contacted airlines from other countries to transport patients in grave condition.
Bumrungrad and Family Medical Practice used Thai aircraft while SOS International used emergency aircraft from Singapore or Thailand to pick up patients in Vietnam.
Kot said starting an emergency airlift service for Vietnamese and foreigners was vital.
GAS said Vietnam actually needed three aircraft to cater to the surging emergency demand.
Reported by Thanh Tung – Translated by Ngoc Hanh
Story from Thanh Nien News
Published: 28 August, 2005, 11:17:06 (GMT+7)
Copyright Thanh Nien News
