Detailed information about hospitals in Vietnam

Assuming you are a foreigner living in Vietnam, the chances of getting sick are higher. The country's tropical climate can be uncomfortable for your body and it may take some time before you get used to it. So it's good to know the basics of how to get to a hospital in Vietnam without having to worry about language barriers, cultural differences or administrative complications.

With that in mind, this guide will show you the options available in Vietnam for medical care, how to make an appointment, and what to expect when you visit one of the public or private hospitals. private of the country.

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Detailed information about hospitals in Vietnam- Quality of treatment

Detailed information about hospitals in Vietnam

In recent years, Vietnam's healthcare quality has achieved remarkable achievements. Although those achievements are not enough to make Vietnam a health powerhouse like other countries, it also responds well to healthcare services for Vietnamese and foreigners. Compared to hospitals in rural areas, those at the central and city levels have better facilities and quality doctors. Public hospitals are the mainstay of Vietnam's health sector. They are divided into three levels with large disparities. For example, the top tier hospitals provide excellent care while the lower tier hospitals are not as good (more on that later). Over the past decade, private clinics with modern facilities and professional staff have been opened while international healthcare companies have entered Vietnam. That trend enhances the variety of options and increases the overall quality of treatment. As a sign of rising quality, medical tourism is taking shape in Vietnam, attracting patients even from countries with advanced healthcare networks. In addition, Vietnamese doctors have achieved international recognition in a number of areas such as infertility treatment, laparoscopic surgery and oral care. They provide customers with the same good services as in the West but charge a fraction of the cost.

Doctor quality

Detailed information about hospitals in Vietnam- Doctor quality

Like in any other country, becoming a doctor in Vietnam is extremely difficult and requires many difficulties. Prestigious medical schools only admit the best students, who will have to undergo 9 to 10 years of intensive training before they can become certified doctors. Some doctors even continue to receive further training abroad. This ensures confidence in the quality of the doctor. However, in Vietnam there is a second path to becoming a doctor, a more controversial path. Students from a physician assistant program that only lasts three years can work for a while before returning to medical school and studying for an additional four years to become a physician. Their quality is questionable, but the good news is that you can hardly find them in major hospitals.

It is important to remember that doctors in Vietnam have mastered a large number of complex techniques and cure rare diseases. While it has been an exhausting year for the global medical community, 2020 marks an important milestone for the Vietnamese healthcare network as doctors from Ho Chi Minh City successfully separate a couple Conjoined twins in an extremely complicated surgery. The activity caused a huge stir on social media and was hailed as a great achievement. Previously, a surgery of this scale required foreign support, but now, Vietnamese doctors have control over all aspects. If they can deal with rare, dangerous birth defects, they can deal with anything.

Detailed information about hospitals in Vietnam- Types of Hospitals

Hospitals in Vietnam are very similar to Thailand. They can be divided into three groups:

• Government Hospital

• Premium clinics provided by government hospitals

• Private and international hospitals

They also have the same advantages and disadvantages as their counterparts in Thailand.

Public hospitals offer quality treatment but are difficult to navigate, have long waiting times and you need to speak Vietnamese.

High-end clinics have shorter wait times but are also more expensive.

Private hospitals are a popular choice because they're much more convenient — but they also charge more.

Let's take a closer look at each one.

Government Hospital

Public hospitals in Vietnam are divided into three levels:

• Central

• Provincial level

• District level

Central hospitals are distributed throughout the major cities of Vietnam. They have good doctors who are adept at treating serious illnesses.

Some popular names in the North of Vietnam

• Bach Mai Hospital (the largest hospital in Hanoi),

• K Hospital (the largest cancer hospital in Vietnam)

• Viet Duc Hospital (Hanoi, the largest surgical center in Vietnam).

• Cho Ray Hospital is the largest hospital in Ho Chi Minh City.

Premium services from government hospitals

Major public hospitals in Vietnam provide premium health care services outside of mandatory health insurance coverage. Patients who choose those services (Vietnamese means "service examination") are received faster, receive a more comprehensive examination and receive better medicine. Of course, they have to pay much higher fees out of their own pocket. However, the cost of premium services is still cheaper than what private hospitals provide. This is a popular choice of the middle class in Vietnam. Premium services come with greater satisfaction, but during peak hours or times when hospital capacity is strained, their quality can suffer. This is the biggest source of income for many public hospitals, which always welcome hard cash flow from foreign clients.

Private and international hospitals

As expected, private and international hospitals in Vietnam provide excellent and expensive healthcare services. They are usually geared towards expats living in Vietnam and wealthy Vietnamese, and they hire foreign experts or overseas-trained Vietnamese doctors. Hospitals of this type have short wait times and high customer satisfaction rates because they are commercial businesses. In addition, the language barrier is not an issue when you are cared for by Western doctors or at least Vietnamese doctors who are fluent in English. The leading name in this field is probably Vinmec, which has opened many clinics across Vietnam. This is also one of the leading companies in Vietnam's fledgling medical tourism industry. Other great destinations are

Hanoi French Hospital
International SOS Clinic (Hanoi)
Hoan My Medical Group (many clinics across Vietnam)
Raffles Medical Clinic (many branches across Vietnam)
Franco-Vietnamese Hospital (Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City)
Columbia Asia International Hospital (Ho Chi Minh City).

Now that you know the three main places where you can get treatment in Vietnam, let's look at the pros and cons of going to a hospital in the country.

International schools in district 7

International schools in district Thu Duc

Detailed information about hospitals in Vietnam- Find a hospital

No one wants to get sick and have to go to the hospital, especially abroad, but if you have to, it's important to make the visit quick and simple. The first step is to find a hospital near you. To get some word-of-mouth recommendations, ask your friends or colleagues. Otherwise, you can Google certain terms like “hospitals near me” and Google Maps will show you a list of nearby hospitals. Remember that expensive private clinics are always the top results while public hospitals are somewhere near the bottom. If you don't want to search for hospitals on your own, we have provided you with a list of popular hospitals in Vietnam's largest provinces and cities.

Detailed information about hospitals in Vietnam- Visiting the hospital

When physically visiting a hospital in Vietnam, there may be some differences for locals and foreigners depending on the type of hospital. If you are going to choose a public hospital, bring a bilingual Vietnamese friend in case you find the doctor's English is not enough. Always carry your passport with you, regardless of whether your hospital is private or not. It is essential for the registration process even if you have a follow-up appointment or an online appointment.

Make an appointment (Optional)

Detailed information about hospitals in Vietnam- Visiting the hospital

For public clinics in Vietnam - even large central hospitals - you do not need to make an appointment.

All you need to do is walk in, go to the front desk and register yourself. As a result, the websites of many public hospitals do not support the online appointment booking function.

In contrast, most private hospitals allow you to book an appointment and even choose a doctor or specialist. You simply enter your personal information, the date and time of your appointment, along with your special request (if applicable). The standard time for the hospital to send you a response varies, usually 12 to 24 hours.

Signing up

At public hospitals, it can take some time to register.

First, you need to walk to the registration counter, get your order number, then sit down on the bench and wait patiently for your turn. There are always some large LED panels displayed on top of them.

When it's yours, go to the desk, hand over your passport, health records ("medical check-up book" in Vietnamese) and health insurance card (if applicable).

If you don't have a health record, you can buy it on the spot.

If this is your first visit to the hospital, the receptionist will ask you to fill out several forms.

This information - along with your medical history - will be stored on the hospital's computer so the next time you only have to submit your health records.

Once you've checked in, tell the front desk which department you want to go to.

The front desk staff will give you the department number and instructions on how to get there. The front desk will keep your health insurance card until you finish your visit.

If you are unsure of your condition, the front desk will decide it for you or you will be directed to see a GP. If you decide to go for the premium services, the front desk will charge you a fee, then direct you to the department of your choice.

You'll still have to wait for your queue number after this step, but if you have health insurance, you'll be moving much faster. Assuming that you are too old or pregnant, the front desk staff may choose to process your application immediately. At large hospitals, where the queues are long, Vietnamese patients can be approached by individuals claiming to be related to the hospital's boss, and for a price, helping them get in faster. There are no reports of foreigners being targeted by this scam, but if you are, don't believe them. In private hospitals, the process is very similar, only the waiting time is shorter.

If you have booked an appointment, the front desk will verify then guide you through the steps to see the doctor.

See a doctor and get medicine

Some hospitals can be very large, so feel free to ask for directions from staff. After arriving at the department of your choice, hand over your health records to the data entry nurse and wait for your turn. Each department consists of many rooms, each room has a doctor. Again, keep an eye out for the overhead LED panel. When your number is called, go to the room to see the doctor.

In public hospitals, the standard procedure is like this. Your doctor will first ask about your symptoms and perform some simple techniques, like checking your pulse or observing your throat.

If you are only mildly ill, they will stop here and give you medicine. For more complex cases, you will be sent to other departments to perform related tests. Again, when you're in another department, take your number and wait for your turn. If you're using premium services, you'll have to pay for each service you use before you go to the doctor.

After you return to receive the test results, your doctor will study them and make a conclusive diagnosis. Usually, they will give you a prescription and ask you to come in for a follow-up visit.

After that, you get your health records back, go back to the registration counter to get your health insurance card and pay all expenses that are not covered by health insurance.

You can now go to the hospital pharmacy to get your medicine before you go home. For private hospitals, the process is somewhat similar, but you'll have more time to talk to your doctor.

Get admitted to hospital

In severe cases, your doctor will ask you to stay in the hospital. You will then be given room options, from private to shared (2 to 5 beds) or even “shared” rooms (more than 10 beds). In a public hospital, you can sign up for VIP services and stay in a comfortable room. Otherwise, you'll likely end up in a room with fewer creature comforts and amenities. Moreover, if you are in a private hospital, there will be different expensive options for you to choose from. We have covered health insurance throughout this article, so let's take a quick look at how health insurance works in Vietnam.

Health Insurance

Detailed information about hospitals in Vietnam- Health Insurance

Vietnam's compulsory health insurance program covers 80% of treatment costs in most cases. It applies to all public and private hospitals that are affiliated with the Social Security Administration of Vietnam. If you are treated by a hospital that is not part of the Social Security network, you will have to pay for the treatment yourself first and get a refund afterwards. If you have a private or international health insurance plan, double check before going to a public hospital. Many public hospitals do not work with independent insurance providers. On the other hand, so are many private hospitals.