Vietnam aims to become healthcare destination

Illustrative image (Photo: benhvien108.vn)

Hanoi (VNA) – K.V., a 53-year-old
who became sick from anthrax while at sea, recovered within just a week of
treatment for the infection in Vietnam.

He said he felt fortunate to be in the country where
he received care from dedicated doctors and nurses.

Vietnam has also done well in containing the COVID-19
pandemic, he added. Local medical facilities have therefore proven they are able
to treat patients, foreign and local alike, to a high standard.

K.V. is one of the many foreigners who underwent medical
treatment in Vietnam during the pandemic.

With initial success in COVID-19 prevention and
control, Vietnam could become a trusted healthcare destination for foreigners
and Vietnamese living abroad, experts have said.

Associate Professor and Dr. Nguyen Lan Hieu, Director
of the Hanoi Medical University Hospital, said Vietnam has secured a new image
in the eyes of international friends for its smart selection of measures to fight
the coronavirus despite having limited resources.

The country gained success in both prevention and
treatment, in particular the treatment of severe cases, which gives it a great
opportunity to promote its healthcare sector and attract foreign as well as
local patients.

Hieu explained that large numbers of Vietnamese travel
abroad to seek medical care. The pandemic made this difficult, however, and was
an opportunity for the local to prove its worth.

He also pointed to a range of difficulties faced by
the local sector, firstly how to be transparently self-reliant and attract
patients from around the world.

The Ministry of Health needs to introduce circulars
guiding hospitals investing in equipment and services, Hieu said and suggested
stepping up and setting prices for services.

To win the confidence of patients in general and
foreigners in particular and to satisfy their requirements, expertise of
doctors plays the most significant role, he said, adding if Vietnam can attract
patients thanks to this factor, it then becomes easier to improve service
quality./.