According to data from the National Tourism Administration, from 2017 to 2024, the number of international tourists visiting Vietnam for health tourism increased by an average of 12% per year. In Da Nang city, many medical facilities have seized this trend and invested in purchasing medical equipment, improving service quality and infrastructure to serve tourists, such as Da Nang Hospital, Hospital 199, Hoan My Hospital, Vinmec Hospital, etc. Since 2017, Da Nang Traditional Medicine Hospital has established a "Medical Tourism" unit to provide medical examination, treatment, and health recovery services for tourists and foreigners.
Da Nang Hospital has also established separate outpatient and inpatient areas operating as a closed-loop system. Since 2018, Da Nang Hospital has implemented international insurance. To date, 15 global health insurance companies have signed agreements with Da Nang Hospital, committing to paying for domestic health insurance for customers from Europe, America, West Asia, East Asia, etc., who come to Da Nang Hospital for treatment. This is a form of global international health insurance that is covered in Vietnam.
Organizing a birthday celebration for a tourist patient at Da Nang Hospital.
Dr. Le Duc Nhan, Director of Da Nang Hospital, said that the number of foreign tourists coming to Da Nang Hospital for examination and treatment has increased dramatically: “We have global international health insurance coverage in Vietnam. This proves that Da Nang Hospital in Da Nang city has sufficient capacity to handle health-related issues for patients who come to Da Nang for tourism or relaxation but unfortunately experience medical problems. Therefore, the number of foreign patients treated at the hospital has increased dramatically.”
Da Nang City currently has a comprehensive system of hospitals and healthcare facilities of all types, including 29 public and private general and specialized hospitals. To date, 14 hospitals in Da Nang have established high-quality treatment areas and areas for treatment on demand for tourists. Nine hospitals have signed agreements with 60 international health insurance companies to process health insurance payments for patients receiving examination and treatment in Vietnam. Over the past five years, more than 50,000 international visitors have visited healthcare facilities in Da Nang City for examination and treatment.
Foreign tourists receive medical examination and treatment at a hospital in Da Nang.
Da Nang City also has strengths in tourism combined with conferences and exhibitions (MICE). Scientific research and technology application are also strengths of Da Nang's healthcare sector and are a key requirement for its development. In recent years, Da Nang has been considered a destination for organizing scientific and technological conferences and seminars, medical seminars, and academic conferences. In the past three years alone, there have been 92 international scientific conferences, some attracting hundreds of foreign experts.
Ms. Tran Thanh Thuy, Director of the Da Nang Department of Health, stated that the city's health sector recognizes that developing medical tourism contributes to economic growth and serves as a driving force to improve the quality and modernize services, gradually integrating into the regional and global healthcare sector: “Currently, healthcare facilities lack connectivity, and units are operating independently based on their own needs and capabilities. We need branded medical service packages to build a medical tourism brand for Da Nang.”
Da Nang City has the potential to become a leading medical tourism center in Central Vietnam and the entire country. However, this type of medical tourism in Da Nang is still in its initial stages. The current service packages for examination, treatment, and healthcare lack clear definition to serve as a basis for promotion and marketing. Currently, healthcare facilities are focusing on developing their own products but lack coordination with each other. Da Nang's medical tourism faces significant competition from countries with developed healthcare systems such as Thailand, India, Malaysia, Singapore, and South Korea, as well as from domestic markets like Ho Chi Minh City. Da Nang also lacks a medical visa policy and has not yet developed or organized medical tourism programs that combine sightseeing and healthcare.
Mr. Le Tan Thanh Tung, Deputy General Director of VITRACO Tourism - Events - Transportation Company, believes that health and wellness tourism is an inevitable trend and a preferred mode of travel for tourists. Da Nang needs to quickly develop health and wellness tourism products as its flagship tourism product.
Mr. Le Tan Thanh Tung suggested that Da Nang city should take the lead in implementing a long-term medical visa policy: “The current demand for medical tourism is very high. The city needs a plan to exploit potential customer sources, for example, Japanese tourists with needs for elderly care and nursing; Korean tourists interested in cosmetic surgery, dentistry, and general health check-ups. Policies should be enacted to attract large investors from certain foreign markets with medical tourism.”
Foreign tourists come to Hospital 199 for medical examination and treatment.
The Da Nang Medical Tourism Development Plan for the period 2025-2030 sets the overall goal of improving the quality of medical services to develop medical tourism in Da Nang, contributing to economic growth. Accordingly, by 2025, 100% of tourist areas and attractions in the city must be connected to the healthcare network, deploying digital technology platforms to integrate medical information and support tourists.
By the end of 2026, the city will develop at least 5 tourism-integrated medical service packages and ensure that 80% of tourist destinations have staff trained in basic medical skills. From 2027, the city aims to complete the system for managing health check-ups and treatments through digital technology applications, making it easy for tourists to access information, register for services, and book appointments online. By 2030, Da Nang will have at least 2 medical facilities meeting international standards in professional competence and service quality.
Mr. Tran Chi Cuong, Vice Chairman of the Da Nang City People's Committee, affirmed that the city has oriented itself towards developing medical services into a professional tourism product, creating a breakthrough growth pole in the coming time: "We are combining Eastern and Western medicine to create a package of excellent treatment products for tourists, becoming a core product of the city's tourism. When people mention medical examination and treatment, it's not just Singapore, not just Malaysia, Thailand, but Da Nang will be a shining example."
Source: https://baolaocai.vn/da-nang-dat-muc-tieu-tro-thanh-diem-den-du-lich-y-te-post401772.html
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