The seminar is an important milestone, marking the official start of a new direction: Dental tourism - connecting high-quality healthcare and cultural experiences in Dong Thap as well as the Mekong Delta region.
New tourism ideas in the Southwest region
Opening the discussion, specialist doctor 2 Pham Kim Thanh, Chairman of the Board of Directors and General Director of Phuong Thanh Dental One Member Limited Liability Company, said that the idea of forming a dental tourism model comes from the fact that many overseas Vietnamese, foreign visitors and people in big cities have the need to return to their homeland to have their teeth done at a reasonable cost, with good quality, while combining relaxation, healing and cultural connection.
“Since 2022, we have begun to nurture and test the integrated model of high-tech dental examination and treatment - resort - cultural experience, as a new way to take advantage of the existing local potential.
This is a very new model in the Southwest region, and for us, it is just the first step on a longer journey ahead,” shared specialist doctor Pham Kim Thanh.
Phuong Thanh Dental Clinic also hopes to work with units, organizations, local authorities... to plan a long-term development roadmap so that this model is not just "a clinic's initiative", but part of the local medical tourism strategy; spreading the image of Dong Thap as a place with decent medical services, humane tourism, unique experiences, and further, a destination for recovery.
According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Dong Thap province, the model of medical tourism in general or dental tourism in particular has existed for a long time in developed countries and has recently developed strongly in Asian countries. This is a great opportunity for Vietnam, especially provinces with tourism potential, to take advantage of the opportunity to increase revenue and make a mark on the world medical map.
In the tourism development orientation of Dong Thap province until 2025, the province identifies tourism development as one of the key areas. To achieve this goal, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Dong Thap province will focus on developing green and sustainable tourism, while preserving and promoting the cultural, historical and ecological values of the locality.
Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Dong Thap province Huynh Thi Hoai Thu said: “We have been promoting tourism activities, developing diverse and attractive tourism products, from eco-tourism, community tourism to health care services.
Regarding the potential of the dental tourism model in Dong Thap, we consider this a feasible model, solving many current tourism problems of the province."
According to Ms. Huynh Thi Hoai Thu, with the strong development of medical tourism, the demand for high-quality dental services from domestic and foreign tourists is increasing. Dong Thap can fully meet this demand by improving service quality and investing in infrastructure. In addition, the dental tourism model will not only create jobs for local people, but also contribute to the sustainable economic development of the province.
According to the Department of Health of Dong Thap province, dental tourism has existed in the world for more than 20 years. In recent years, the health care system of Dong Thap province has developed a lot with many health care service providers being invested in more and more thoroughly. The province has a number of hospitals and clinics that meet international standards and are operating effectively, meeting the health care needs of people in and outside the province.
Regarding dentistry, Dong Thap province currently has about 105 qualified dental clinics, including private clinics and public hospitals. The scale of these facilities is very diverse, from small clinics to large dental centers with full modern equipment.
“From the perspective of health management, we see that the dental tourism model brings many opportunities. Specifically, dental tourism creates a healthy natural competitive environment, requiring local dental facilities to constantly improve service quality, update advanced technology, and meet the increasing needs of tourists according to international standards. By experiencing tourism, during the treatment process, it will help the patient feel more comfortable, and also better support the treatment process.
By providing a full package of services with full amenities, I believe that we will leave a deep impression of Dong Thap dental tourism brand on the medical map", Director of Dong Thap Provincial Department of Health Doan Tan Buu affirmed.
Lots of potential but not a few challenges
The leaders of the Department of Health of Dong Thap province believe that dental tourism is a golden opportunity for the province to welcome investment waves in the fields of health and tourism, enhancing the reputation of the province's brand, thereby solving other problems such as job creation, attracting labor... creating momentum for the province's development.
However, besides the opportunities, dental tourism also poses many challenges. First is the need to ensure stable service quality. The provincial tourism industry needs to have strict standards and regulations to ensure the quality of dental tourism services, avoiding "price gouging", affecting the reputation of the tourism and healthcare industries.
In addition, there should be a set of standards to serve as a basis for proposing a “dental tourism map” of the province, guiding customers to find the right service and the right address. Because of the nature of tourism dentistry, there will be obstacles in terms of time and geographical distance, so policies on warranty and insurance for customers must also be built reasonably and clearly.
Director of Dong Thap Province Department of Health Doan Tan Buu said that for dental tourism to be successful, there needs to be smooth and professional coordination from units and local authorities. In addition to ensuring quality in treatment, the tourism stage also needs to meet the health status and needs of customers. Units must work regularly to offer reasonable and competitive service packages to attract customers. Facilities also need to be upgraded and regularly inspected to ensure the customer experience.
On the part of the Dong Thap Provincial Department of Health, we will create the most favorable conditions for dental clinics to develop dental tourism, especially those that boldly take the lead in the province's overall development mission. At the same time, the department will also strengthen inspection and supervision, ensure service quality, and protect the rights of patients.
Mr. Doan Tan Buu also affirmed that the potential for dental tourism in Dong Thap exists and there is still a lot of potential to exploit. The seminar "Dental tourism - development potential" can be said to be the first shot to form a model, a standard dental tourism process with the brand of Dong Thap province.
At the workshop, Professor, Doctor, Doctor Vo Truong Nhu Ngoc, Deputy Director of the Institute of Dentistry Training, Hanoi Medical University, also provided a "picture" of the development trend of global dental tourism and upcoming trends.
Professor Ngoc believes that Vietnam is an attractive destination with diverse landscapes and climates, increasingly modern hotel and resort infrastructure, and convenient international transportation. Customers can combine dental health care with beach vacations, exploring cultural heritage, cuisine, etc.
Thus, it can be affirmed that the potential for developing dental tourism in Vietnam is extremely large to attract international visitors, overseas Vietnamese... to come for treatment, relaxation and healing. Dental tourism is opening up a promising development direction for the Vietnamese dental industry in the context of global integration. With the advantages of modern technology, competitive costs, a team of high-quality doctors and a diverse tourism environment, Vietnam has every opportunity to become an ideal destination in the region and the world.
“With the rapid development of technology and the strong integration between healthcare and tourism, I believe that Vietnam, especially localities with strengths such as Dong Thap province, can completely become the leading high-tech dental tourism center of Southeast Asia in the near future,” Professor Vo Truong Nhu Ngoc wishes.
Member of the Provincial Standing Committee, Vice Chairman of the Dong Thap Provincial People's Council Pham Van Chuan assessed the dental tourism model as a unique model. Dong Thap is one of the localities with great potential to develop medical tourism models, especially dental tourism.
“We appreciate the dynamism, creativity and pioneering spirit of Phuong Thanh Dental Clinic in Sa Dec city in building the “dental tourism” model. This is not only an effective business model, but also contributes to promoting the image of Dong Thap as a friendly, modern, and unique destination with the ability to compete on the national medical tourism map,” said Vice Chairman of Dong Thap Provincial People’s Council Pham Van Chuan.
Comrade Pham Van Chuan also affirmed that Dong Thap province creates favorable conditions in terms of mechanisms, infrastructure, and policies for medical facilities and tourism businesses to develop a model combining medical and tourism. Encourage businesses to cooperate in building tours - health care - resorts.
The province accompanies facilities such as Phuong Thanh Dental Clinic to expand and spread the model throughout the province. We also call on experts, businesses, professional organizations, and training facilities to continue to contribute ideas and suggestions, and join hands to develop the dental tourism model sustainably, contributing to the local economy and improving the quality of life for the people.
Source: https://nhandan.vn/dong-thap-du-lich-nha-khoa-tiem-nang-phat-trien-post890338.html
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