Medical tourism breakthrough

From 2024, the Ho Chi Minh City health sector is shaping up to develop into a specialized medical center and a health care center in the ASEAN region. Health tourism (medical tourism - DLYT) is also one of the major goals not only of the Ho Chi Minh City health sector but also of the tourism industry and travel agencies.

Cosmetic surgery is one of the strengths at many medical facilities in Ho Chi Minh City.

Strengths of traditional medicine

Traditional medicine (TM) is considered a strength in DLYT in Ho Chi Minh City, because not only does it have its own unique characteristics, but Ho Chi Minh City also has a healthcare system and human resources considered the strongest in the country.

Seeing the potential of DLYT, since 2017, Ho Chi Minh City Traditional Medicine Hospital has worked with the Department of Tourism and the Department of Health to develop DLYT products. To attract tourists, the Traditional Medicine Hospital actively participates in DLYT events; promotes and provides medical product packages participating in the program and coordinates the production of clips, edits and upgrades travel guides in 5 languages ​​(Vietnamese, English, Cambodian, Thai and Chinese); participates in signing agreements between service providers (hospitals, tourism businesses, health care facilities) and Roadshow programs in Thailand and Cambodia to promote and advertise DLYT Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City.

But more importantly, with the orientation of modernization, developing specialized traditional medicine techniques, combining traditional medicine and modern medicine, Ho Chi Minh City Traditional Medicine Hospital promotes the application of smart technology in the direction of smart hospital, building a suitable operating model, ensuring adequate conditions to welcome delegations to the hospital to visit and experience the services.

At the same time, the hospital prepares personnel with professional qualifications, foreign languages, communication skills, and certificates for medical examination and treatment for foreigners. Build infrastructure to meet the requirements of receiving tourists, design an area for medical examination for foreigners. Build pharmaceutical products, diverse service packages for DLYT. The hospital's products are conveniently packaged for customers to buy for treatment, health care and as gifts. Therefore, from 2021, the number of foreigners coming to the hospital for medical examination is 217 people; in 2022 it is 361 people and in 2023 it is 475 (not including overseas Vietnamese).

"In 2024, the DLYT service packages that the hospital will promote include: acupressure massage to restore health; skin care and beauty. In addition, a reception area will be built, introducing the Vietnamese traditional medicine cultural space to introduce products produced by the hospital. In particular, the hospital will also coordinate with businesses to build a resort care model in tourist areas," informed the leader of the Ho Chi Minh City Traditional Medicine Hospital.

Similarly, Dr. Nguyen Thanh Tuyen, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Institute of Traditional Medicine, said that since 2018, the Institute has participated in introducing Ho Chi Minh City DLYT products in the fields of dentistry and traditional medicine, participating in Roadshows in Cambodia, Ho Chi Minh City International Tourism Fair... to promote DLYT. The Institute has outstanding treatment products such as: medicinal bundles, treatment thread implants, spinal manipulation, cupping, and health care and beauty products. From June 2023 to present, the Institute has served nearly 200 international guests from travel companies to experience DLYT services.

Foreign tourists visit and experience at the Museum of Traditional Medicine in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City

The Ho Chi Minh City Institute of Traditional Medicine also opens specialized training courses on acupuncture and massage for students of French and Italian nationality. The Institute has been developing resolutions, projects, and plans to orientate specialized development, improve priority examination procedures for tourists, upgrade foreign language proficiency and professional skills for medical staff examining and treating foreigners, and at the same time, cooperate with tourism agencies to attract international visitors...

Beauty services, maxillofacial…

In the field of beauty, Dr. Nguyen Thi Phan Thuy, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Dermatology Hospital, said that the hospital has a lot of potential to develop DLYT, such as modern facilities, a team of highly specialized doctors, good service quality, and reasonable medical examination and treatment costs. In recent years, the hospital's Dermatology Department has received many domestic and foreign customers for beauty treatments. Especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, due to restrictions on traveling abroad, many customers sought domestic beauty services and found that the service quality and skills of Vietnamese doctors and nurses were not inferior, and the service prices were much lower than those of other countries. Therefore, after the pandemic, the number of customers coming to the Dermatology Department of the hospital for cosmetic treatments has increased, especially among many international tourists and overseas Vietnamese customers.

"The hospital has implemented the DLYT package since 2020 with 2 aesthetic service packages including a relaxing skin care package and a cosmetic treatment skin care package. The 45 - 90 minute relaxing skin care package includes basic skin care, intensive skin care, suitable for tourists who need to relax, care for, and restore their skin after a journey. The treatment skin care package includes: facial rejuvenation, body slimming; facial shaping; other treatments such as increased sweating of feet, armpits, hand rejuvenation, and rapid bruising. In addition, the hospital also implements an aesthetic treatment package, applying many new methods and modern techniques, such as: Thermage technology, PRP, Laser, IPL, botox injection, filler injection, microneedling, skin peeling...", said Dr. Thuy.

To increase added value, in addition to providing facilities that meet the medical examination and treatment requirements for foreigners, Ho Chi Minh City Dermatology Hospital also has clear instructions in Vietnamese and English; arranges a separate waiting room for DLYT guests and in the waiting room there is internet, a water counter or vending machine; a counter serving cakes and fruits; a screen introducing services in Vietnamese and English; payment can be made by card or account...

"The advantage of the cosmetic tourism package at the hospital is that it is a one-time treatment, effective immediately, painless, bloodless, and takes only about 30 - 120 minutes (depending on the service). After the procedure, customers can continue their journey without needing to rest. Specifically, in 2020, the department received 41,490 customers for beauty treatments, and by 2022, this number will increase to 58,622," said Dr. Thuy.

In addition, the field of high-tech dental work of the Central Hospital of Odonto-Stomatology, Ho Chi Minh City Hospital of Odonto-Stomatology; cosmetic surgery of nose, eyes... at some hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City has developed remarkably, and is considered by many overseas Vietnamese to be of high quality and competitive in price. Therefore, every year, many overseas Vietnamese return to the country to use these services.

Limitations that need to be overcome soon

However, according to the leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City Traditional Medicine Hospital, there are still difficulties. That is, the policies on DLYT are not specific and clear, so medical facilities have to promote their own strengths to develop the DLYT sector. Along with that, the area and infrastructure of the hospital are still narrow; equipment is lacking, not fully meeting the needs of tourists. On the other hand, the price of medical services for tourists, the hospital collects according to state regulations, but the price charged by the travel agency that brings tourists will no longer be suitable.

"Regarding management, there is no agency or association that effectively manages the connection between medical facilities providing medical services and tourism product providers to build a service package including medical and tourism (full treatment service package). Hospitals have not yet met international standards such as JCI or ISO. Although the prices of hospitals or medical facilities in Vietnam are competitive, international visitors rely on quality standards to choose a service provider," the leader of Ho Chi Minh City Hospital of Odonto-Stomatology shared.

The leader of the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital of Odonto-Stomatology added that in terms of human resources, public hospitals must recruit or collaborate with leading professors, doctors, and experts from developed countries to directly examine and treat patients. In addition, the foreign language skills of staff are limited; the communication and promotion network to international visitors to introduce medical services is not yet available; immigration and administrative procedures are still complicated... These shortcomings, if resolved early and effectively, will increase the motivation for breakthroughs in DLYT.

In 2023, the number of international visitors to Ho Chi Minh City is estimated to reach 5 million, domestic visitors are estimated to reach 35 million. Ho Chi Minh City's tourism industry revenue in 2023 is estimated to reach 160,000 billion VND.

Take action

Dr. Nguyen Van Vinh Chau, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, said that for DLYT to develop, both the health sector and the tourism sector must "act together". In particular, the health sector identifies and promotes its strengths (dentistry, general examination, traditional medicine, specialized medicine, etc.); develops more types of disease screening using high technology, builds and provides quality services to meet the diverse needs of health care tourism. The tourism sector needs to connect and advise tourists with facilities that deploy DLYT services, connect hotels and resorts to create an ecosystem to ensure the provision of services combining health care and tourism, and form a DLYT call center in the city, etc.

Citing lessons from DLYT countries in the ASEAN region that attract many tourists to use health care services such as Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Dr. Vinh Chau also proposed 7 groups of solutions for Ho Chi Minh City to soon become the health care center of the ASEAN region. In particular, to attract tourists, it is necessary to form multidisciplinary medical centers, along with high-tech disease screening centers...

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/dot-pha-du-lich-y-te-185240106234725425.htm