Integrating "medical tourism"

When hospitals turn to tourism.

During her trip, Brenda Eleanor Ingram (an Australian) unfortunately had an unexpected accident. She was taken to Vinh Duc General Hospital, where doctors diagnosed her with a complex fractured right femur, as well as several co-existing conditions related to the lungs, cardiovascular system, and metabolic disorders. She subsequently underwent surgery at the hospital.

Brenda Eleanor Ingram said that this was probably an unforgettable experience in Vietnam. She was also one of many foreign patients treated and cared for at Vinh Duc General Hospital.

Recently, Vinh Duc General Hospital was licensed by the Department of Health to be recognized as a qualified unit for conducting health examinations for foreigners in the province.

To achieve this recognition, in 2020, Vinh Duc General Hospital established an International Treatment Unit with the goal of providing healthcare according to international standards, suitable for tourists as well as foreign experts working in Vietnam.

From the experience of receiving, treating, and caring for international patients, this unit has gradually embraced the trend of combining the development of the healthcare and tourism sectors.

Not only has Vinh Duc General Hospital become a familiar name among the expat community in the Central region, but it has also been consistently chosen as the healthcare provider for international cultural and artistic events held in Quang Nam . This is an opportunity for the hospital's brand to be further recognized by foreigners.

Mr. Tran Cong An, Director of Vinh Duc General Hospital, said that to become a trusted address for foreigners, in addition to meeting international standards, the hospital has connected with and reached out to foreign tourists through various channels. Feedback from international patients has served as a bridge, enabling the hospital to welcome more tourists to Vietnam for travel and work.

"We have boldly taken the initiative, proactively developing medical examination and treatment procedures specifically for foreign visitors. In addition, we have also introduced separate service packages with specific prices to facilitate foreign tourists and travel agencies," said Mr. Tran Cong An.

According to a representative from the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in recent years, tourism products related to health care have begun to receive attention and investment in Quang Nam, creating a highlight for tourists. These range from activities at the Tak Ngo ginseng garden and other ginseng gardens in Nam Tra My to health recovery activities, herbal foot baths, physiotherapy, meditation, and yoga in Hoi An and coastal accommodations.

Unlocking potential

Vietnam is considered to have many favorable conditions, but medical tourism remains in its potential stage. Travel companies have not yet boldly organized medical treatment tours for domestic and international customers to Vietnam; instead, they mainly do the opposite, sending Vietnamese people abroad for treatment at high costs.

Quang Nam province is promoting tourism development that combines with its strengths in traditional medicine.

However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, many professional medical tourism models have been developed in various localities. Currently, Ho Chi Minh City has developed 30 combo tour programs combining medical tourism and healthcare, suitable for both domestic and international markets. Ho Chi Minh City also promotes medical tourism products with a "Medical Tourism Guide" in six languages, which is given to tourists.

In Quang Nam, experts believe there is enormous potential for a breakthrough in the development of medical tourism. From natural resources to natural healthcare products, medical infrastructure, and human resources, however, "health tourism" has not yet been fully realized.

To align with this "healing tourism" development trend, in May, the Provincial People's Committee issued a plan for implementing the Project on developing traditional medicine services and products to serve tourists in Quang Nam province until 2030.

Accordingly, many mechanisms and policies related to the development of traditional medicine services and products for tourists will be perfected to make traditional medicine a leading tourism product line. From health tourism, beauty tourism, medicinal tourism, discovery tourism to academic tourism, all will be based on the strengths of traditional medicine.

The combination of Quang Nam's health sector with the identification of developing medical tourism as one of the solutions to improve service quality and modernize medical examination and treatment procedures in the area.

Representatives from the Department of Health stated that, in order for medical tourism to develop, the tourism industry, in addition to building a promotional strategy, needs to strengthen connections between tourists, hotels, and resorts with facilities that offer medical tourism services, ensuring the provision of services that combine healthcare and tourism.

In the long term, a medical tourism hotline to receive calls, coordinate, and meet tourists' needs for health check-ups and medical treatment should also be considered.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/hoi-nhap-du-lich-y-te-3139360.html