Overseas Vietnamese returning home for medical examination and relaxation is increasing day by day.

Ho Chi Minh City is becoming an attractive destination for international tourists and overseas Vietnamese who need health care, medical examination and treatment combined with resort tourism, thanks to its developed healthcare system, diverse services and reasonable costs.

At the "Conference on Linking Medical Tourism Development between Ho Chi Minh City and Provinces and Cities in the Mekong Delta and Southeast Region" on the morning of October 31, Ms. Bui Thi Ngoc Hieu, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, said that the trend of overseas Vietnamese and international visitors coming to Vietnam to combine medical examination, treatment and relaxation is increasing sharply.

According to statistics, currently 30-40% of patients coming to Ho Chi Minh City for medical examination and treatment are from other provinces and international, of which the largest number are from Cambodia and Laos. In addition, the number of patients from the US, Australia, Canada, Japan and the overseas Vietnamese community has also increased significantly in recent years. These figures show that the potential for developing medical tourism in Ho Chi Minh City is huge.

Overseas Vietnamese returning home for medical treatment and tourism are increasingly numerous.

PHOTO: Contributor

According to the Ministry of Health , the global medical tourism market will reach 100 billion USD in 2024, with an annual growth rate of 15-25%. In Vietnam alone, the market size has reached about 700 million USD and is forecast to reach nearly 4 billion USD by 2033, increasing by an average of 18% per year.

"These figures show the great potential of medical tourism in Vietnam in general and Ho Chi Minh City in particular, where medical factors, science and technology, and high-quality health care services converge," Ms. Hieu emphasized.

As of July 2025, Ho Chi Minh City has 162 hospitals and more than 9,000 specialized clinics, including 351 private general clinics, a medical network that is considered the most developed in the country. A team of highly qualified doctors, modern facilities and reasonable medical examination and treatment costs are advantages that make many overseas Vietnamese choose Ho Chi Minh City as a place to "both treat and relax".

Medical facilities and hospitals bring their unique products and services to introduce and promote at the conference.

Many international medical achievements were recorded in 2025, such as Tu Du Hospital and Children's Hospital 1 successfully coordinated to intervene in a Singaporean fetus with congenital heart defects at 22 weeks of pregnancy; People's Hospital 115 saved the life of a Russian patient who had a stroke, and after just over a day, he was awake and able to communicate normally.

Not only stopping at medical examination and treatment services, many health care tourism products are being focused on developing by Ho Chi Minh City and the Southern provinces, from Spa, Yoga, Detox tours to energy regeneration and body, mind and spirit balance vacation packages. These forms not only meet the health care needs of international tourists, but also match the "wellness travel" trend that is spreading globally.

"We see that more and more tourists, especially overseas Vietnamese, want to combine medical examination and treatment with travel and relaxation experiences at destinations with fresh climates, beautiful landscapes and specialized care services," said Ms. Hieu.

Acupressure massage service is crowded with customers at the Traditional Medicine Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City.

PHOTO: LE NAM

This conference is the first step for public-private cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and 13 provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta and Southeast regions, aiming to form a "Southern inter-regional medical tourism corridor". This is considered a model to help diversify tourism products, taking advantage of the strengths of each locality.

Previously, from October 29 to 30, 2025, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism organized a survey and introduction program for hospitals, medical facilities, accommodations and health care facilities participating in the Ho Chi Minh City Medical Tourism program, with typical locations such as Hanh Phuc Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City Traditional Medicine Hospital, Vinmec Central Park, Minera Hot Springs Binh Chau and Quynh Nhu Spa. The activity aims to help domestic travel businesses, medical units and media grasp the reality, connect services to form unique medical tourism product packages that are truly attractive to tourists.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/kieu-bao-ve-nuoc-kham-benh-ket-hop-nghi-duong-ngay-mot-nhieu-185251031161255649.htm