{"id":4561,"date":"2023-07-14T03:50:04","date_gmt":"2023-07-14T03:50:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.riskinasia.com\/?p=4561"},"modified":"2023-07-29T09:10:24","modified_gmt":"2023-07-29T09:10:24","slug":"finding-the-best-hospital-for-your-medical-needs-in-vietnam-in-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.riskinasia.com\/finding-the-best-hospital-for-your-medical-needs-in-vietnam-in-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding the Best Hospital for Your Medical Needs in Vietnam in 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/span>Estimated reading time: <\/span>9<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accessing high-quality healthcare in Vietnam is a concern for both locals and expatriates. When it comes to specific treatments or surgeries, it is important to navigate the healthcare landscape effectively. In this updated article, we will discuss the current trends and issues regarding finding the best hospital in Vietnam in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do you find the best hospital for a specific surgery in Vietnam?<\/strong>

It is not a matter of what the expats in your country know but who is the doctor well connected and unbiased to point you not necessarily to the best hospital but rather to the right professor or specialist and in the right country nearby.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Evaluating the Need for Surgery at a Hospital, do You Really Need it?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Healthcare in Vietnam is still primarily transactional, focused on curative treatments. Hospitals tend to recommend surgeries that they can perform in-house, and referrals to other specialists or peers are rare. It is advisable to seek a second opinion or explore alternative treatments before opting for invasive surgery in Vietnam, as doctors may be hesitant to refer to their peers or admit any weaknesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps you can avoid invasive surgery at a hospital in Vietnam<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Culturally doctors see you as a client rather than as a patient. Vietnamese doctors do not refer to their peers or other specialists as they see them as competitors for their clients. Asking for a second opinion or another way to treat is a good practice before opting for a serious hospitalization in Vietnam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Firstly, at $10\/consultation, Vietnamese specialists make money on the drugs they prescribe to you, as advertising and selling medicines is authorized. Did you notice that, in Vietnam, doctors supply medicines without boxes and information? And of course the most money is made on invasive surgery when patients are hospitalized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Second, private doctors have little relationship with big state-owned hospitals surgeons and have little exchanges with state-of-the-art practice unless they work at \u00e0 state-hospital on top of their practice, which is fairly common.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Third, referring to a peer is a clear admission of its weakness as a medical professional and would not like the word to spread to his practice clientele and losing face too.  <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

So they will tend to recommend the procedure they know they can perform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Specialized Medical Specialties are not Well Represented in Vietnamese Hospitals <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Certain medical specialties continue to be underrepresented in Vietnamese hospitals. Based on International SOS evacuation cases, specialties such as neurosurgery, hand microsurgery, cardiology, cancer treatment, virology, rare blood types, burns, rehab centers, serious eye conditions, allergies, blood tests, and pathology still see expat doctors and international clinics recommending medical evacuation to hospitals in Thailand, Singapore, or the patient’s home country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So now you understand even the \u2018best hospital\u2019 can only offer what its best surgeon can deliver if he is still resident in Vietnam or in the hospital. As the best surgeons tend to be in high demand, they change hospitals or relocate to better paid capitals like Singapore or Hong Kong. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Seeking Recommendations from Peers or Asking Expat Groups for Best Hospital in Vietnam is Dangerous<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Previously, expats relied on friends or expat groups on Facebook for recommendations. A common question in Facebook expat cum expert groups we see is “What is the best hospital in town?<\/em>”\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the probability of finding someone who had the exact same surgery in Vietnam has remained low. Instead, the key is to find doctors who are well-connected and unbiased, capable of directing patients to the right professor or specialist, whether locally or in a nearby country. A better question would therefore be “who has done this exact same procedure\/treatment in Vietnam hospital and what was the outcome<\/em>?”; unfortunately there are fewer expats to point you to the relevant hospital, especially if they did not survive the said operation surgery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, in cancer treatment there can be 4 or more ways to cure: ablation, chemotherapy, radiation, immuno, cryoablation, radiofrequency\u2026 with more or less side effects and debilitating effects\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asking a group of expats for the best hospitals to treat a cough (which are usually the advanced lung cancer symptoms) will surely not be of help to cure you swiftly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n