Healthcare in Vietnam

The Julien-Bot question

I know actually, you are not really interested in the answers.

However, apart from a few costly, western standard hospitals in the big cities, the situation is bad, very bad and for many local people out of reach.

- Patients - up to 3 sharing one bed - to save costs
- one way needles, get washed in a bucket on the floor and reused
- dirty WCs' walls and floors, often not even have water, to wash hands, commonly used by medical staff is well
- people have to tip doctors/nurses, to get at least a bit of attention
- doctors and nurses are commonly overworked and poorly managed/organised
- buildings appear commonly very worn down
- often, locals get send to stay back, if a western tourist appears only with a cough or sunburn

the list could go endless on, and a lot of room for improvement is left.

The worse of all is, NO MONEY UP FRONT + NO TREATMENT.

I did prior Vietnam not even know, that this is possible, without loosing the doctor title, but yes, it is.

Personally, I am lucky enough, to have access to western standard hospitals, if needed and even know 2 doctors as friends - but do not consider that as standard.
However, I have seen many people, "discharged" by a hospitals security "to die somewhere else", as they not had sufficient funds for treatment.

Vietnamese are very family orientated, but someone from another family can share easy the same luck as a street dog.

Hi l3ully, Julien-bot here

I strongly believe health care is a major concern for everyone who would like to move to Vietnam and your response will definitely help a lot of people. A big thanks for your response !

l3ully wrote:

,,, However, I have seen many people, "discharged" by a hospitals security "to die somewhere else", as they not had sufficient funds for treatment.

Wow, that is the very same system that US hospitals use.

No money, free taxi to county hospital.

Jaitch wrote:

l3ully wrote:

,,, However, I have seen many people, "discharged" by a hospitals security "to die somewhere else", as they not had sufficient funds for treatment.

Wow, that is the very same system that US hospitals use.

No money, free taxi to county hospital.

I would agree if it were true of Vietnam. However, despite it's shortcomings in healthcare generally, I don't think Vietnam is as backward as the US.

Vietnam is making progress......

So: Americans celebrate, your in safer hands!

Taking l3ully comments.

Ignoring the fact Julien might be wanting to stoke the post pot, l3ully's answers are less than gospel.

There are VN hospitals that meet Western standards - the Cho Ray, for one. It and a hospital in Ha Noi do organ transplants.

The Foreign-owned hospitals have profit motives and get a lot of business from insured patients.

Children up to 6-years are covered for health treatment, older than that there is user-pay.

Much of the problems for health centre around employment conditions. A properly employed VB will make, as will the employer, social payments. The problems arise when the employer pays cash, reducing their overhead, and the employee social benefit payments.

Nhu Lan Restaurant, for example, has the restaurant, the bakery and the delicatessen meat plants/factories. It is owned by two, very rich, old girls who sit in the restaurant all day. (I know they are rich as one owns the mid-town property occupied by an Australian school and that rent, alone, is around $50,000/month).  All the staff are paid cash. She also pays for medical for staff - doctors or hospital. She pays staff for sick leave.

But that's it.

One of NL staff's son needed a circumcision operation, for urgent medical reasons, and the mother could not afford it (VND2,000,000) and was operated on at the clinic on Nguyen Du @ Ha Bai Trung. The doctor performed the operation "on credit" with the mother repaying the hospital so much per month.

The work was done in a professional manner, none of these "railway track" sewing jobs.

So hospitals do provide no-money-up-front service. The FV Hospital in Q7 is a cash=register up front foreign owned for profit outfit.

Hospitals will and do provide free emergency services to those who have accidents in the public area, they will accept patients resulting from industrial accidents - all without prepayment.

And that goes for VN citizens and Foreigners alike.

The standard of care varies across the country. As it does in all countries. Rural areas have 'nurses' who motorcycle from village to village dispensing their version of medical care.

BUT, they also have the back-up of doctors AND a medivac service in all parts of the country. (Old Russian helicopters run by Northern Air Service, based in Ha Noi, for the far north and as far west as Dien Bien Phu Province, VASCO in the south.)

The national government also buys medicines at extremely good rates and they are distributed through private and government pharmacies. (Panadol is 10 pills for VND10,000, 100 'water pills' for blood pressure control cost VND35,000).

The government pharmacies supply drugs to the poorest. A nominal fee is charged and often waived for the poorest.

I have never seen more than one person in a bed and I have visited big city and commune hospitals.

Needles! Twenty years ago there were shortages of needles, not now. I used to collect used needles in Canada, take them to drug user clinics and exchange them (free) on a one-for-one basis. Then i would carry thousands of needles (free of charge, thank you Cathay and Thai airlines) and bring them in to VN.

These days hospitals and doctors have supplies of new, factory sealed needles.

I was 'scooped' at the airport during the SARS scare and imprisoned in an isolation hospital for 4 days. Food was supplied (unusual) and whilst I would not eat off the floors of the toilets or bathrooms, they were cleaned regularly.

There is a lack of hot water, in non-medical areas, but at least the water is warmer than that I enjoyed in the military.

People do bribe doctors and nurses, who don't make huge amounts of money, just as they do police, teachers, etc. No tip does NOT equate to NO treatment.

Doctors and nurses are commonly overworked. Seems to go with the territory in all countries.

Buildings appear commonly very worn down. What do you want - shiny buildings or healthy patients?

Priority treatment for Foreigners. Might happen, but I have spent a fair amount of time in VN doctors waiting rooms.

Your claim, if true, that many people, "discharged" by a hospitals security "to die somewhere else", as they not had sufficient funds for treatment, is, as I said previously SOP in the USA. (And please don't come up with anti-US accusations. Go read (US discharge), (UK discharge)

If things are really so bad here, how come so many Foreigners want to move here to VN whether it is for work, retirement or pleasure? The answer is, as with many countries, it's not perfect but, there again, it's not bad.

And for those still not happy, there is always the departures gate at TSN.

My limited perspective on Vietnamese health care:

If you are healthy in general, Vietnam's health care system is good. Common medicines are cheap. Public health centers and hospitals charge you next to nothing for checkup or some outpatient treatment.  Treatment like physiotherapy is cheap and efficient: you can get treatment by just turning up at the clinic without need for booking. Dental treatment is also reasonable. Even private practice Vietnamese doctors are also not expensive. Most of private practice doctors are actually doctors at public hospitals during the day.

The problem is if you suffer serious (or quite serious) illness or need specialist treatment. In that case, you are in deep trouble. The public (even some of the private) hospitals have neither capacity nor the expertise for that.   
That is where health insurance is very useful.

So what is the conclusion? If you value your life, pay the money to get proper insurance. For myself, I know that if anything serious happens to me, I can always pay a flight ticket to BKK and check into Bumungrad (one of Asia's best hospitals) and get treatment to be fully paid by my insurance.

Jaitch wrote:

Taking l3ully comments.

Ignoring the fact Julien might be wanting to stoke the post pot, l3ully's answers are less than gospel.

There are VN hospitals that meet Western standards - the Cho Ray, for one. It and a hospital in Ha Noi do organ transplants.

The Foreign-owned hospitals have profit motives and get a lot of business from insured patients.

Children up to 6-years are covered for health treatment, older than that there is user-pay.

Much of the problems for health centre around employment conditions. A properly employed VB will make, as will the employer, social payments. The problems arise when the employer pays cash, reducing their overhead, and the employee social benefit payments.

Nhu Lan Restaurant, for example, has the restaurant, the bakery and the delicatessen meat plants/factories. It is owned by two, very rich, old girls who sit in the restaurant all day. (I know they are rich as one owns the mid-town property occupied by an Australian school and that rent, alone, is around $50,000/month).  All the staff are paid cash. She also pays for medical for staff - doctors or hospital. She pays staff for sick leave.

But that's it.

One of her staff's son needed a circumcision operation, for urgent medical reasons, and the mother could not afford it (VND2,000,000) and was operated on at the clinic on Nguyen Du @ Ha Bai Trung. The doctor performed the operation "on credit" with the mother repaying the hospital so much per month.

The work was done in a professional manner, none of these "railway track" sewing jobs.

So hospitals do provide no-money-up-front service. Must be talking about the FV Hospital in Q7.

Hospitals will and do provide free emergency services to those who have accidents in the publkic area, they will accept patients resulting from industrial accidents - all without prepayment.

And that goes for VN citizens and Foreigners alike.

The standard of care varies across the countrey. As it does in all countries. Rural areas have 'nurses' who motorcycle from village to village dispensing their version of medical care.

BUT, they also have the back-up of doctors AND a medivac service in all parts of the country. (Old Russian helicopters run by Northern Air Service, based in Ha Noi, for the far north and as far west as Dien Bien Phu Province, VASO in the south.)

The national government also buys medicines at extremely good rates and thery are distributed through private and governmebt pharmacies. (Panadol is 10 pills for VND10,000, 100 'water pills' for blood pressure control cost VND35,000).

The government pharmacies supply drugs to the poorest. A nominsl fee is charged.

I have never seen more than one person in a bed and I have visited big city and commune hospitals.

Needles! Twenty years ago there were shortages of needles, not now. I used to collect used needles in Canada, take them to drug user clinics and exchange them on a one-for-one basis. Then i would carry thousands of needles (free of chrge, thank you Cathay and Thai airlines) and bring them in to VN.

TThese days hospitals and doctors have supplies of new, factory sealed needles.

i was'scooped' at the airport during the SARS scare and imprisoned in an isolation hospital for 4 days. Food was supplied (unusual) and whilst I would eat off the floors of the toilets or bathrooms, they were cleaned regularly/

There is a lack of hot waterm in non-medical areas, but at least the water is warmer than that I enjoyed in the military.

People do bribe doctors and nurses, who don't make huge amounts of money, just as they do police, teachers, etc. No tip does NOT equate to NO treatment.

Doctors and nurses are commonly overworked. Seems tpo go with the territory in all countries.

Buildings appear commonly very worn down. What do you want - shiny buildings or healthy pstients.

Priority treatment for Foreigners. Might happen, but I have spent a fair amount of time in VVN doctors waiting rooms.

Your claim, if true, that many people, "discharged" by a hospitals security "to die somewhere else", as they not had sufficient funds for treatment, is, as I said previously SOP in the USA. (And please don't come up with anti-US accusations. Go read (US dischare), (UK discharge)

If things are really so bad here, how come so many Foreignrs want to move here whether it is for work, retirement or pleasure? The answer is, as with many countries, it's not perfect but, there again, it's not bad.

I have never seen more than one person in a bed and I have visited big city and commune hospitals.
- I have, with my own eyes, 3 actually sharing a single bed

Your claim, if true, that many people, "discharged" by a hospitals security "to die somewhere else", as they not had sufficient funds for treatment, is, as I said previously SOP in the USA. (And please don't come up with anti-US accusations. Go read ..

Seen that twice in about 5 visits, and believe me, it's a horrible feeling to see that and getting a rough translation from my other half - alone money was the issue

In fact, nobody denies improvement, but room for improvement is a lot.
As at least our hospitals have signs of photographs forbidden and one even is in a military object, I rally don't dare to picture my previous statements.
And yes, I agree also, some locations are better off than others and nobody denies, that are "free" services for certain things available.

Some of the above issues are also quite frequently stated in the VN online news papers- so I assume, I have not only noticed the rare exception - but some more far to frequent shortcomings.

Yes, and where I live, there is a long way to a "decent" hospital, so my wife took me just to the next, as I was not able to make a decision myself (passed out by some Dengue Fever) over 2 years ago.

There are hopefully some improvements in the mean time; As I am not a frequent hospital fan by nature, I tend to avoid them - wherever, whichever.

Herea link, where VN press repoerts http://english.vietnamnet.vn/en/vietnam … oaded.htmlhttp://www.thanhniennews.com/index/page … etnam.aspxhttp://talkvietnam.com/2012/03/health-m … fter-2015/http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/soci … itals.html

Apropos public hospitals, the Vietnamese newspapers have lately written a lot about the overburdened health care system. In fact, I just read one article about it this morning.

The most common refrain is "No tea-money to the doctors, no treatment: just wait in queue".

Another key assumption for all of what have been discussed is the expats live in big cities. If you live out in small towns or even in the outskirts of big cities, you will not get good health care support.

One case in point: I was visiting Can Gio two weeks ago. On the way back, I saw a horrible accident on the highway connecting Can Gio and Sai Gon. Since it was on the other side of the Saigon river, there was no ambulance. People helped and took the unconscious bodies on the motorbike to the ferry to be transported across the river!!!.

Guess Julie got his discussion.

l3ully
Every system in every country has tales of woe. No country is immune from it.

You mentioned photographs. Could this be in the miitary hospital in Nha Trang? No photographs at any military installation is a standard issue sign.

You should visit the MeKong, almost every People's Committee Main Office has, in English, facing the street, signs saying No Photographs.
And yes, I agree also, some locations are better off than others and nobody denies, that are "free" services for certain things available.

Try taking pictures in London, England, og government offices and watch what the police do. Blank your memory chips.

If you run a registered publication in VietNam you get a plethora of suggestions, including news that should be highlighted. That hospital problems are highlighted suggests that someone in government what's the problem raised in profile.

It makes sense that there be grades of hospitals serving different communities. Even in TP HCM there are community 'clinics' who act as a first line and then refer the harder, more complicated cases to bigger hospitals. If it makes sense in in TP HCM, it makes even more sense in less populated areas of the country.

Avoiding hospitals is a good idea, they are the dirtiest places around - for bugs.I use VN doctors for VN bugs and Western doctors for more serious problems. In 1970, I returned to Toronto and developed an extreme fever, My 'white' doctor couldn't figure it, so I went to a Vietnamese doctor who had immigrated to Canada. When I saw him he immediately said I had malaria.

Don't knock people who work in remote areas, they often have more hands-on experience with local diseases that big city doctors. Doctors in Da Lat, Dak Lak, Gia Lai and KonTum are really the experts when it comes to mosquito borne diseases because the heavy mosquito season lasts six months. If yon visit some of those straw huts where the indigenous people live around Da Lat, that quiet buzzing noise you hear are all the bugs in the straw roofs!

I have been living here in Nam for over 10 years. 3 years ago I had a motorbike accident during Tet. I was brought to the vietnam/russia hospital down here in Vungtau. No doctors availible at that time and a trainee assistant cleaned the stones and tar from my foot. After 5 days, daily cleaning from the assistant, doctors showed up and i was send to Franco Vietnam in HCM as my foot was rotting away. Luck on my site as I was insured. Inpatient only at Franco Vietnam. Stayed 10 days and had proper foot operation with skin transplant from my upper left leg. The insurance with Franco is high and only applies for Franco. Now I am changing to Blue Cross Vietnam. 85 Us in and outpatient.
Anybody know or have experience with Blue Cross Vietnam.
Regards.Ron.

Hi,

In order to help expats and soon-to-be expats, we would like to invite you to share your experience on this topic, with updated info on the healthcare system.

Thank you in advance,

Julie
Expat.com Team

I've been in and out of Viet Nam since 1969. I've also had surgery in three different Vietnamese hospitals and my wife is recovering from brain surgery from another hospital. A number of our friends are Doctors or other health professionals.

10-20 years ago, health professionals in Viet Nam were horribly frustrated as they watched many of their patients die because, while the Doctors knew how to treat them, the equipment and medicines just were not available. At Cho Ray, getting "foreigner level health care," I remember being being examined with obviously cobbled together, homemade equipment. Remember this was 10-20 years ago.

Today is different. Their are world class medical treatment and hospitals available for those that can afford them. As I am retired American Military, my wife and I have health insurance that is world wide. So we can afford the best, currently City International Hospital. Note, our hospital bill was VND 414,000,000 or roughly USD 20,000

Three patients per bed, long waits for medical treatment and being refused for health care because of lack of money are still very real problems, as is Doctors running from dying patient to dying patient trying to keep those with the best chance of surviving alive for 10-12 hour shifts. If you haven't seen these issues you are living isolated in a "Little America, France Germany Korea etc. enclave and not living in the real Viet Nam.

Still the progress in Vietnamese over the last 20 years is astonishing. But, my wife's oxygen concentrator, diabetes test meter and test strips, electronic blood pressure/heart rate meter and oxygen meter were brought from America. Consumer grade versions of this equipment, to the best of my knowledge, is not yet available in Viet Nam

I've had to deal with the medical establishment in HCMC and Hanoi because I have epilepsy. When a drug I'd been taking for nine years began to lose effectiveness and I was losing sodium in dangerous amount, feeling dizzy, I went to a public hospital in Hanoi where they discovered the low sodium and sent me on my way. Left that day to go home to HCMC and checked in at FV hospital. They did a blood test for sodium only and kept me overnight to drop salt into me.
Eventually I ended up with an American doctor at Columbia Asia Clinic off of Pasteur who did many more tests and in negotiation with my neurologist in Seattle changed my medication.
The American doctor had a great bedside manner and restored my emotional stability around the whole thing. The Vietnamese doctors and even the expat doc in Hanoi did too few tests and guessed (accurately, as it turns out, but not up to USA standard of care) what the problem was, but they gave me no confidence. It's hard to guess from hindsight if that was my fault or theirs.

Anyway, the costs were not outrageous. I paid about $100+ per visit plus meds which were not expensive. In the end, I spent less than what I had been paying monthly for medical care in the U.S. where a huge share goes to insurance companies. I have no health insurance here but this is the year I qualify for Medicare so I need to start living 6 months of the year in America. That's fine for me since I'm retired and work as a volunteer in a medical setting.

Vietnam manufactures and exports a great little blood pressure cuff which I purchased in America. The company is Orion.

I dont hav ins but had knee surgery dr dung in hn . N had three eye surgerys n glocoma attack dam that sucked. N I paid all myself abt same as cost co pay usa

Regarding your remark about Cho Ray, I am sorry but the standard there is far from a Western standard. I was foolish enough to admit myself for an op on my knees. The price they gave on admission was doubled when I got my bill. There were no complications.They presented me with a very technical bill for things they did not give. this was before my release. They said it would be amended and I would be given a detailed bill on release from hospital. They knock a little off for the things I pointed out but did not give a detailed bill.  No towels in the private room, one of the nurses took pity on me and lent me some from her home. Hospital did not know when they could operate, paying for room while they pondered when they would operate, approx three days waiting.  When I had my op I was wheeled down to theatre, and left on my own outside theatre in a corridor. Someone from theatre them signalled me to get of the trolley and walk into theatre on my own after the pre op, I nearly fell over. When I walked into theatre I was told to get on the operating couch which was blood stained from the previous ops. hen my wife went out for food for me,(The hospital food was not edible) they would not let her back in without a lot of trouble.and I could go on and on and on. So don't tell me that Cho Ray has Western standards you are totally crazy.

After my rant about Cho Ray I have some good things to say about VN health care. I have been in other hospitals in HCMC and local clinics where I live out in the boonies. I have had a plastic lens fitted in one eye, I have had treatment after motor cycle accidents and regular check up and treatments for prostate problems. All excellent treatments with good results for very reasonable prices. So folks, all is not bad here, one just has to be careful where one goes and check them out as best you can before committing ones self.

Dear all, I am currently working as COO of the largest private hospital chain in Vietnam. Below are my few observations which I found over the period of last 3 years of working in Vietnam.

The Private health care is growing very fast in the Vietnam Market. Many Foreign Investors as well as Local companies are coming forward to invest in the Health Care Sector. Every Year about 10 new Private hospital start operating in Vietnam. The Purchasing power of people in Vietnam is increasing every year. According to ANZ bank survey in 2014 it has been found that every year the middle class of Vietnam grows by about 2 million people. This growing middle class of Vietnam demands better service and value for money for them. The Public hospitals are overcrowded and are not able to serve the middle class patient who has huge demand of better service. The health care expenditure in Vietnam is about 7% of the GDP which is the highest in South east Asian region. Hence it is very difficult for the Public hospitals to support the burden of more patients. Growth rate of the private insurance is more than 50%, as more and more people are getting private insurance for meeting their health care needs this will encourage the private Healthcare in Vietnam as these people expect a high level of service. All this parameter supports the growth of private healthcare and the Future of the private health care is bright. 

Barriers : The most important barrier is lack of skilled manpower. The doctor to patient ratio is lowest in Vietnam as compared to the peer countries like Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. There should me more Medical University opened for meeting the demand of manpower to support the growth of Health Care Sector. The cost of the medical equipment is almost 2 times if we compare it with the cost of equipment with same brand and technical specifications in South East Asia. The biggest chunk of Vietnam is middle class (60% of population) and the upper class is almost 4% (mainly residing in 2 big cities Ho CHi Minh & Hanoi). So pricing is a big issue to provide the world class health care delivery. Vietnam health care is governed by the Govt. Insurance. almost 80% of the population has Govt insurance. The govt. insurance pays according to the public hospital prices which increase the out of pocket expenses of the patient considerably.

I see the healthcare market is a very lucrative market with high barriers of entry as hospitals are high capital & manpower intensive organization. The healthcare market is expected to grow by ~ 25% growth rate over next 10 years and overcrowding of public hospitals and growth of Middle class & Private Insurance I see a great future ahead for private healthcare

Geoff, why would you need to spend 6 months of the year back in the US as regards Medicare?? I have medicare coverage in the US and don't need to spend 6 months there to qualify. I am just being very curious about your thoughts on this.

Mike G

As I read it, you are required to reside half the year in the USA to qualify for Medicare. I'm applying soon and I've been on the government website to read the rules. However, I'm not sure how they would know if you were out of country for 7 months out of twelve. Perhaps Big Brother is doing the math with our passports? Hope I'm not making your paranoid. The US is one of the  countries that only registers your entry but not your exit so I'm not sure how they audit this.

I would NEVER enter a VN hospital again ...... you take your life in your hands..... Get good travel insurance that ensures you can be flown out for treatment of anything other than minor medical issues.
As a Registered Nurse I was horrified at the treatment provided, lack of infection control measures and lack of quality education and training.

Hi everyone.  I'm actually an American doctor practicing here in HCMC for nearly 3 years now.  So, I have worked within the private medical system for a while now.  It is very similar to any other fee for service system, such as the US, or any other non-socialized medical system.

The medical training here in VN is decades behind that seen in Western countries.  Although the medical school training in VN is similar in length, post graduate training (which is required before practicing in the US) is not necessary in VN.  Furthermore, there are relatively few residency training programs that are at the same level as those abroad.

Additionally, there is no standardized testing system here in VN.  Compare that to the US, where doctors must successfully pass at least 4, very large tests throughout training, before you can legitimately practice as a residency-trained doctor.  And during residency, doctors are seeing patients alongside seasoned doctors who teach them as they go.  The same system is not present here in the same capacity.

So you can see that the training abroad is much more intensive, and on the average, trains doctors that have at least a minimum amount of experience and knowledge before practicing.  That isn't to say that there aren't good doctors here...I personally work with several excellent doctors and would trust them with my family members.  Additionally, VNese docs have tons of experience with the treatment of TB, HIV, malaria, and hepatitis.  Furthermore they are great at orthopedics given the propensity of motorbike riders to have close encounters with the pavement!  However, if you're playing averages, you will find a much higher rate of questionable medical practice here compared with the West.

Most docs here work part of the day for the social service (very busy, very low salary, very difficult working conditions) and then part of the day in a private clinic.  So, they work a lot, way more than we do in the west.  In general, VNese docs are straightforward, don't ask a lot of questions, don't expect the patient to say much, and prescribe lots of meds for almost any condition from a cold, stomach upset, to allergies.  It's kind of an "in-and-out" mentality, as they are used to seeing sometimes hundreds of patients a day.  Don't expect comfort, support, or a listening ear.  Don't expect explanations of why you are ill, or what the medicines are for.  It's more like 5 minutes max with the doctor, on to tests then get your meds, and hopefully a diagnosis.

If you are truly sick in an emergency my advice is the following:  bring money, bring a translator, go to a private clinic or hospital, and ask lots of questions.  Also, if you have any type of "non-medical" issue like a mood disorder, addiction problem, or STI, please go to a private clinic.  There is a lot of stigma around those issues, and also a general lack of modern understanding of psychiatric conditions, that as a foreigner, you really should see a native English speaker.

I have a Facebook page about this kind of stuff and take a look if you'd like:  Sick in Saigon.  I post on there every week or so, and there is one post on how to survive the system here.  It may answer some questions.

Hi Geoffrey!  Hope you are well and let me know if you need anything!  Dr. J

So far, I've been relatively healthy for the almost six years I've lived and worked in VN. As long as I'm officially not a resident in Vietnam, my insurance back in Europe keeps its validity. Yet, I've made use of VN-medical care in a number of cases : 1. private dental care at least three times, paid from the pocket and not expensive, I got very good care; 2. examinations at the (sponsored) Medic, district ten, found the diagnostics very good and very cheap, at least if you accept being treated like a sardine, but follow-up was virtually nihil; 3. private hospital in the centre of the city, expensive and 'just' good.
    I'm aware of the fact that in case of a serious matter, my insurance in Europe would very probably only help me if I were THERE. I don't find it easy to make a best choice, if there is one. The least I can say is that I try to live as healthily as I can here ....

putsinker wrote:

Regarding your remark about Cho Ray, I am sorry but the standard there is far from a Western standard. I was foolish enough to admit myself for an op on my knees. The price they gave on admission was doubled when I got my bill. There were no complications.They presented me with a very technical bill for things they did not give. this was before my release. They said it would be amended and I would be given a detailed bill on release from hospital. They knock a little off for the things I pointed out but did not give a detailed bill.  No towels in the private room, one of the nurses took pity on me and lent me some from her home. Hospital did not know when they could operate, paying for room while they pondered when they would operate, approx three days waiting.  When I had my op I was wheeled down to theatre, and left on my own outside theatre in a corridor. Someone from theatre them signalled me to get of the trolley and walk into theatre on my own after the pre op, I nearly fell over. When I walked into theatre I was told to get on the operating couch which was blood stained from the previous ops. hen my wife went out for food for me,(The hospital food was not edible) they would not let her back in without a lot of trouble.and I could go on and on and on. So don't tell me that Cho Ray has Western standards you are totally crazy.

I have been in Chao Ray for an OP is well, apart from all bit old fashion and the quite unpleasant pre-checkup (run here, wait 2 hours, when finish that, do there .... and again ... and again). After that, staying in the 10 floor for a week, all a bit old fashion furnished, same like 70 style, a bit lived up, but all functional and reasonable clean. The pricing overall was actually very reasonable, for what I had to pay. On a pointing out of 10, I would rate: medical at least a 9/10, the room in best case a 4/10 and the service in the room at least 9/10. If I would go again: YES, it would be my first choice, as the important experiences were  very good. - Apropos: wife come back-in again, my also had a bit of delay on the first day which was quickly sorted.

Hi again Geoff. Sincerely, I believe that you may have been misinformed. Monthly deductions are made from my social security benefits that I have been receiving for several years. Other than a couple visits to some family in the US throughout the last few years, I have not resided there for any extended length of time. During one period last year, I was hospitalized for several weeks in Las Vegas and received Medicare benefits to cover partial cost of my medical fees. Does this help in any way to make it clearer for you?

I've lived over here (SE Asia) for nearly 12 years; seven in HCMC and used Columbia facility near the US Consulate.  Great place...they even have an American Doctor.  Not sure if it is the same Dr. "J" on here or not, but he's been a great help to me over the years in HCMC... I've visited one of the local 'hospitals' for a test once...it is almost like what was mentioned previously on here...not something I would recommended.  Basic 'first aid' is unknown over here in most cases...I've been 'poked' a couple times and I've watched them with their needles...new and out of a closed wrapper...I buy local items from the pharmacy and do my own 'repair' work if needed. 
I'm retired military and have 'tricare'...have only used once in Hawaii at the Army hospital there...they deduct the fees from my social security as I am over 65 now and I have to have I believe 'Part B' for my tricare to kick in...so I pay $105 a month for nothing...just to be covered 'in case'...in case I'm able to get back to Hawaii or a US military facility in Japan or Singapore before its too late...Everything over here is 'pay up front' I've been told.  many Vets go Bangkok...I've inquired twice to a hospital and received no return e-mail.  So, I went to Japan and then to Hawaii (paid nothing). 
As to the '6 months'...I've no residence in the US, and 'care less' about returning...I've only spent 16 days in Hawaii over the previous 7 years.   I've only stayed in VN once or twice over the 6 months period without going out...and back in. 
I've paid out of pocket for everything here...from blood tests to dental...don't like paperwork and care less...so I have never processed anything for a financial return...While living here in VN we on Social Security/SSDI are now required to sign in once every 3 months to the 'great god in the sky' to prove that it is "I" receiving the funds...it used to be every month...
Have fun...

I have been living in Vietnam for 4 years and I have lived in SE Asia including Thailand and Singapore for 15 yrs. Generally the health care system in Vietnam has not developed to international standard for catering expats. I personally work in a health care facility and generally the right of the patients (for local patients) are ignored by the doctors. The standard for laboratory tests are also poor.

I have visited FV hospital, Family Health Practionier clinics in Diamond Plaza and SOS clinics for personal treatment. All these hospitals have limited expertise in specialized fields. For general or minor sickness treatment it is OK, but for any major/life threatening illness or surgery, I would recommend Thailand or Singapore.

Once during a routine ultrasound examination in annual health check up, the report indicated that my Ovaries and uterus is healthy (ha ha ha). The reporting system in FV is simply copy pasting of the finding on the report format. If the technician forget to delete the previous report, such things may happen. This also indicates reports are not reviewed properly before delivery.

Best

Martin

@Anthony64

Tricare does reimburse, at least in the case of the better hospitals, for Medical treatment in Viet Nam. My last Tricare reimbursement was for 100% less deduction for family catastrophic cap.

http://www.tricare-overseas.com/Contact … ctPAC.html

This also, very recently, includes direct deposit to American Bank accounts.

http://www.tricare-overseas.com/PDF/ACH … eposit.pdf

Phap Viet(French American Hospital) used to be great and several years ago, I had surgery there. Last time that I was there, the quality of care had definitely slipped and I now use the Singapore based chain that includes City International Hospital in TP HCM based on inside information from a friend that works as a supervisor at Cho Ray Hospital. Next to Cho Ray City International seems to have the best collection of Medical professionals. The issue with Cho Ray is that the Doctors are drastically overworked and patient time is severely limited. Note, last time that I had treatment at Cho Ray, they did have a foreigners only program where I got much more attention than the normal Cho Ray patient.

I've found the people at SOS all to be exceptionally polite and helpful. Unfortunately, every polite and helpful person that I've contacted at SOS gives a totally different answer to the same question. After 10 years of frustration, I avoid SOS to the extent possible. Unfortunately Tricare has some contract with SOS. My Advice for Tricare insured people in Viet Nam is to deal directly with Tricare Overseas in America.

http://tuoitrenews.vn/society/16625/5st … ns-in-hcmc

@Martin
Research the Singapore based Parkway Health's Hospital in TP HCM

http://tuoitrenews.vn/society/16625/5st … ns-in-hcmc

@jereostr
About the only thing that I would add is that compared to America or Europe the understanding on Alpha Thalassemia is light years ahead in Viet Nam. One of the few American institutions that has even heard of Alpha Thalassemia in America is the Mayo Clinic. According to a Cho Ray Blood specialist that studied there the Mayo Clinic Alpha Thalassemia research is very limited.

Note, one reason that my wife and I live in Viet Nam is because of the horribly incompetent treatment that she received for her Alpha Thalassemia related complications in America. As perhaps one in tens of thousands in America has Alpha Thalassemia, this is completely understandable. In, especially southern, Viet Nam virtually everyone has seen either family and/or friends die from the complications of Alpha Thalassemia.

The health care in VN can be quite iffy, especially if compared to Western medicine. As in every socialist country I have lived in doctors share little or nothing with you about your care. They will be quite shocked if youasktgem question. Heaven forbid if you come to an applintment prepared. I have had them ask me ifI was a doctor.
  The first question might be, are they even a doctor. Many will hang a shingle calling themselves doctors, yet they only have a Masters degree.
  One would think if you took your wife for a prenatal checkup they would give the aspiring mother sound advice on what to do if your trying to get pregnant and what to do after. Have yet to find any Dr. Let alone an OB/GYN that adviced to take folic acid while trying to get PG, and into tge 12 week once you are PG, but then stop taking folic acid. It is any wonder you see so many peopke in VN with hair lips and cleft pallets.
   Nor will a doctor tell you to take vistamin D. Shoukd not shock tge bation when you see so so many people walking arou d with rickets.
   I took a nasty fall and broke several ribs ( my self diagnosis) yet tgey x-rayed, and did a sona gram of my i ternal organs. No beoken ribs nor damaged organs. After six montgs of severe pain I had a CT scan in a Western country and had 3 broken ribs and severally damaged lung with blood clots.
Now all these weredoctors working in Vietnamese hospitals or that had private
Practices. The care I reveived at FV hospital and Dismond Plaza was great.
  Can't say the same for the lafies hospital, that is also private. They said the misses had a vaginal
Infection yet dud nothing about it. I presumed it was a mete yeast infection, yet the doctor would not answer my question. Only wanted to know " why you ask, you a doctor.
  Took her to another doctor who finally told me the technical name, which was indeed a common yeast infection, easilly treated with Vagisil, available at the pharmacy. But she gave her a lobg list of antibiotics to kill every type if known vaginal bacterias. Nit a goid practice with
the rise if MSRA's.
  In summary one can get by, but.........!
Perhaps the old adage would be a good one to heed in VN. If you want to stsy healthy stay away from tge doctor ir even those w/ masters degrees that call themselves dictors. Yes, we in tge West have NP' and PA's that practice medicine. Yet they never lead you to believe they are doctors.

I have a Vietnamese wife who organises healthcare/ accident emergency if needed.
I pay "Vietnamese price"...EG..broken collar bone 2013...TWO XRAYS... BONE SPECIALIST...SLING.....MEDS= $ 18 !

I keep a stash in case of hospitalization..about 7,000,000 vnd per week, apparently, in a good local hospital.

PLH

"I have a Vietnamese wife who organises healthcare/ accident emergency if needed.
I pay "Vietnamese price"...EG..broken collar bone 2013...TWO XRAYS... BONE SPECIALIST...SLING.....MEDS= $ 18 !

I keep a stash in case of hospitalization..about 7,000,000 vnd per week, apparently, in a good local hospital.

PLH"

Depending on location and his wife's political/medical connections, this strikes me as plausible. My wife and I have similar connections in the remote part of Viet Nam where we live. Note, the medical issue described is a broken collar bone two years ago. This is well with in the ability of any Army Medic or Navy corpsman to treat. Personally,  I'd have no problem with getting a broken collar bone fixed at our local hospital. I expect that I would spend more money as I have a comfortable retirement income, would have paid for a VIP room and prices have gone up a bit over the last couple of years.

In my experience should one of the Doctors at his hospital, like the Doctors at our local hospital, would go to either TP HCM or Ha Noi for treatment for serious treatment. My wife's bill fro brain surgery at discharge from City International in TP HCM was 414,000,000 and will likely be in the 500,000,000-700,000,000 range not counting having to rent a TP HCM apartment near the hospital. Note, had my wife come into our local hospital, Our Doctors would have put her into a TP HCM ambulance so quick our heads would have spun.

I absolutely do NOT recommend non Vietnamese speaking people seeking treatment in a rural local hospital unless they have someone with them who speaks flawless Vietnamese and English, French or what ever the forigner's native language is.

Dr. Jereostr
how can I come to where you now work as I am a american living here 12 years and have few problems now but would like to visit you for a full check up. If you do not want to post on this site your clinic or hospital please email me at my email, [email protected], THANKS

Jeremy Ostrander is a doc at Columbia Asia clinic and he's great. That's my 5 star endorsement. Read my earlier postings in this thread.
Http://columbiaasia.com/Saigon

Actually, it's called Omron