Hospitals
Public hospitals in Viet Nam are known to have lower quality of service and equipment compared to international standards, as they are generally underfunded and poorly equipped. They also face overcrowding and rarely speak English, meaning there are lots of inattentive nurses, doctors and nurses and poor communication. They do not accept all international health insurance.
On the other hand, private hospitals offer excellent standards, especially in Ha Noi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. They are staffed by French doctors as well as Vietnamese doctors trained abroad in order to better meet the needs of foreign travelers.
However, private international hospitals have the disadvantage of being located only in major cities, meaning that if you venture to other parts of the country and unfortunately need serious medical treatment, the long distance becomes a burden.
The quality and availability of health services varies greatly between urban or rural areas, with Ha Noi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City having the best medical facilities. Health care in rural areas can be poor to non-existent.
Below is a list of important hospitals and medical centers at top stops among travelers.
Ha Noi
Family Medical Practice
298 I Kim Ma, Van Phuc Compound, Ba Dinh District, Ha Noi
Tel: +84 4 3843 0748
www.vietnammedicalpractice.com
Bach Mai Hospital
78 Giai Phong, Dong Da District, Ha Noi
Tel: +84 4 3869 3731 or +84 4 3869 1607
Obstetrics Hospital
From La Thanh Street, Cau Giay, Ha Noi
Tel: +84 4 3834 3181
Saint Paul Hospital
12 Chu Van An, Ba Dinh, Ha Noi
Tel: +84 4 3823 3071
France Hospital
1 Phuong Mai, Dong Da District, Ha Noi
Tel: +84 4 3577 1100
Viet Duc University Hospital
40 Trang Thi, Hoan Kiem, Ha Noi
Tel: +84 4 3825 3531
Ha Long Bay
Quang Ninh Provincial Hospital
Tue Tinh Street, Bach Dang Ward, Ha Long City
Tel: +84 33 3825 486
Emergency: +84 33 3825 505
Bai Chay Hospital
Gieng Day Ward
Emergency: +84 33 3846 566
Sapa
Thanh Phu-Sapa polyclinic (Phong Kham ĐK Thanh Phu-SaPa)
Sa Pa, Lao Cai, Vietnam
Tel: +84 91 241 20 22
Sapa General Hospital (Phong Kham Da Khoa Khu Vuc Thi Tran Sapa)
Lao Cai, Vietnam
Tel: +84 20 3871 635
Da Nang
Family Medical Practice Da Nang
96-98 Nguyen Van Linh, Hai Chau District, Da Nang
Tel: +84 236 3582 699
24/7 Emergency: +84 913 917 303
www.vietnammedicalpractice.com
Son Tra Medical Center
No. 1 branch: 770 Ngo Quyen, An Hai Dong Ward, Son Tra District, Da Nang
Tel: +84 511 3831 215
No. 2 branch: 1063 Ngo Quyen, An Hai Dong Ward, Son Tra District, Danang
Tel: +84 511 3844 596
Hue
Hue Central Hospital
16 Le Loi Street, Hue City
Tel: +84 54 3822 325
Mui Ne
Dr. Dong Polyclinic
29 Nguyen Đinh Chieu, Ham Tien, Binh Thuan, Viet Nam
Phan Thiet
An-Phuoc Hospital
235 Tran Phu, Phu Trinh Ho, Phan Thiet
Tel: +84 62 3831 056
Nha Trang
VK Hospital
34/4 Nguyen Thien Thuat, Nha Trang
Tel: +84 58 3528 866
www.vkhospital.com.vn
Nha Trang Medical Center
13 Le Loi, Nha Trang
Tel: +84 58 3822 167
Da Lat
Lamdong General Hospital
4 Pham Ngoc Thach, Da Lat
Tel: +84 63 382 1369
Hoan My General Hospital
Mimosa Street, Ward 10, Da Lat
Tel: +84 63 3510 878
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City Family Medical Practice
Diamond Plaza Clinic
34 Le Duan, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Tel: +84 8 3822 7848
District 2 Clinic
95 Thao Dien, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City
Tel: +84 8 3744 2000
24/7 emergency: *999
www.vietnammedicalpractice.com (hospital)
www.star9999.vn (emergency)
FV Hospital (Franco-Vietnamese Hospital)
6 Nguyen Luong Bang, Saigon South (Phu My Hung), Dist. 7, Ho Chi Minh City
Tel: +84 8 5411 3333
24/7 emergency: +84 8 5411 3500
www.fvhospital.com
International SOS
65 Nguyen Du, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Tel: +84 8 3823 6520
24/7 emergency: +84 8 3829 8520
https://www.internationalsos.com
Emergency Center
125 Le Loi, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Tel: +84 8 3821 6589 or +84 8 3829 1711
International Medical Center
1 Han Thuyen, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Tel: +84 8 3827 2366 or +84 8 3827 2367
https://cmi-vietnam.com/fr/accueil/
Cho Ray General Hospital
201B Nguyen Chi Thanh, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City
Tel: +84 8 3855 4137 or +84 8 3855 4138 or +84 8 3856 3534
Phu Quoc
Vinmec International Hospital
Kien Giang, Phu Quoc, Vietnam
Tel: +84 77 3985 588
www.vinmec.com
Emergency
The number for emergency medical services in Vietnam is 115. However, ambulances in Vietnam are known to respond slowly.
Some private hospitals in big cities provide faster and more efficient private ambulance service. If possible, use taxis to access the nearest private hospital for emergency medical treatment.
Pharmacies
If your problem is minor, pharmacies are an option. Although pharmacies are common in larger cities, quality may vary as fake medications and poorly stored or expired medications are common.
Always check the date on the package before making a purchase. Medicines sold in hospital pharmacies have a longer shelf life. In addition, an application IOS called ICheck is useful for excluding counterfeits.
Insurance
Unlike many countries where proof of purchase of travel insurance is required to obtain a Visa, Viet Nam does not require it. However, even if you are fit and healthy, it is never a good idea to travel without health insurance. Accidents happen and the environment in Viet Nam might be different from what you are used to.
Another reason why insurance is a must for travelers is that since free healthcare is non-existent in Viet Nam, you get what you pay for.
Public hospitals are cheaper but the quality is insufficient if you have a serious problem while private facilities are excellent but tend to be very expensive. Considering the prices of treatments and consultations in these hospitals, it is a good idea to have health insurance unless you have a lot of savings.
Some insurances may not cover “dangerous activities” such as motorcycling, diving, hiking and trekking, so be sure to check yours. Although you may not intend to experience it, you may change your mind once you arrive in Viet Nam. A health plan that covers these activities would become practical.
Health Tips
Food poisoning and diarrhea
Although there has been an intensive effort for state quality control and strong competition among restaurants, the traveler’s stomach is put to the test. Diarrhea is by far the most common problem for travelers: between 30% and 50% of people will suffer from it within two weeks of their departure.
Still, simple precautions should help keep you out of harm’s way.
- Avoid tap water, even boiled water. The risk of contaminants remaining in tap water is always present, given that the infrastructure, including the treatment plant and water pipes, is not always of good quality. Bottled or filtered water is a safer option even among locals. Ice is also made from tap water, but is generally safe in cities and resorts. However, avoid this too if you are unsure.
- Stick with fresh, fully cooked foods. If you want street food, go for famous restaurants.
- In more than 80% of cases, travelers’ diarrhea is caused by bacteria and therefore responds quickly to treatment with antibiotics. It can also be brought on by a change in diet and your stomach may calm down again after a few days.
Sunburn, sunstroke and dehydration
Viet Nam is a hot, even very hot, country. A nice tan to show your friends that you are a true traveler can look attractive. However, I advise you to protect yourself under a cap due to sunstroke, sunburn and dehydration.
Sunscreen of at least factor 30, hats and a bottle of water should be on hand. Avoid excessive activity, especially between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Even on cloudy days, UV rays are high and sunburn can occur.
If you are suffering from heat exhaustion, symptoms include feeling distressed, headache, irritation, nausea or vomiting, sweaty skin and a rapid, weak pulse, cool down in an air-conditioned room and rehydrate yourself with lightly salted water. You may also see a rash which is common in tropical regions. Stay in an air-conditioned area for a few hours and take cold showers.
Mosquito-borne diseases
Malaria and dengue are the main diseases spread by mosquitoes in Viet Nam.
Symptoms of malaria resemble a number of illnesses, including high fever, painful headache in the front of the head, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and confusion. Still, it’s life-threatening because your red blood cells are destroyed quickly. Nonetheless, travelers to major towns and standard coastal touring areas experience a very low probability of contracting malaria, unless they decide to go out on a limb and venture into a bush in the central highlands.
Symptoms of dengue include headache, high fever and muscle pain. Some people develop a red rash, vomiting and diarrhea.
Beside those mentioned above, there are chances that you may be infected with some diseases considered problematic in Viet Nam, such as hepatitis, typhoid, rabies… Make sure you are up to date on the routine vaccinations before your trip.
