Doctors at Từ Dũ Hospital and Children’s Hospital 1 perform a complex in-utero heart intervention on a 22-week-old foetus carried by a 41-year-old woman from Singapore in May last year. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — Việt Nam is developing a national scheme to boost medical tourism, with plans to offer at least 30 specialised healthcare packages combining medical treatment with wellness and leisure services.

The Việt Nam Administration of Medical Services is working with relevant authorities on the scheme, which will be submitted to the Government for approval, according to Dr Dương Huy Lương, deputy director of the administration under the Ministry of Health.

The 2026-2030 scheme aims to promote sustainable growth by combining medical care with wellness and leisure activities, increasing the number of accredited hospitals and developing at least 30 specialised medical tourism packages, Lương said.

These packages would cover services ranging from airport transfers and hospital treatment to post-treatment resort stays and sightseeing, with the aim of providing comprehensive services and encouraging visitors to return, he said..

Key targeted specialities include dentistry, reproductive assistance, health check-ups, cardiology, oncology, organ transplantation, ophthalmology and traditional medicine.

Việt Nam has a specialised healthcare system comprising 103 hospitals, including 13 specialised hospitals providing high-tech medical services, concentrated in Hà Nội, Huế and HCM City.

Việt Nam’s medical tourism revenue is currently estimated at US$1–2 billion a year, generated by about 300,000 international medical tourists.

The country aims to increase medical tourism revenue to US$2.5 billion.

National strategy

Building a national medical tourism brand, standardising service packages, improving foreign language proficiency among healthcare staff and adopting international digital health data standards for remote consultations are among the measures to develop the medical tourism market, Lương said.

Other key measures include longer-term visas and extended-stay options tailored to medical tourists, as well as the publication of official lists of certified, high-quality hospitals.

With advanced technology, highly skilled medical professionals, competitive pricing, rich natural resources and tourism assets, Việt Nam has advantages in developing its presence in the global medical tourism market.

The country is becoming an increasingly attractive destination for international tourists thanks to its natural landscapes, cuisine, and hospitality; however, medical tourism remains a largely untapped market, Lương said.

Foreign visitors seeking medical services account for only a small proportion of tourist arrivals, he said at a conference on the potential and prospects for medical tourism in Việt Nam recently held in HCM City.

He said the medical tourism and wellness market had significant potential.

The country has mastered nearly 90 per cent of advanced medical techniques performed worldwide, ranging from robotic surgery to organ transplants transplantation.

Backed by a network of more than 400 private hospitals, the healthcare sector offers competitive costs and strong traditional medicine capabilities, Lương said.

The Ministry of Health has established higher hospital quality standards to encourage domestic healthcare facilities to attain both national and international accreditation, with the aim of ensuring better care for domestic and foreign patients, according to Lương. — VNS