A tourist undergoes dialysis treatment at the Côn Đảo Military-Civilian Medical Centre during her vacation to Côn Đảo Island. Photo courtesy of the centre

HCM CITY — Côn Đảo Military-Civilian Medical Centre in the Côn Đảo Special Zone of HCM City has provided kidney dialysis for tourists suffering chronic kidney failure, allowing them to combine medical treatment with travel.

As one of the first patients to receive kidney disease in Côn Đảo, a 50-year-old woman from Hà Nội, who suffers from stage-five chronic kidney disease, said her family chose Côn Đảo for their vacation this summer.

“My family thoroughly researched the medical facilities to ensure they could meet my dialysis needs before deciding to travel to Côn Đảo,” she said.

She requires dialysis three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

“The island is beautiful, the people are friendly, and what I like most is that people with underlying conditions and kidney disease like me can still travel with peace of mind,” she said.

The dialysis unit at the Côn Đảo Military-Civilian Medical Centre began operations in May, with professional expertise and technical transfer from Thống Nhất Hospital.

Assoc Prof Dr Nguyễn Bách, head of the Nephrology and Dialysis Department at Thống Nhất Hospital, said that the system and procedures invested in Côn Đảo are highly systematic and identical to those on the mainland.

Patients undergoing dialysis in Côn Đảo enjoy full health insurance benefits just like on the mainland, Bách said.

The hospital has deployed doctors and nurses on a rotating basis to Côn Đảo to provide professional support, transfer medical techniques, and train the local healthcare workforce, he said.

Dr Lê Công Thọ, director of the Côn Đảo Military-Civilian Medical Centre, said that since the unit commenced operations, five patients have visited Côn Đảo to combine travel with regular dialysis treatments.

The implementation of dialysis services not only contributes to improving the quality of healthcare for local residents but also enables kidney failure patients to choose Côn Đảo as a travel destination, Thọ said.

This marks an important step forward in developing medical services linked with tourism growth in the special zone, he said.

Assoc Prof Dr Lê Đình Thanh, director of Thống Nhất Hospital, said that previously, many patients had to give up their dream of visiting Côn Đảo because they could not interrupt their regular dialysis schedules.

Now they can experience the beauty of this sacred land while receiving continuous and safe treatment.

Côn Đảo has long been an attractive destination due to its pristine natural landscapes alongside its unique historical, cultural, and spiritual values.

The island welcomes more than 600,000 visitors annually. —VNS