Vietnam Wants a Bigger Slice of South-East Asia's Medical Tourism Pie

It hopes to succeed with a competitive blend of care and cost

- Nga Pham

HANOI - When Mr Cecil Hatfield, 80, decided to seek medical treatment in Vietnam in May for acute hip pain, his British family and friends were "very sceptical" about his decision.

"They've heard of Singapore, of course, and Malaysia, as well as Thailand. But Vietnam? 'Do they even have good hospitals there?' they asked."

But after being informed by his general practitioner in Exeter in England about the long waiting list and advised to manage his pain with paracetamol, he opted to have hip-replacement surgery at a private hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, where his partner is from.

"The operation to replace my right hip was performed on Monday morning. In the afternoon, I was walking with a support frame - a surprise in itself," said Mr Hatfield, whose previous visits to Vietnam were for holidays.

"On Tuesday, my surgeon came to see me and suggested I could walk unaided, and indeed, I could!" he recounted to The Straits Times.

A few weeks later, after paying a fee equivalent to US$4,700 (S$6,000), he returned home to England, still marvelling at the "miracle op", and said he would go back to Vietnam "at the drop of a hat" if he needed another procedure done.

South-east Asia has long been a hot spot for medical tourism with its lure of quality, specialised healthcare services. Thailand and Malaysia lead the charge, with Singapore a significant player as well.

Vietnam wants to join their ranks, hoping to woo foreign patients by offering a competitive blend of care and cost, to establish Ho Chi Minh City as a prominent healthcare hub in the region by 2030.

In 2023, Thailand's medical tourism revenue amounted to US$850 million, the largest in the region; followed by Malaysia at US$444 million; and Singapore at around US$250 million to US$270 million, according to an RHB report.