Patient John V. (born in 1982, US nationality, California), an office worker, was diagnosed with hypertension, diabetes and end-stage chronic kidney failure, when hyperuretic syndrome appeared. Initially, the patient underwent hemodialysis through a right internal carotid vein catheter, then switched to peritonitis. However, due to multiple recurrent peritonitis, this method failed, so the patient was advised to switch to periodic dialysis and surgery to create an artery and vein joint.
Through the system of dialysis units in California, patients learned about the High-Tech Blood Purification Center according to Japanese standards at Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital and were treated during their stay in Vietnam. Currently, the patient has blood filtration 3 times/week, continues to take medication as prescribed in the United States and the condition is stable.
In recent years, besides domestic patients, the Nephrology - Hemodialysis Department of Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital has recorded an increasing number of foreign and overseas Vietnamese patients registering for dialysis during their travel or stay in Vietnam.
According to BS.CKII Vu Thi Minh Hoa, Head of Nephrology - Hemodialysis Department, Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital, from 2016, the hospital began to deploy a blood filtration area according to Japanese standards with a system of machinery, materials and ultra-pure water sources meeting international standards. By 2021, the hospital will continue to open a new blood filtration area also according to Japanese standards, improving the ability to serve patients.
Currently, the outpatient blood filtration area of the department receives about 170-180 patients per day, not including inpatients from other departments. In addition to Vietnamese patients, many foreigners also contact in advance to register for dialysis when coming to Ho Chi Minh City for tourism or work.
According to Dr. Hoa, international patients come from many countries such as Japan, Germany, Italy, Thailand or Cambodia. Most of them register for dialysis a few times during their stay, then return home to continue treatment. "Initially, they usually go through medical travel companies, but now many people actively send emails directly to the hospital to ask for information about the cost, type of dialysis, dialysis schedule before coming to Vietnam," Dr. Hoa added.
To ensure treatment safety, foreign patients must provide complete medical records, including medical history, the kidney dialysis method being applied, the type of medicine being used, and reports from the treating doctor in the host country.
According to doctors, the model of combining tourism and dialysis treatment is becoming a trend in many countries. When the technical and service system meets international standards, patients can confidently travel without interrupting treatment.
“The development of international standard blood filtration centers not only helps improve the quality of treatment for domestic patients but also opens up opportunities to attract international patients. If done well, this is also a development direction for medical tourism,” Dr. Hoa said.
