From a special case
In early July, a 59-year-old male patient from Australia flew more than 7,000 km to Vietnam to treat prostate cancer. Instead of waiting for months to have surgery at home, he chose Vinmec Times City Hospital, where doctors successfully performed robot surgery to treat cancer.
According to Assoc. Prof. Pham Van Binh, Director of Vinmec Times City Hospital, this case reflects the trend of more and more international patients choosing Vietnam thanks to their ability to master modern treatment techniques, especially robot surgery. However, to develop sustainable medical tourism, hospitals need to continue to improve professional quality, improve care processes and strengthen cooperation with international partners.
The cost of robot surgery in Vietnam currently ranges from 120-200 million VND, significantly lower than many countries such as Singapore or South Korea.
The potential of a "treatment destination
According to the Ministry of Health, about 40,000 Vietnamese people go abroad for medical examination and treatment each year with a total cost of about 2 billion USD. To maintain this spending source, the Ministry is developing a project to develop high-quality medical examination and treatment services for the period 2025-2030, focusing on areas with strengths such as cardiology, oncology, reproductive support, dentistry, aesthetics and periodic health check-ups.
In the opposite direction, Vietnam currently welcomes about 300,000 foreigners for examination and treatment each year. The target audience is not only overseas Vietnamese and foreigners living in Vietnam but also patients from many countries in the region and developed countries. The Tam Anh General Hospital System in Ho Chi Minh City alone has received more than 55,000 patients from 176 countries and territories in the period from March 2021 to January 2026.
The number of overseas Vietnamese and international tourists coming to Vietnam in combination with medical examination and treatment is also increasing rapidly. Medical costs are only about 30-50% compared to Singapore and Thailand; infertility treatment (IVF) alone is only about one-third of the cost in Thailand and one-fifth compared to the US but is still highly appreciated for expertise.
According to Deputy Director of Hanoi Department of Health Nguyen Dinh Hung, the advantage of Vietnamese healthcare currently lies not only in reasonable costs but also in the increasingly affirmed professional quality. Many techniques in the fields of cardiology, organ transplantation, oncology, assisted reproduction and surgery have reached a level equivalent to many medical centers in the region.
In Vietnam, the trend of combining tourism and resorts with medical examination and treatment is also developing rapidly. In 2024, the medical tourism market reached about 700 million USD and is forecast to increase to 4 billion USD by 2033 if available advantages are well utilized.
Race to elevate Vietnamese hospitals
To seize the opportunity, many public and private hospitals have invested in modern technologies such as surgical robots, artificial intelligence, electronic medical records and in-depth techniques on cardiology, organ transplantation, oncology, and assisted reproduction.
At the same time, medical facilities improve patient experience according to international standards, from on-demand treatment areas, high-quality disease prevention to online appointments, cashless payments and interpreters.
According to Mr. Nguyen Dinh Hung, Hanoi has many advantages to develop medical tourism thanks to the end-line hospital system, a team of leading experts and many specialized treatment techniques. He proposed five groups of solutions including promoting existing health networks, building unique medical tourism products, promoting digital transformation and smart hospitals, strengthening links with travel businesses, airlines, hotels and insurance, and building the brand "Hanoi - High-Quality Medical Center of Vietnam".
From a management perspective, Dr. Duong Huy Luong, Deputy Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management (Ministry of Health), said that it is necessary to soon complete the mechanism, build standards for international patient service facilities, remove obstacles regarding service prices and international insurance payments. At the same time, Vietnam needs to standardize medical tourism packages, develop human resources with professional qualifications and foreign languages. According to the orientation of the Ministry of Health, by 2030, Vietnam aims to become a competitive medical tourism destination in Southeast Asia, gradually rising to the leading group in Asia. Not only developing high-tech medical examination and treatment services, the health sector also aims to combine traditional medicine, resorts and comprehensive health care according to international standards.
According to the orientation of the Ministry of Health, by 2030, Vietnam aims to become a competitive medical tourism destination in Southeast Asia, gradually rising to the leading group in Asia. Not only developing high-tech medical examination and treatment services, the health sector also aims to combine traditional medicine, resorts and comprehensive health care according to international standards.
