According to Dr. Ha Anh Duc, head of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment under the Ministry of Health, the joint participation of public and private hospitals will strengthen medical tourism. Public hospitals have an advantage in clinical expertise, while private hospitals already have strengths in some specialties and technologies, as well as modern, integrated equipment systems.
Duc said public hospitals need to improve service quality and infrastructure. Bach Mai Hospital, for example, is establishing an international center and is considering the JCI standards.
“One sign of international integration that we must be able to tell our international partners is this: you follow JCI standards, and so do we. You can do it, and we can do it too,” Duc said. He said JCI would make medical care more transparent, while integration would support the development, renewal and improvement of healthcare quality.
“The medical tourism project requires us to improve quality throughout the process, from care and management to infrastructure and equipment. This will help build the brand of Vietnamese healthcare,” Duc said.
Bach Mai Hospital director Dao Xuan Co said the hospital was moving toward international quality standards and planned to implement JCI. JCI should not become a set of documents prepared for an assessment. It requires real changes, especially as the healthcare sector works to build and develop a medical tourism brand and carry out a medical tourism project that the government is expected to adopt soon.
Private hospitals have also expressed their readiness to join the project and are investing in medical staff, equipment, reception and patient care. Nguyen Manh Tuong, deputy director of medical affairs at Thang Long Lac Viet International Hospital in Hanoi, said the hospital sees medical tourism as a strategic direction for improving services and promoting Vietnam's healthcare capabilities. Its central Hanoi location makes it accessible to foreign tourists and specialists, and the hospital has already treated many international patients.
JCI, or Joint Commission International, is an international healthcare quality assessment organization affiliated with The Joint Commission. It aims to improve the quality and safety of care worldwide. To receive JCI certification, a hospital undergoes an independent assessment based on strict standards covering quality management, patient safety, treatment, medication management, infection control, infrastructure and staff.
“The project sets more systematic and professional requirements. We are therefore negotiating contracts with international insurers to simplify payment procedures and building closer links with travel and accommodation partners. The hospital is preparing the necessary foundation to begin work effectively as soon as the project is approved by the government and implemented by the Ministry of Health,” Tuong said.
Duc said the government-approved out-of-hospital emergency care project, now being rolled out, would help align the infrastructure needed for medical tourism. It would support the sector by providing initial care and emergency treatment and by transporting patients promptly to medical facilities, increasing their chances of receiving timely treatment. “Foreigners should come to Vietnam for healthcare services, be satisfied and tell others about them,” Duc said.
According to the Ministry of Health, the medical tourism project may include dentistry, selected advanced surgical specialties, orthopedics and musculoskeletal care, high-tech cancer treatment, assisted reproduction, cosmetic services, comprehensive health checks and early disease screening.
Sources: Thanh Niên
