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Units participating in providing medical tourism products in HCMC signed (Photo: VOV)
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Speaking at the event, Ms. Bui Thi Ngoc Hieu, Deputy Director of the HCMC Department of Tourism, said the two Departments of Health and Tourism will collaborate with healthcare facilities and travel companies to introduce medical tourism products that meet the needs of both domestic and international visitors.
According to her, the city had planned to develop medical tourism products in 2017, but the campaign was postponed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
She emphasized that traditional medicine and acupuncture, as well as dental care, will be improved as part of efforts to make them as main medical tourism products of the city in the coming years.
Travel agencies have so far introduced over 30 tour packages combining health examinations, cosmetic dental treatment with sightseeing tours across the city.
According to experts, the expenditure for medical treatment, including dentistry costs in Vietnam, is three to ten times lower than in other Asian countries, it’s an advantage for the country to develop medical tourism.
The city’s medical tourism services target visitors from ASEAN nations. Besides, the city plans to expand its visitor base by offering infertility treatment services to attract visitors from Northeast Asia and Europe.
Nguyen Van Vinh Chau, deputy director of the municipal Department of Health, said the HCMC Department of Tourism has worked with more than 50 units, including hospitals, spas, hotels, restaurants, and travel agencies, to develop medical tourism products.
In 2018 around 300,000 foreign patients visited hospitals in the country for medical checks and treatment, and 57,000 of them were admitted. HCMC accounts for around 40 percent thanks to its competitive advantages in offering relaxation tourism in combination with medical tourism./.