Hanoi (VNA) - K.V., a 53-year-old foreign sailorwho became sick from anthrax while at sea, recovered within just a week oftreatment for the infection in Vietnam.
He said he felt fortunate to be in the country wherehe received care from dedicated doctors and nurses.
Vietnam has also done well in containing the COVID-19pandemic, he added. Local medical facilities have therefore proven they are ableto treat patients, foreign and local alike, to a high standard.
K.V. is one of the many foreigners who underwent medicaltreatment in Vietnam during the pandemic.
With initial success in COVID-19 prevention andcontrol, Vietnam could become a trusted healthcare destination for foreignersand Vietnamese living abroad, experts have said.
Associate Professor and Dr. Nguyen Lan Hieu, Directorof the Hanoi Medical University Hospital, said Vietnam has secured a new imagein the eyes of international friends for its smart selection of measures to fightthe coronavirus despite having limited resources.
The country gained success in both prevention andtreatment, in particular the treatment of severe cases, which gives it a greatopportunity to promote its healthcare sector and attract foreign as well aslocal patients.
Hieu explained that large numbers of Vietnamese travelabroad to seek medical care. The pandemic made this difficult, however, and wasan opportunity for the local medical sector to prove its worth.
He also pointed to a range of difficulties faced bythe local sector, firstly how to be transparently self-reliant and attractpatients from around the world.
The Ministry of Health needs to introduce circularsguiding hospitals investing in equipment and services, Hieu said and suggestedstepping up IT application and setting prices for services.
To win the confidence of patients in general andforeigners in particular and to satisfy their requirements, expertise ofdoctors plays the most significant role, he said, adding if Vietnam can attractpatients thanks to this factor, it then becomes easier to improve servicequality./.