Medical tourism is a trend that many localities are interested in and developing. In Da Nang, medical services serving tourists’ health care needs when travelling have been deployed for many years, helping them enhance their health when visiting and relaxing.

More and more tourists come to Da Nang to travel, relax, and care for their health. Photo: PHAN CHUNG

Recently, the Clinic No. 2, Facility No. 2 of the Da Nang Traditional Medicine Hospital received many tourists for medical examination and treatment services while travelling to Da Nang. A male South Korean tourist suffered from herniated disc and cervical spondylosis and has been treated for many years in his hometown.

While travelling to Da Nang, he felt unwell and went to Clinic 2 for treatment with traditional medicine methods. After more than 2 weeks of following the doctor's instructions, his health was stable and then he could walk more easily, and his bone and joint pain also greatly relieved.

Similarly, an Australian female tourist often suffered from headaches and long-term insomnia. When travelling to Da Nang, the difference in time zone, living, and eating causes his health to decline. She went to the Da Nang Traditional Medicine Hospital for support to improve his condition.

After one month of staying in Da Nang, she returned home and at that time, her headaches and insomnia improved significantly.

In her thank you letter to the medical staff here, she wrote: “I am very grateful for the love from the medical staff for me. Your friendliness, enthusiasm and qualifications have given me a wonderful vacation, and more than that, my health has improved a lot”.

According to Doctor Nguyen Cong Ly, Head of Clinic No.2, the Da Nang Traditional Medicine Hospital, in recent years, the Medical Tourism unit at Clinic No.2 of the hospital has created a domestic and international brand, becoming the ideal choice for patients who come for treatment combined with travel.

The unit has deployed technical services typical of traditional medicine, as well as medicinal products prepared from local organic medicinal sources.

“Traditional medical technical services such as acupuncture, acupressure massage, traditional medicine compresses and thread implantation therapies  are popular with many tourists. In addition, the hospital has also deployed the production of many types of traditional medicine that have the effect of nourishing the body and treating a number of common diseases with good effectiveness and convenience to use and transport, suitable and chosen by many tourists and local people.”, said doctor Ly.

With regard to medical examination and treatment activities for tourism, in 2023, the Vietnamese Ministry of Health issued Decision 2951/QD-BYT approving the project to develop traditional medical and pharmaceutical services and products to serve tourism by 2030.

The project aims to develop traditional medical and pharmaceutical services and products with economic value on the basis of improving quality, diversifying and increasing the attractiveness and sustainability of services and products, forming a supply chain of traditional medicine and pharmaceutical products and services to serve domestic and international tourists, in combination with enhancing information and communication to promote the image and brand of Vietnamese traditional medicine and pharmacy.

In addition, heed will also paid to building a team of high-quality human resources to develop the system of providing traditional medical and pharmaceutical services and products to serve tourists.

According to doctor Nguyen Van Anh, the Director of Da Nang Traditional Medicine Hospital, to develop traditional medicine to serve tourists, the hospital is currently developing 5 product lines to provide services. It is health care tourism using traditional medicine; cosmetic tourism using traditional medicine; medicinal and traditional medicine tourism and tourism to explore traditional medicine and indigenous culture.

“In order to successfully develop medical tourism, the hospital also constantly focuses on trainning high-quality human resources with professional qualifications, good communication skills, knowledge of health care, as well as English proficiency level; developing lines of providing health care services and products using traditional medicine such as acupuncture and acupressure massage. In addition,  the application of information technology in management and provision of medical tourism services and products will be accelerated, contributing to turning medical examination and treatment activities into products to support domestic and foreign tourists during their vacation in Da Nang," said doctor Anh.

Reporting by PHAN CHUNG - Translating by A.THU