Seriously ILL While in Ho Chi Minh City

by Anthony
(Oxford, England)

What should I do if I get seriously ill while I'm in Ho Chi Minh City? Are the hospitals any good or should I be worried about it?

Not to be paranoid but I know that the hospitals and doctors are good in Thailand and even Cambodia,,,,,,, But Vietnam? I'd appreciate it if you gave me some idea of what to expect.

I Googled it and see a few good sounding hospitals but you lived there for a while so I really want to hear what you think.

Cheers, M8

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Answered by Travel-Budget-Asia.com

Ah, Money. Let me first see how much cash you have and then I can better answer that question.

There are some top hospitals for emergency care in Ho Chi Minh city. There are also some very old, dilapidated buildings that call themselves hospitals and employ staff that are as incompetent as I have ever seen in any country I've been before.

These are the places that are often the most crowded hospitals as well. Their services are so cheap that most poor Vietnamese use them en mass and wait times can be shocking.

The best hospital is also the most expensive. But put your worries to rest because the level of care available to you in Ho Chi Minh City is superb. If you have the money then places such as the Franco-Vietnamese Hospital are world-class.

Franco Vietnamese Hospital

6 Nguyen Luong Bang Street, Saigon South (Phu My Hung), District 7, Ho Chi Minh City.

Tel: (84-8) 54 11 33 33 / Fax: (84-8) 54 11 33 34

Emergency 24Hr Telephone: (84-8) 08 54 11 35 00

I once used (As did a few friends) the 24-hour accident & emergency unit (So Named). They have both foreign and professionally qualified local doctors at hand in two separate locations in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

I was very impressed with them.

Location #1:

8 Alexandre De Rhodes Street, District 1, HCMC

Tel: (84-8) 823 8888

Location #2:

1 No Trang Long St, Binh Thanh District, HCMC

Tel:(84-8) 803 0678

So you are in good hands if you encounter any health emergencies while in Ho Chi Minh City.

Good health to you...

Philip