Medical Scam or Business as Usual in Vietnam?

Geniusloci wrote:

What I'm really trying to find out is whether or not this young man's Vietnamese family is being ripped off or if my son and his friends should go ahead and assist with some level of confidence that the treatment will be provided.

I think it's more like that your son's friend and not the doctor (or the friend together with the doctor) who wants to rip you off.
If your son and his friends want to provide substantial funds, why they don't take a cheap flight to Vietnam and check it out before?

They've worked together in an engineering firm for 5 years.  The company they work for was itself willing to extend credit (pre-paying wages effectively) to assist with some of the funding so I'm confident in the friend's belief that his sister has a dire need.

I'm just not sure how much truth there is in what the doctor is saying or if the demand for upfront payment is "normal" and legitimate.

So, as to my other questions - have you any experience on the ground in Vietnam that might enlighten me on the state of the health system and the ethics of medical professionals in Vietnam and their competence?

Regards
Ron

Advise: get a second opinion from an international hospital. It will cost more, but I would generally expect better ethics and expertise.

Most hospitals wont operate without cash up front.

I donated some money to help an expat have his leg amputated, no money up front, no amputation.

You could contact some of the better known hospitals, many doctors here are theifs in white coats.

I'm not sure what part of Vietnam the young woman is in but your advice is good  - I'll pass it on.

Thanks for the info - and the advice.  Maybe the best way is to provide resources for the family to get that second opinion at a reputable hospital.

Try Singapore - Vietnam Integrated Medical Service
The Medical Director ‘s name: Nguyen Tran Hieu
Tel: 0913898198

I have referred numerous patients there and the quality is very good.
Feel free to contact me if any questions.
Dr. Bill
APT - American Pain Treatment

APTDrBill wrote:

Try Singapore - Vietnam Integrated Medical Service
The Medical Director ‘s name: Nguyen Tran Hieu
Tel: 0913898198

I have referred numerous patients there and the quality is very good.
Feel free to contact me if any questions.
Dr. Bill
APT - American Pain Treatment
***

Posting your phone number on an open forum is asking for trouble.

Hi Dr Bill,
I will pass the information on to the young woman's brother (his name is Nam) here in Australia.
As it turns out he is planning to visit his family in the next week or so and get the real story on the ground in Vietnam.
One of the issues is that the young lady, her mother and Nam have little understanding of what the original diagnosis means, no idea of the prognosis and no way to judge if the very expensive, "necessary" and "urgent" followup treatment is necessary or urgent.
She's apparently already had a mastectomy (that was new information...) but the Stage, the Grade, whether the lymph nodes were cancerous or if the cancer is estrogen receptive are all unknowns.
Thanks again for the info.  I will pass it on.

Ron

I have a fair bit of experience with hospitals in Vietnam. I had some serious heart problems here and after the initial treatment which was satisfactory, i,e, one stent fitted no problem,I found the after care was not up to standard, I ended up going back to UK for after care and final treatment.
If it is possible for your friends to travel to, and stay in Thailand for a while there are some good hospitals around Bangkok.
Payment,   It is normal to pay in stages with these kinds of treatment, all up front seems a bit harsh but in some hospitals this can be the case,  I would be sceptical about this unless I had some good recommends from previous patients.

Hi,
Thanks for the information.  As you say, getting some recommendations seems wise.  Dr Bill has provided some contact details which I will pass on.

Your experience parallels what I've been hearing from others.  It seems that the locals have a  more difficult time with medical treatment - both getting access and the cost.

Thanks again
Ron

For anything more than a simple fracture (i.e., not a complicated one), go to Singapore or Bangkok. As someone said, it will be more expensive, but the 'repair' will be better. And if they ask there for (some of) the payment up front, you can be assured (certainly in the case of Singapore) that you have the law behind you if they don't follow through.

dOCTORS HAVE TO PAY AT LEAST 50k% bucks to get a job,

skill/ talent irrelevent,

That is just how things are done here, and in other non-western countries. A hospital is a business and you need to pay upfront for services. In the west people have the impression that hospital are charities, they are not.