If you are an immigrant in Vietnam, it is normal to have no clue about their healthcare sector’s situation. Vietnam and the maximum Asian countries hold different healthcare policies than that of Europe and America. While in Europe and America, public hospitals provide the best service to expecting moms. But in Asia, it is better to select an international hospital to get both the antenatal and postnatal advantages. You will get to know some other factors that are different in Vietnam than in other countries. As a pregnant women expat in Vietnam, where you plan to deliver your baby, you deserve to know how and where you will get the best service.
If you need a thorough idea regarding Vietnamese health services, you are on the right page. Read the following write-up to make yourself familiar with the process.
Southeast Asia: Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand
Though Southeast Asia contains 11 countries, the world’s majority usually means Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand, these three countries while discussing this region. It’s quite tricky to measure a country’s health care and life quality as it varies from time to time. However, we can assure you that living conditions in these three countries are very different depending on the zone you find yourself in. Though we will not cover this in-depth, we can include average data to get some necessary conclusions.
This region has been advancing very fast in terms of health and overall quality of life. Markers such as life expectancy are improving, which will provide a significant impact on the population.
Two factors are relevant to our discussion here. Let’s talk a bit about them.
- Infant mortality rate. This index measures the number of deaths within the population of 1-year-old infants or younger than that. This marker has been improving in Southeast Asia. It is much better than it was ten years ago. It is still very high, though, especially in the lower-income sections of the population. So, no one should take it lightly.
- Maternal mortality rate. Maternal mortality is still very high. It has dropped by half in the last few years and needs to drop by almost half again, compared against countries of other continents.
These two factors alone can be a source of worry for a woman expecting a child in Vietnam. Even though you are an expat, you need to be wary.
Infrastructure: Hospitals, Health Coverage
There is a severe infrastructure issue in many parts of the Asian continent. Although countries like Japan with highly developed infrastructure exist, that is not the overall case.
Access to clean water and necessities is not well-spread all over the Vietnam yet. The rural population still struggles for clean water or sewerage.
Controlling the spread of disease is very problematic in this kind of setting. Even if you are not living in a rural area, the scope of several infirmities can affect you at any time. These situations put your pregnancy and newborn in danger.
But, fortunately, health insurance companies in Vietnam provide many facilities to nonnatives. As most companies hiring foreigners and neglecting their health may worsen the country’s image to the outer world, in 2019, Vietnam launched new health insurance law.
Facilities for pregnant women expats living in Vietnam
You will find that the level of care in Public Hospitals in Vietnam is much lower than that of western countries. They are often understaffed and underprovisioned. It creates a particular problem for pregnant women. You should probably set up International Health Care if you are traveling to Vietnam, whether you are pregnant or not. Because costs like dental are very cheap in Vietnam, you can consider buying a full health insurance package for serious illness.
People from Vietnam and immigrants both have to pay for medical services in Public and Private Hospitals. The level of care provided in Private institutions is much higher than its Public counterpart in Vietnam. That is the main reason why one of the first things to do when you arrive in your new city is to choose reliable health insurance in Vietnam. The coverage may vary according to the price and refunds you may get at the hospital or clinic.
The local government is working on a universal health care system for the Vietnamese people, but that is not available yet.
What’s Unique about this Insurance
This insurance will provide you a comprehensive health cover. You will get to the best healthcare against the most common diseases and all sorts of infection without fearing the financial pressures. It is crucial during pregnancy since you are more vulnerable to infections during this period. An infection may create serious harm to your baby, even leaving lasting consequences to his or her development.
Of course, This insurance will cover all the regular health checks too. It makes a big difference. As you may know, regular health check-up is mandatory to ensure your developing child’s health. Having to spend on each check-up would run you a high bill in the end. It is better to have that covered from the start.
There are always some risks when it comes to newborns. They are vulnerable and need special care. Many diseases are under control in other parts of the world, but not in Vietnam. Having good health coverage will aid you in this regard. It will help prevent diseases by letting you avoid Public Hospitals. Having this health insurance will help you get vaccinated whenever you need it and provide the treatment your baby needs as soon as possible.
We hope that we were able to provide an accurate landscape. The health care situation in Vietnam is increasing very fast, but not fast enough. You still have a few extra dangers while there. Make sure that you resolve your health care coverage before traveling or as soon as you get there.
