Access to medical services in Viet Nam
The general standard of local hospitals and health facilities is below international standards. If medical assistance is sought from local health facilities, local regulations mean that travellers may be required to pay cash immediately for this assistance.
New Zealanders visiting or residing in Viet Nam are strongly encouraged to hold comprehensive health insurance that includes medical evacuation as there is no free medical treatment available. You should talk to your insurance provider about the details of your policy before you leave as it may not provide cover for hidden costs, such as if you do not speak the language you may have to pay for the help of a translator. Travellers intending to ride motorcycles should check that this is not excluded on your insurance policy.
Emergency medical evacuation by air is normally arranged by International SOS, Family Medical Practice or the French hospital, in conjunction with the insurance provider. If there is no insurance coverage in place, this is a cost to friends and family. You should seriously think about what will happen if you become ill, including whether you have people such as a spouse or in-laws who you can rely on to take care of you (such as assisting you when you are in hospital). You should also not assume that if you need care you will be able to return to New Zealand, as you may be too ill to travel by plane as an ordinary passenger and other options for repatriation are likely to be extremely expensive.