What to Do If You Get Sick in Vietnam

The nightmare of a long-awaited adventure ain’t missing a flight or losing your luggage but getting sick. Fortunately, there is plenty you can do to make the misfortune less disruptive. Here are some tips on what to do if you get sick in Vietnam.

*Please be well-noted that this blog is not replaceable for medical advice from doctors or professional medical staff.

Be Well-Prepared before Your Trip

Take preventive measures since packing for your trip, such as taking vaccinations before traveling and you may find the preparation helpful for what to do if you get sick in Vietnam while traveling.

See What Vaccinations You Need for Traveling to Vietnam.

Bring along All of Your Medical Essentials

A letter from your primary healthcare provider: including all of your health conditions and any prescription or medicines you are currently taking.

Personal emergency medical bag: to pack your daily essential medicines and other types of medicines such as common-cold medicines, anti-motion sickness medication, antiseptic solution, etc.

Suggested personal emergency medical bags:

• Johnson & Johnson's all-purpose portable first aid kit already contains sufficient medication and other basic medical instruments.
• VGEBY medical pouch is compact, light, and portable, turning it into a great companion for any traveler.

A personal emergency kit would be a great companion while traveling in case of getting hurt or illnesses

Carefully Check Your Travel Insurance

The utmost excitement before embarking on the trip may make most travelers forget how important travel insurance can be. Once you get sick, despite the affordable medical care in Vietnam, insurance could further save you a considerable amount. Also, make sure to know its terms and policies.

What to Do If You Get Sick in Vietnam

In case of emergency, dial 115 for medical care and ambulance.

List of Emergency Contacts in Vietnam

Visiting the Doctor to Assess Your Health Condition

There are different levels of illnesses, whether stomachache by drinking tap water, common cold, flu, food poisoning, or a bad reaction to an insect bite. Therefore, assessing your health risks is at the top of the list of what to do if you get sick in Vietnam. It would be much better to ask for and listen to advice from doctors before making any decisions on your own.

Asking for medical advice from doctors and professional medical staff is always better than assessing your health on your own

If You Are In Need of Special Care at The Hospital

Please keep in mind that rural areas in Vietnam have a quite basic healthcare system so be extremely careful when visiting off-the-beaten-path destinations. Always turn on your phone and have some basic information (contact information, health condition information, etc.) accessible for others in an emergency.

Visiting The Nearest Hospitals

In case you are in an emergency or highly in need of special medical treatment, make your way to the nearest hospitals. We recommend choosing international hospitals over local ones for faster, more attentive service, and most importantly, little chance of a language barrier during treatment.

Well-known international hospitals in Vietnam for travelers:

Family Medical Practice is one of the most favorable international hospitals thanks to a wide range of available languages

Vinmec is open 24/7, which helps the medical examination and treatment to be more convenient

Contact Your Home Embassy

Among the suggested actions on what to do if you get sick in Vietnam, any traveler should remember to mark on contacting the Embassy. If your illness is serious, consular officers can help you look for medical assistance, and if you desire, they also help to inform your family and friends. In some cases, consuls can also assist in the transfer of funds from family or friends from your hometown.

Having a Friend or a Family Member with You

If you are not traveling by yourself, don’t go to the hospital alone. Having someone to take care of you and other procedures in the hospital is necessary, especially when you are too tired to communicate in the context of language barriers.

Keeping Your Medical Records

Keeping copies of medical records is one of the musts of what to do if you get sick in Vietnam. Thanks to the records, it would be easier to follow up on the treatment process when going back to your hometown.

Always asking for your medical records after hospital discharge

If You Can Take Care of Yourself

Where to Buy Medicines

Buying necessary medicines are definitely of great importance of what to do if you get sick in Vietnam. Aside from local pharmacies, Pharmacity and Long Chau Pharmacy have hundreds of retailers at all major cities (Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City) and also different provinces in Vietnam.

There are various local pharmacies on the street but communication in different languages may become a problem

Pharmacity’s opening hours: 6 AM - 11.30 PM

Find the nearest Pharmacity

Long Chau Pharmacy’s opening hours: 7 AM - 10 PM

Find the nearest Long Chau Pharmacy

Pharmacists at the store will ask you about your symptoms and health condition to prescribe medication for you. Many of them can communicate in English, yet, it would be much better if you can ask your tour guide or a local friend to come with you for translation.

Listen to Your Body

Listening to your body is the top priority of what to do if you get sick in Vietnam. Sickness may impair your mood and alertness, therefore, keeping on traveling only plagues your tired body. Spend some time resting to let your body fully recover before continuing on your journey.

Summary on What to Do If You Get Sick in Vietnam

Illnesses are also one of the nightmares for travelers, hindering you from enjoying an amazing trip to explore Vietnam. But it is always recommendable to expect the unexpected and be well-prepared for undesirable situations. We hope that our suggestions on what to do if you get sick in Vietnam can help you to keep calm, take care of yourself, and stay healthy during your time in Vietnam.