Would you be prepared for this? I fell leaving my work at my English Center. It had been raining on and off all day. Surfaces were wet and slippery. I hadn’t been rushing. Just my normal pace after class. It just happened!
Unsure and maybe scared I decided not to seek professional help for a few days. With the coaxing from my landlord along with the swelling and pain, I finally went to Tran Diep Khanh Clinic at 11/25 Nguyen Oanh p.10,q. Go Vap, HCMC.
Hearing the word clinic, I figured I would get a “bandaid” and be sent on my merry way. Tran Diep Khanh Clinic is much more than a simple clinic. The medical care at most clinics, as I soon found out, can perform a lot of services that a hospital can. (With less cost and wait time)
The services I received were excellent. The staff and doctors were thorough and accommodating to my comfort. Communication was not an issue.
A special shout out to Dr.Khanh who looked me square in the eyes and asked me in a serious tone,” Do you speak English“? Then a huge smile came across his face. This made me laugh and relax. And a second shout out to Dr.Vy who was the first one to sign my cast.
The clinic was clean and everyone was very helpful. You had minimal paperwork to fill out upon arrival. Now, I have a medical card with a QR code (basic information such as name, address and phone number) that I show upon arrival for a quick check-in.
In writing this, I want everyone to realize you will not get substandard care when you need to seek medical help here in Vietnam. Having travel insurance is important to have. This should be one of the top things on your list before coming to Vietnam. You never know what can happen.
In my case, I chose to pay out of pocket. I had an exam, three individual Xrays, a cast put in place along with four medications to take home for less than one million VND. (Approx.$43.42 USD current market) Wow, back home this would be a fortune!
There is a downside to all of this…I live on the third floor, no elevator. Crutches are not the easiest to get around on here in HCMC. My English Center (as most are) the classes are not on the ground level. If you have a good working relationship with your center or school and need to have time off, you can make arrangements with your manager.
If this happens to you, have a backup plan for work (online, perhaps, as I do) or money set aside so you can live. Don’t let a mishap ruin your experience here in Vietnam.