Medical news update August 14th: Vietnamese healthcare is gradually becoming a preferred choice for international patients
A former Palestinian ambassador’s decision to undergo surgery at Viet Duc Friendship Hospital after a knee injury has once again affirmed confidence in the expertise and opportunities for Vietnamese healthcare to become a destination for international patients
Báo Đầu tư•14/08/2026
Former Palestinian Ambassador chooses Vietnam for knee surgery after injury
At the age of 65, the former Palestinian Ambassador to Vietnam suffered a domestic accident more than two months ago, resulting in a right knee injury. The persistent pain has significantly impacted his mobility and daily activities
After examination and assessment, doctors at Viet Duc Friendship Hospital determined that the patient had a torn medial meniscus in his right knee. After being advised about the injury and treatment options, he decided to undergo surgery in Vietnam
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| Doctors at Viet Duc Friendship Hospital performed surgery on the patient. |
For a foreign patient, choosing to have surgery in another country is not simply a decision about the location of treatment. Professional expertise, safety standards, examination and treatment procedures, quality of care, and post-operative recovery are all factors to consider
In the case of the former Palestinian ambassador, the decision to choose the Vietnam-Germany Friendship Hospital also stemmed from a trust that had been built up over decades
He said he had known about Viet Duc Friendship Hospital since the 1980s, when he came to Vietnam as a Palestinian student. After many years of living in Vietnam, he remains interested in the development of Vietnam’s healthcare sector, especially Viet Duc Friendship Hospital
“From that time, I knew this was a leading central hospital in Vietnam, bringing together many excellent experts and doctors. After many years of being associated with Vietnam, I have always followed the development of the Vietnamese healthcare sector, especially Viet Duc Friendship Hospital,” the patient shared
After a comprehensive assessment of the knee joint condition, the surgical team chose arthroscopic surgery to treat the meniscus injury. Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Manh Khanh, President of the Vietnam Orthopedic Trauma Association and Deputy Director of Viet Duc Friendship Hospital, said that arthroscopic knee surgery allows doctors to directly observe the internal structures of the joint, accurately assess the damage, and perform treatment through very small incisions. In this case, the incisions in the joint were only about 0.5 cm.
The surgery was quick. After the operation, the patient was alert, in stable condition, able to sit up, and began knee joint exercises on the same day
The outcome of the surgery is not just significant for one patient. The case of the former Palestinian ambassador raises a broader question: the potential to encourage foreigners to proactively choose Vietnam for medical examinations and treatment
In recent years, the profile of international patients in Vietnam has been changing. Previously, many foreigners were admitted to hospitals primarily due to accidents or emergencies arising during their travels , work, or stay in Vietnam. However, there is now an increasing number of people proactively seeking out medical facilities, undergoing examinations, receiving diagnoses, and planning their treatment in Vietnam
The patient group is also more diverse, ranging from tourists, foreign experts, diplomatic delegations to those who proactively choose Vietnam for healthcare
“This shows that we are shifting from a passive approach of receiving international patients to an active approach of attracting and serving international patients,” Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Manh Khanh commented
This shift is particularly significant given that many domestic medical facilities have mastered advanced techniques, gradually improving the quality of treatment and patient care. For a foreigner to proactively choose Vietnam instead of returning to their home country or seeking medical services elsewhere in the region, professional expertise remains a decisive factor
According to the Deputy Director of Viet Duc Friendship Hospital, in addition to the technical skills and expertise of the medical team, the dedication in care, nutritional support, rehabilitation, treatment time, and reasonable costs are also factors highly valued by international patients
Another advantage is the ability to organize the examination, diagnosis, and treatment process in a relatively short time. In the case of the former Palestinian Ambassador, after the examination, diagnosis, and consultation, the patient decided to have surgery the very next day
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These are also factors that can enhance the competitiveness of Vietnam’s healthcare system in attracting international patients. When professional quality is combined with appropriate care services, treatment time, and costs, opportunities for developing medical services for foreigners will expand
Following the surgery, the former Palestinian Ambassador expressed his gratitude to Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Manh Khanh and the staff of Viet Duc Friendship Hospital for their care and support during his treatment. He particularly mentioned the nursing staff, who directly accompanied him every day
“I will always remember the care and attention of the doctors and medical staff. You created a comfortable environment and atmosphere for me throughout my treatment at Viet Duc Hospital,” he shared before his return home
After experiencing prolonged dizziness, the woman was diagnosed with acute cerebral infarction
A 66-year-old woman was diagnosed with acute cerebral infarction after experiencing dizziness and unsteady gait for several days, but without weakness, paralysis, or sensory disturbances. Doctors warn that strokes do not always present with typical symptoms and can easily be mistaken for vestibular disorders
Patient PTQ, 66 years old, from Hanoi , came to MEDLATEC General Hospital after experiencing dizziness, unsteadiness, and pain in the back of the head for three consecutive days. Prior to this, the patient had visited another medical facility twice, where they were diagnosed with dyslipidemia and treated for hypertension combined with vestibular disorders using antihypertensive, lipid-lowering, anti-dizziness, and cerebral circulation-enhancing medications. However, after several days of medication, the symptoms did not improve, and the feeling of imbalance became increasingly pronounced, affecting their mobility and daily activities.
Notably, at the time of examination, the patient showed almost no neurological symptoms that would typically lead many to suspect a stroke. Dr. Bui Thi Thanh, a specialist in Neurology, stated that the patient was fully conscious, showed no weakness or paralysis, no cranial nerve damage, no sensory disturbances, and no cerebellar syndrome was observed. The NIHSS score – a stroke severity scale – was only 1 point, indicating very mild clinical neurological manifestations
However, the patient’s advanced age, history of hypertension, dyslipidemia, and persistent dizziness unresponsive to treatment led doctors to not rule out the risk of stroke. “With these facts, relying solely on clinical manifestations, it would be easy to diagnose a benign condition. However, given the risk factors and the persistent dizziness that did not respond to treatment, doctors still could not rule out the possibility of stroke,” Dr. Thanh stated
Dr. Thanh noted that this group of strokes presents with atypical symptoms. The main symptoms are dizziness and loss of balance, while more commonly known signs such as weakness or paralysis of the limbs, sensory disturbances, or significant abnormalities in consciousness are absent. This characteristic can lead patients and even the initial assessment process to mistakenly diagnose vestibular disorders or less serious conditions, delaying the detection of stroke
Based on the MRI results, the doctors continued to investigate the vascular system to find the cause. Extracranial Doppler ultrasound revealed bilateral carotid atherosclerosis, causing approximately 60% narrowing of the left carotid artery lumen and 29% on the right. The patient also had hypoplasia of the right vertebral artery, a congenital anomaly that results in a smaller-than-normal vessel diameter and may affect the posterior circulatory system’s blood supply in some cases
After identifying the lesion, doctors assess the degree of vascular stenosis and the patient’s risk to choose a treatment strategy. Dr. Thanh explained that carotid artery stenosis is classified into symptomatic and asymptomatic stenosis. For patients who have experienced a stroke or transient ischemic attack, treatment should not only aim to control symptoms but also assess the possibility of vascular intervention if the indications are met
Medical treatment focuses on antiplatelet drugs, lipid-lowering drugs, blood pressure control, and cardiovascular risk factors to limit the progression of atherosclerosis. In cases of severe stenosis that are symptomatic and meet professional criteria, physicians may consider recanalization methods such as carotid endarterectomy or stent placement
“Vascular intervention does not replace medical treatment. Even after revascularization, patients still need to effectively control hypertension, dyslipidemia, and atherosclerosis to limit the risk of restenosis and prevent recurrent stroke,” Dr. Thanh emphasized
This case also highlights a noteworthy issue in stroke identification: not all patients exhibit clear signs such as facial drooping, difficulty speaking, or weakness/paralysis on one side of the body. Dizziness is common in many medical conditions and is mostly not a stroke, but if it appears suddenly or lasts unusually long, accompanied by loss of balance, unsteadiness, blurred vision, difficulty speaking, numbness or weakness in the limbs, or unusual headaches, the patient needs to be examined early to rule out dangerous causes.
In particular, people over 50 or with risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular disease should not automatically assume that dizziness is a “vestibular disorder.” Identifying the correct cause early on is crucial for choosing the right treatment method, limiting brain damage, and reducing the risk of recurrent stroke
Parasitic hazards from water and food
The National Hospital for Tropical Diseases reported the discovery of a case of Spirometra larval infection in a 40-year-old man living in Hanoi. The patient, who was previously healthy and had no underlying medical conditions, sought medical attention after noticing an abnormal lump under the skin of his left thigh
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Ultrasound results revealed a hypoechoic mass measuring approximately 3.2 x 4 cm. During surgical removal of the lesion, doctors discovered a white, flattened larva, about 7 cm long, inside. Subsequent molecular analysis identified it as a parasite belonging to the genus Spirometra, commonly known as frog tapeworm larvae
Epidemiological investigation revealed that more than a month prior, the patient had gone swimming in a stream with friends and may have accidentally swallowed natural stream water while swimming. This detail is particularly noteworthy because untreated natural water is one of the possible pathways for parasitic larvae to enter the body
Associate Professor Dr. Le Tran Anh, from the Parasitology Clinic at the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases, stated that toad larval parasitic disease is caused by species belonging to the genus Spirometra. Humans can become infected by drinking natural water sources containing small crustaceans carrying larvae or by eating frogs, toads, snakes, and other intermediate hosts without thoroughly cooking them. Applying raw animal meat or tissue to the eyes, wounds, or damaged skin areas, as practiced in folk medicine, also carries a risk of infection.
The worrying aspect is that after entering the body, the larvae are capable of migrating through tissues and parasitizing in various locations. The level of danger depends on the number of larvae and the organs affected. If only under the skin, the disease may manifest as abnormal, itchy, or painful lumps, which can easily be overlooked. However, when the larvae migrate to the eyes or central nervous system, the consequences can be far more serious
In the eyes, parasites can cause eyelid swelling, pain, damage to eye structures, and impaired or even loss of vision. In rare cases of invasion of the central nervous system, patients may experience headaches, seizures, altered consciousness, weakness, paralysis, and the risk of long-term neurological damage
This case once again demonstrates that the risk of parasitic infection doesn’t only come from raw or undercooked food, but can also originate from natural water also become a risk factor for exposure if the water contains a host carrying the larvae
Doctors advise people to maintain the principle of eating cooked food, drinking boiled water, and using safe waterly; and not to eat frogs, toads, snakes, or other animals that are raw, undercooked, or not thoroughly cooked. At the same time, the habit of applying raw animal meat or tissue to the eyes, wounds, and damaged skin areas should be eliminated
In particular, when an abnormal lump appears under the skin, especially if it changes location, reappears, or is accompanied by itching or pain, people should go to a specialized medical facility to determine the cause. Early detection not only helps to treat the parasite promptly but also limits the risk of it migrating to vital organs, causing serious and irreversible damage
Tag:# Parasite hazardknee surgery# treatment of acute cerebral infarction
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