Specialized care
Women's health, mental health, kids, and altitude — real guidance and verified clinics.
Women's health
Clinics, supplies, and staying well while you travel.
Good to know
- •UTIs and thrush are common on the road — hydrate, don't hold it in, and see a doctor if it doesn't settle.
- •Pregnant? Carry your maternity notes, know the nearest hospital with obstetrics, and check your insurance covers pregnancy.
Good to know
- ✓Sanitary pads are sold everywhere (pharmacies, supermarkets, convenience stores), but tampons are much harder to find — stocked only in some city pharmacies and Western-style supermarkets, and largely unavailable in rural areas. If you rely on tampons or a menstrual cup, bring your own supply.
- ✓Emergency contraception (the levonorgestrel 'morning-after pill') is sold over the counter without a prescription at most pharmacies (nhà thuốc) and is inexpensive. Some specific brands may still require a prescription.
- ✓Regular contraception (oral birth-control pills) is also widely available over the counter at pharmacies and inexpensive, with common brands like Marvelon, Rigevidon and Microgynon. Brand availability and your usual brand may differ, so bring enough if you depend on a specific one.
- ✓If you are pregnant and travelling, carry your prenatal records and get any routine or urgent care at an international hospital (FV, Vinmec, Hạnh Phúc) or an English-speaking OB-GYN clinic. Confirm your travel insurance covers pregnancy before you go.
Where to get help
Family Medical Practice (FMP) — Women's Health
English-speaking OB-GYN and women's health consultations at a foreign-run clinic network with branches in HCMC and Hà Nội; convenient for travelers needing quick gynaecological care.
FV Hospital — Obstetrics & Gynaecology (HCMC)
JCI-accredited international hospital in Ho Chi Minh City (founded by French doctors, 2003) with an English-speaking OB-GYN team handling gynaecology, maternity and fertility care.
Hạnh Phúc International Hospital (women & children)
Women-and-children specialist hospital near HCMC (Bình Dương) built to Singaporean standards, with bilingual staff and international-patient coordinators for obstetrics and gynaecology.
Vinmec International Hospital — Women's Health (Hà Nội)
Vinmec's international hospitals (e.g. Times City in Hà Nội, Central Park in HCMC) run Women's Health Centres covering obstetrics, gynaecology and fetal medicine, with English-language service for international patients.
⚠ Go to the ER if
Severe pelvic/abdominal pain, heavy unusual bleeding, fever with pelvic pain, or any bleeding/severe pain in pregnancy → go to the ER.
Mental health
Crisis lines and English-speaking support.
Travelling well
- •Jet lag, culture shock, and anxiety are common — keep a routine, sleep, and go easy on alcohol.
- •Bring enough of your medication, in its original box, with a copy of the prescription (some psychiatric meds are controlled in Vietnam).
Good to know
- ✓In an immediate emergency — if you or someone is in danger — call 115 for an ambulance or go to the nearest hospital emergency room. 115 works nationwide 24/7, though English may be limited, so state your exact location clearly.
- ✓Vietnam has no 24/7 English-language mental-health crisis line, so for round-the-clock support travelers often combine a local clinic, their travel-insurance assistance line, and Befrienders.
- ✓Your travel-insurance 24/7 assistance line (on the back of your policy card) can arrange an English-speaking doctor, a clinic referral, or medical evacuation — keep that number saved before you travel.
- ✓Sessions at private international clinics are confidential. You can ask for an English-speaking therapist and request a doctor of a preferred gender when you book.
Where to get help
Family Medical Practice (FMP) — Psychology
Foreign-owned clinic network (since 1994) with English-speaking psychologists and psychiatrists for anxiety, depression and more. Branches in HCMC, Hà Nội and Đà Nẵng; also runs a 24/7 medical line.
Saigon Psychology & Counseling
Private practice in Ho Chi Minh City led by a clinical psychologist offering psychotherapy and couples counselling in English (and Spanish) for expats and locals.
Hanoi French Hospital — Psychiatry & Psychotherapy
International hospital in Hà Nội with a psychiatry and psychotherapy department; foreigner-friendly with English-speaking staff and a 24/7 emergency line.
Befrienders Worldwide (international backstop)
Global directory of emotional-support and suicide-prevention helplines. Use the online finder to reach a centre near you in your own language — useful if you cannot reach a Vietnam line.
⚠ Go to the ER if
Thoughts of harming yourself or others → call 115 or go to the nearest ER now, and use a crisis line below.
Travelling with kids
Pediatric care, common bugs, and what to pack.
Common issues
- •Traveller's diarrhea — the main danger is dehydration. Give oral rehydration salts (ORS) early and often.
- •Heat rash, insect bites, motion sickness, and ear pain on flights are all common and usually mild.
Before you go
- •Check routine + travel vaccines are up to date (see the Vaccines guide).
- •Pack a kids' kit: ORS, child-dose paracetamol/ibuprofen (by weight), a thermometer, plasters, antihistamine, child-safe sunscreen and insect repellent.
- •International hospitals (FMP, Vinmec, FV) have pediatrics — find the nearest in Find Care.
⚠ Go to the ER if
High fever in an infant, dehydration (no wet nappies, sunken eyes, lethargy), trouble breathing, a rash that doesn't fade when pressed, or non-stop vomiting → ER / call 115.
Altitude & high places
Vietnam's highs are modest — but Fansipan can still affect you.
Where it matters in Vietnam
- •Fansipan (~3,143 m) is the highest — the cable car takes you up fast, which is when mild altitude symptoms can appear.
- •Sa Pa and Đà Lạt sit around 1,500 m — high enough to feel cool and a little breathless, but real altitude sickness is uncommon below ~2,500 m.
Mild symptoms & what to do
- •Headache, nausea, dizziness, tiredness, or poor sleep usually pass within a day.
- •Drink water, avoid alcohol, rest, and don't overexert right after the cable car. Go down if you feel worse.
⚠ Go to the ER if
Breathless at rest, confusion, can't walk straight, or a cough with frothy/pink spit → descend immediately and get medical help (rare but serious).
General information, not medical advice. In an emergency, call 115.
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