Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City for foreigners: where to go and where the pharmacy is
Which hospital to go to in Ho Chi Minh City: ambulance 115, 24-hour emergency departments, languages and phones, insurance, 24-hour pharmacies and prescription rules.
The ambulance number in Vietnam is 115, but the line is answered in Vietnamese only (GOV.UK, getting help abroad), so ask hotel staff to call. In Ho Chi Minh City the easiest start for a foreigner is a private hospital with a 24-hour emergency department; they are listed in the hospitals and clinics section. FV Hospital, City International and Family Medical Practice state round-the-clock emergency care on their websites, and Vinmec Central Park is listed with 24-hour emergency care in the Australian embassy's hospital list. Bring your passport and insurance policy. Information as of 26 October 2026.
Hospitals and clinics: addresses and contacts Open in Telegram
Which hospital should you choose?
- You need Russian — Family Medical Practice in the centre (Russian is among the languages on its website) or FV Hospital in District 7 (Russian per the Australian embassy's list). Ask by phone who is on shift.
- An emergency at night, from the centre — Family Medical Practice (emergency *9999) or the public Gia Định People's Hospital, facility 2 near Bến Thành market. FV and City International are also 24-hour, but far from the centre.
- You're claiming on insurance — call your insurer's assistance line first: they will tell you which hospital bills them directly.
- A routine visit in English — the Victoria Healthcare and Raffles Medical clinics, in the daytime.
How do I call an ambulance in Ho Chi Minh City?
The ambulance number is 115, but all emergency numbers in Vietnam are answered in Vietnamese only (GOV.UK). Ask hotel or host staff to call. If you can travel, order a Grab to the emergency entrance and show the driver the Vietnamese address from the hospital's page.
Which Ho Chi Minh City hospitals take patients around the clock?
Six hospitals in the table state 24-hour emergency care: FV Hospital, City International and Family Medical Practice on their own websites, and Vinmec Central Park, Gia Dinh (building 2) and Chợ Rẫy in the Australian embassy's hospital list of July 2026. Victoria Healthcare and Raffles Medical are daytime clinics, so phone ahead. The full list is in the hospitals and clinics section.
| Hospital | 24 hours | Languages | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gia Dinh People's Hospital, building 2 — 125 Lê Lợi, by Ben Thanh Market; public | yes, emergency centre (Australian embassy list, July 2026) | English per the embassy list; staff do not always manage in English | 1900 8116; emergency +84 28 3551 0063 |
| FV Hospital — 6 Nguyễn Lương Bằng, Phú Mỹ Hưng (District 7), outside the centre | yes, "Cấp cứu 24/7" (hospital website) | per the embassy list: Russian, French, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Khmer; ask about English | 028 3511 3500 (emergency), 028 3511 3333 |
| Vinmec Central Park — 208 Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh (hospital website: 720A Điện Biên Phủ), Vinhomes Central Park | yes, 24-hour emergency (Australian embassy list, July 2026) | hospital website: on-site interpreters for English, Khmer and Korean | 028 3622 1166 |
| City International — 3 Đường số 17A, Bình Tân, outside the centre | yes, "Cấp cứu 24/7" (hospital website) | English (Australian embassy list) | 1900 8146; emergency 028 6290 1155 |
| Chợ Rẫy — 201B Nguyễn Chí Thanh, Chợ Lớn; public | yes, emergency (Australian embassy list) | Vietnamese | 028 3855 4137 |
| Family Medical Practice — Diamond Plaza, 34 Lê Duẩn, centre | the clinic's website says 24/7; at night phone *9999 first | Russian and English (clinic website) | 028 3822 7848; emergency *9999 or 028 3744 9000 |
| Victoria Healthcare — 20 Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Tân Định | clinic, not round-the-clock; phone before you go | English (Australian embassy list) | 028 3910 4545 |
| Raffles Medical — 285B Điện Biên Phủ | clinic, daytime; ask the hours by phone | English, Vietnamese, Japanese (Australian embassy list) | 028 3824 0777 |
Where do I go if I need help fast and I'm in the centre?
Gia Dinh People's Hospital, building 2 is the closest to the centre: a public hospital by Ben Thanh Market whose emergency centre is marked 24-hour in the Australian embassy's list. For a doctor who speaks English or Russian, try Family Medical Practice in Diamond Plaza. FV Hospital, Vinmec Central Park and City International are large private hospitals; plan a Grab ride to reach them.
Are there Russian- or English-speaking doctors in Ho Chi Minh City?
The Family Medical Practice website lists Russian among its languages and shows doctors who speak Russian; the Australian embassy list also gives Russian for FV Hospital. Who is on shift can only be confirmed by phone, so call ahead and ask for a Russian- or English-speaking doctor or an interpreter. In public hospitals keep a translation app and photos of your medicine packs on your phone.
How does travel insurance work at the hospital?
There are two ways: the hospital bills your insurer directly, or you pay and claim later. FV Hospital publishes a list of insurers with direct billing: inpatient care needs a guarantee of payment from the insurer, and international insurers such as Allianz Worldwide Care and Cigna International need pre-authorisation (FV Hospital, Direct Billing Partners). Whether your policy works at another hospital is for your insurer's assistance line to say, so phone it before the visit.
What should I bring to the hospital?
Your passport, policy and the insurer's assistance number. The UK government advises insurance that covers local treatment and evacuation, and says to contact your insurer quickly if you are referred to a clinic (GOV.UK, health). When you are discharged, ask for a summary with the diagnosis and keep every receipt.
How much does it cost?
It depends on tests and treatment, so there are no prices here. Ask three things: is a deposit required, will the hospital accept your insurer's guarantee, and can you get an estimate in advance.
What if I'm bitten by a dog or hurt in a scooter crash?
Go to a 24-hour emergency department from the table. After an animal bite or scratch, WHO advises washing the wound with soap and water for at least 15 minutes and seeing a doctor (WHO, rabies).
Is there a 24-hour pharmacy in Ho Chi Minh City?
Yes. The 24-hour pharmacies on the Pharmacity page include Phạm Ngũ Lão 327, in the main tourist quarter; Cống Quỳnh 124, a couple of blocks away; Tôn Thất Tùng 80, by Thai Binh Market; Hai Bà Trưng 97, by the Opera House; and Hai Bà Trưng 373, in District 3. The chain's line is 1800 6821; individual pharmacies have no number of their own. All addresses are in the pharmacies of Ho Chi Minh City section.
What is open late besides the 24-hour pharmacies?
Long Châu at Cống Quỳnh 223B shows opening until 23:00 on Google Maps, and Cô Bắc 580 until 22:00; the chain's line is 1800 6928. An Khang at Vườn Chuối 101 is open 6:30–22:00 and at Hoàng Sa 989 7:00–22:00 (store pages on the chain's website; line 1900 1572). If you go late, phone first: an individual pharmacy's hours can differ.
What can I buy without a prescription and what needs one?
Prescription medicines, antibiotics included, are sold only with a doctor's prescription. Decree 90/2026, in force since 15 May 2026, sets fines of 10–20 million dong for selling them without one and bans selling them on online platforms (The Star). The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health has already fined pharmacies for it. So a pharmacist's refusal is the law, not rudeness. For a fever, an allergy or pain, go to a pharmacy: show the active ingredient in Latin letters or a photo of the pack. If you need a prescription, see a doctor at a hospital from the table.
How do I avoid a fake medicine?
The UK government warns that many medicines in Vietnam are fake (GOV.UK, health). Buy from a pharmacy with a sign and a fixed address, and check the registration number from the box in the open register of the Ministry of Health's Drug Administration, which shows the name, active ingredient and dosage (LSVN, register). Not in the register — do not buy it. WHO estimates that at least 1 in 10 medicines in low- and middle-income countries is substandard or falsified (WHO).
Where do I go with a toothache?
To a dentist: addresses are in the dentists of Ho Chi Minh City section. With a swollen face or a fever, go to a 24-hour emergency department from the table.
Also on the topic: Dentists in Ho Chi Minh City: how to choose a clinic.
FAQ
Which hospital in Ho Chi Minh City accepts foreigners? Private hospitals with a 24-hour emergency department do: FV Hospital, City International, Vinmec Central Park and Family Medical Practice. Addresses, languages and phone numbers are in the table above and in the hospitals and clinics section. Ask about the language by phone.
Is there an international hospital in Ho Chi Minh City? Yes: FV Hospital, Vinmec Central Park International Hospital and City International Hospital are in the table. Ask by phone about languages and night admission.
Where should a tourist go if they fall ill in Ho Chi Minh City? For severe pain, high fever, an injury or poisoning, call 115 or go to a 24-hour emergency department from the table. For a mild complaint, start with a pharmacy; at night go to an emergency department. Bring your passport, policy and your insurer's assistance number.
What is the ambulance number in Ho Chi Minh City? 115. The line is answered in Vietnamese, so it's easier if hotel staff call.
Which Ho Chi Minh City hospital is open 24 hours? FV Hospital, City International and Family Medical Practice state 24/7 emergency care on their websites; Vinmec Central Park, Gia Dinh (building 2) and Chợ Rẫy are 24-hour in the Australian embassy's list.
Does a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City accept travel insurance? FV Hospital publishes a list of insurers with direct billing and requires a guarantee of payment (FV Hospital). For other hospitals only your insurer's assistance line can confirm.
Are there Russian-speaking doctors in Ho Chi Minh City? The Family Medical Practice website lists Russian among its languages. Phone ahead and ask who is seeing patients.
Do I need an interpreter in a public hospital? Yes, keep a translation app handy: staff at Chợ Rẫy speak Vietnamese, and at Gia Dinh they do not always manage in English.
Where is a 24-hour pharmacy in Ho Chi Minh City? Pharmacity: Phạm Ngũ Lão 327; Cống Quỳnh 124; Tôn Thất Tùng 80; Hai Bà Trưng 97 and 373.
Can I buy antibiotics without a prescription? Legally no: since 15 May 2026 a pharmacy risks a fine of 10–20 million dong.
Sources and how we checked
We opened the hospital websites on 26 October 2026: FV Hospital, emergency and direct billing, Vinmec Central Park, City International, Family Medical Practice, Gia Dinh People's Hospital. Round-the-clock care at Vinmec Central Park, Gia Dinh and Chợ Rẫy, and the languages and phone numbers of clinics: Australian embassy hospital list, July 2026. The 115 number and advice on insurance and fakes: GOV.UK: getting help abroad and GOV.UK: health. 24-hour pharmacies: the Pharmacity page; other pharmacies' hours come from the cards in the pharmacies of Ho Chi Minh City section and hospital addresses from the hospitals and clinics cards (Google Maps and chain websites, 25–26 October 2026). Fines for prescription medicines: The Star, 8 July 2026; checking a medicine: LSVN and the Drug Administration register; fakes: WHO; animal bites: WHO. This is reference information, not medical advice: what to take is for a doctor to decide. Text updated 26 October 2026.