[HEALTH LAW ARTICLE]
DO FOREIGNERS PRACTICING MEDICAL EXAMINATION AND TREATMENT IN VIETNAM ARE REQUIRED TO BE PROFICIENT IN VIETNAMESE?

Nowadays, the number of foreign individuals and organizations investing in Vietnam's medical field is increasing, creating opportunities for foreign doctors to practice medical examination and treatment in Vietnam. However, facing language barriers, do the foreign doctors in Vietnam are required to be proficient in Vietnamese? This article shall help solve that problem.

1. Do foreign doctors in Vietnam are required to be fluent in Vietnamese?
The medical field is one of the special fields, related to the health and life of humans. Therefore, language barriers are also one of the particularly important issues when it comes to foreign doctors providing medical examinations and treatment in Vietnam. According to clause 1 Article 23 Law on Medical examination and Treatment 2009, foreigners directly providing medical examination and treatment for Vietnamese must be proficient in Vietnamese; in the situation, they are not proficient in Vietnamese, they shall register the language they will use in medical examination and treatment and have a translator.

In summary, foreigners directly providing medical examination and treatment in Vietnam are still better to be proficient in Vietnamese, but this is not mandatory. In case they are not proficient in Vietnamese, they shall register the language they will use in medical examination and treatment and have a translator in the whole process of providing the medical examination and treatment. If a translator is needed, they must be responsible for the accuracy of the translated content under the law.

2. In which situation can proficiency in Vietnamese or another language be recognized without being tested?

To be recognized the proficiency in Vietnamese or another language in healthcare without being tested, foreigners providing medical examination and treatment in Vietnam must fall under these circumstances according to clause 3 Article 17 Decree No. 109/2016/ND-CP on the issuance of practice certificates to healthcare practitioners and operation licenses to healthcare facilities. More specifically:

- A medical degree of intermediate level or higher level issued by a Vietnamese or foreign lawful training institution with the training program conducted in Vietnamese or the language which the practitioner registers to use in healthcare;

- A certificate of completion of a medical training course which lasts at least 12 months and is conducted in Vietnamese or the language which the practitioner registers to use in healthcare;

- A university degree in Vietnamese or the language the practitioner registers to use in healthcare issued by a Vietnamese or foreign lawful training institution.
Qualifications specified in points a and b of this clause shall be issued within 05 years before the date of application submission.

Therefore, when foreigners wanting to provide medical examination and treatment in Vietnam, they have to satisfy all the conditions related to language as above to guarantee the process to be accurated.