VietNamNet Bridge - The Bao Long Medical Group is one of the two businesses in Vietnam that are honored as the most successful firms in building trademarks by the Vietnam Intellectual Property Office and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

From a drugstore...

Dr. Nguyen Huu Khai, General Director of the Bao Long Medical Group.

The precursor of Bao Long Medical Group is the Ngu Long (Five Dragons) Pharmacy, which was established in 1987 in Ho Chi Minh City by a group of medical and martial arts students trained by physician and martial-art grandmaster Nguyen Huu Khai.

In the early days, the pharmacy had five products named after the five elements: Kim Long (metal dragon) to treat rhinitis, sinusitis, Moc Long (timber dragon) to treat liver and spleen diseases, Thuy Long (water dragon) to cure kidney disease, Hoa Long (fire dragon) to treat inflammatory neuropathy, arthritis, and Tho Long (physignathus) to fortify the spleen and treat children’s diseases. These products were mainly advertised through medical shows (traveling shows that offer varied entertainment, between the acts of which medicines are peddled).

In 1989, Herbalist Nguyen Huu Khai cooperated with the HCM City Police Agency to form the Bao Long Oriental and Vietnamese Medicine Enterprise. On 15/04/1993, the enterprise became the Bao Long Oriental and Vietnamese Medicine Co., Ltd.

In the early years, Bao Long was like a boat floating on the sea of business. Under great pressure and fierce competition, the company had to change its headquarters 17 times. The company lost everything several times and then stood up to do business again.

In the late 90s, Bao Long strengthened and flourished strongly. It opened branches in many countries, such as Russia and Germany, etc. Dozens of its products were licensed for circulation in the entire Russian Federation, Lithuania, Ukraine, Czech Republic and others. Especially, in China, Bao Long was licensed to establish its branches and to sell its “Thanh Long” product, to treat diabetes.

… to a strong brand of Vietnam

Japanese film-makers interviewed Dr. Khai.

Herbalist Nguyen Huu Khai and his students have developed the Bao Long Medical Group with 15 companies, schools, hospitals, etc., creating jobs for thousands of workers. The group now has a campus of nearly six hectares, with spacious workshops and a lot of trees.

For active supply of clean and quality materials for pharmaceutical production, Bao Long has taken over and restored the herbal farm in Sin Ho plateau of Lai Chau province, with an elevation of more than 1500m above sea level. The farm has most types of pharmaceuticals in China.

The Bao Long Medical Group has built the Bao Long Hospital, the friendly home to both local and overseas Vietnamese patients. The hospital has also been honored to serve many leaders of of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

In recent years, the Bao Long hospital has successfully treated many serious diseases, which has been hailed by the media as the miracle in medicine. With oriental pharmaceutical products, herbal cosmetics, dietary supplements and specific achievements of the Bao Long Hospital and Bao Long Duong health care facilities, the “Bao Long” brand has gained big credit at home and abroad and become a leading group in the field of traditional medicine of Vietnam.

The Bao Long Medical Group has always been a typical unit in social works and has been honored as the strong brand of Vietnam; one of the Top 100 Vietnamese brands. The group also won the Vietnam Gold Star Award, the Vietnamese Brand Proud Gold Cup, the certificate of merit awarded by the Prime Minister and the third-class Labor Medal of the Vietnamese President.

Herbalist, Dr. Nguyen Huu Khai was also granted the title “Excellent Doctor” and the third-class Labor Medal by the President, the certificate of merit by the Prime Minister and many prestigious awards from ministries and agencies.

In 2011 Japan’s KenJa Television voted Dr. Nguyen Huu Khai as one of the 10 most famous entrepreneurs in Vietnam and one of the 500 leading businessmen in Asia.

On November 23, 2011, journalist Hamada led a group of film-makers of the KenJa Television to the Bao Long Medical Group to shoot a film portraying Dr. Nguyen Huu Khai’s career and his experience in overcoming difficulty to come to success and Khai’s message to the Japanese younger generation. The film has been broadcasted in Japan.

Due to the impact the global and domestic economic slowdown, Bao Long as well as many businesses in Vietnam are experiencing financial difficulties. The group now wishes to transfer its assets, capital and the brand of the Bao Long Medical Joint Stock Company and the Bao Long Hospital, for maintaining financial stability and sustain the remaining units.

It is hoped that in the future, Bao Long will be still a company of strong financial capability among the top Vietnamese brands and continue to significantly contribute to the career of taking care of people's health.

Anh Vu