VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam is really a potential market for stem cell services with the increasingly high number of people suffering from dangerous diseases and the people who can afford the expensive services.

A billionaire at the age of 70 in Hanoi said he has returned from South Korea where he spent nearly VND1 billion for the stem cell service.

“It took only 10 minutes to take the stem cell from the belly fat with an injection needle with the length of 10 cm. The technician sucked some 5 grams of the belly fat and carried it for cultivation. No pain,” he said.

The stem cell, after the cultivation, would be injected back in the body after one month. About 200 million stem cells would be injected in the body each time, while it would need 6 injections.

Clients can have their stem cells preserved and grown continuously at banks, if they want.

The old billionaire feels satisfactory with the service, saying that he made a right decision. Stem cell transplanting would help improve the health, prevent and cure some serious diseases such as diabetes, heart attack, Parkinsonism and cancer as well. Especially, stem cell technology can stop the aging and help prolong the longevity.

The number of Vietnamese who flock to South Korean to have stem cell services has been increasing rapidly. Most of them are old people who have much money.

In general, one would have to pay $35,000, or VND700 million for each time of culturing stem cell and injecting the cells back in the body. In some cases, it costs up to $60,000. These do not include the travel and accommodation fees.

In Vietnam, the research and application of stem cells began in 1990s already. In 1995, the HCM City blood transfusion hospital conducted a hematological stem cell transplant to treat the first patients with blood diseases.

Since then, more and more healthcare centers have conducted the stem cell transplant operations to treat their patients. These include the Hue Central Hospital, Central Hospital of Pediatrics and the Military Hospital No. 108.

In 2006, the Central Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion successfully conducted a case of transplanting stem cell. To date, 37 successful transplant cases have been carried out.

The Vietnam-Germany Friendship Hospital has also utilized the stem cell technology in the treatment of the patients with spinal cord injuries.

Vietnamese hospitals, which have realized the great potentials of the market, have kicked off the projects on developing stem cell service centers in Vietnam. An investor has reportedly been looking for South Korean partners to set up a healthcare center which treats diseases with the stem cell technology.

This is expected to be a very big center with the heavy investment which would serve the clients not only in Vietnam, but in South East Asia as well.

“I believe that the Vietnamese market is very potential. A lot of clients have contacted us, though we have just conducted negotiations with the partners,” he said.

The investor has revealed that at least five people come to his enterprise to ask about the stem cell technology every day. The number of interested people is so high that the board of directors decided to appoint one officer in charge of receiving the clients who ask about stem cell services.

Tran Thuy