Vietnam’s healthcare and social work sectors remain unattractive to foreign firms, drawing in foreign direct investment (FDI) worth only $89.7 million in eight projects between January and November, according to data from the Ministry of Planning and Investment. The figure accounted for just 0.43% of the country’s total FDI of $20.82 billion during the eleven months, ranking ninth among total 18 industries of the country, the ministry said. The FDI inflows to these sectors in Vietnam remained low at $1.31 billion in 89 healthcare and social work projects as of Nov 20, versus the country’s total FDI of $229.23 billion. The domestic health sector has failed to meet the demand because of a lack of qualified workers and poor infrastructure, resulting in an outflow of over $2 billion in overseas medical treatments each year. (mpi.gov.vn Nov 25)
