Dr. Rabie Sleiman (left) and Pham Thi Thanh Mai

The ACC clinic appears to be growing at a measured pace to ensure high service quality. Could you provide more details on this approach?

Sleiman: When we develop our clinics, we ensure that we build it to its maximum capacity. We want to be able to optimise our customer service and our patient care before we consider expanding to different regions.

In Southeast Asia, historically, I've seen chiropractic clinics that would expand really fast and at the same time lose a lot of quality in patient care. We at ACC don't want this scenario to happen. We want to be very strategic and we hope to make sure that we are doing our service exactly the way we intend it to be, providing premium quality healthcare.

Chiropractic technique involves a doctor using their hands to adjust the vertebral subluxation. Could you share more details about this profession and how to ensure there are no risks when practising these methods?

Sleiman: Chiropractic doctors undergo eight years of rigorous training. We are trained extensively in proper diagnosis and anatomy, even more so than some medical doctors in terms of accumulated hours. We are also very familiar with the nervous system. Before we even begin learning adjustment techniques, we need to understand why we're making those adjustments.

Now, there are many out there who claim to be chiropractic doctors or something similar, and that is extremely dangerous. When they perform adjustments, it may seem simple because you hear a pop or click, but they don't understand why they’re doing it. This can often lead to serious injuries. That's why I always emphasise the importance of choosing a specialist in the field to guarantee your safety and health. It's crucial to choose a qualified and licensed professional.

ACC Chiropractic Clinic

Can you explain the role of FV in supporting and collaborating with ACC?

Mai: We have had a comprehensive and good cooperation. The common goal is to care for patients and taking patients as the centre of our activities. Our treatment and care plans are comprehensive, meeting all the needs of patients in terms of treatment, physical and mental care, including preventative and follow-up care.

FV Hospital applies Western medicine methods, including internal medicine and surgery, while ACC can help patients overcome musculoskeletal conditions, recover after surgery at the hospital.

Therefore, both of us can provide a comprehensive process for patients to remain the pioneers in providing world-class healthcare to Vietnam.

Could you share more about the future research and training cooperation plans between FV and ACC, and their contribution to the sustainable development?

Mai: Currently, ACC is not only a member of FV but also a member of Thomson Medical Group Singapore. With such cooperation, ACC receives support from Thomson Singapore and effective coordination from FV. We have set out some specific directions and cooperation in training and technology transfer.

We do training in both specialised and non-specialised fields. In the specialised field, doctors can learn and share experiences with each other in diagnosis and treatment, and utilise available resources from both sides. For example, ACC’s doctors could send patients to FV to do imaging diagnostic studies before making an accurate treatment plan.

In the coming time, FV, ACC, and our partners from Singapore will develop home care services, providing rehabilitation physiotherapy for patients post-stroke, patients who are bedridden, or patients after knee, hip, or orthopaedic surgery. With such services, we are targeting patients that don’t have the ability to physically access our services at our facilities.

Under the transfer of technology and techniques from Singapore, these services will become very effective and unique in Vietnam.

Has ACC faced any difficulties when entering the Vietnamese market, and how has it overcome them?

Sleiman: From my 14 years of experience practising in Vietnam, I've encountered several challenges. Many patients find a variety of options but are often confused because they don't know where to find the best care.

Additionally, many Vietnamese people aren't fully educated about chiropractics, which can pose a challenge. When I first arrived in Vietnam, I saw only two chiropractic clinics in the entire country. Now, there are many more clinics in Vietnam, and a lot of them are trying to follow in our footsteps. They see ACC as pioneers in chiropractic and want to emulate us. I feel proud and flattered by this.

However, there are also those who pretend to be like us, and that presents another challenge and danger to patient safety. Patients might go to these places and get poor service, thinking, ‘Oh, these guys are like ACC’, but in reality, they’re not.

What are ACC's plans to promote this treatment method, and what are your development plans for the future?

Sleiman: Promoting our treatment methods is a key focus, and it’s one of the reasons I’m very proud to be part of the FV Group.

FV Group has been in Vietnam for quite some time, focusing on being a premier speciality hospital. With ACC, we hope to leverage our large patient base to promote our services.

Now, under the umbrella of Thomson Medical Group, we can expand our reach further into Southeast Asia, showcasing our innovative, non-invasive techniques and procedures. I'm really looking forward to this collaboration, and I’m happy to be a part of it because I believe it will benefit us as a whole.