South Korean medical AI firm AITRICS has received clearance from Vietnam's Ministry of Health for its AI software designed to predict patient deterioration. The software, VitalCare, analyzes 19 types of electronic medical record (EMR) data from general ward patients to forecast potential outcomes, including death, ICU transfer, and cardiac arrest within six hours. It can also predict sepsis within four hours and ICU death within the same timeframe. Originally approved in South Korea in 2022, VitalCare is currently utilized in over 60 hospitals and has been integrated into ezCaretech, a widely used EHR system in the country.
CEO Kwang-joon Kim emphasized that this regulatory approval marks AITRICS' first venture into the Southeast Asian market. He referenced research indicating that the Vietnamese medical device market is projected to grow to $2.5 billion by next year, stating, "We anticipate that this approval will serve as a gateway for expansion into Southeast Asia." AITRICS is also preparing to seek regulatory approvals in Indonesia and Malaysia and is awaiting clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration after submitting an application in August. The $20 million Series B funding raised earlier this year has partly supported these efforts.
AI is a key technology identified by Vietnam to aid its transition to a smart healthcare system, with significant contributions from Vinbrain, a health tech company under the Vingroup conglomerate. Vinbrain has developed a suite of AI pathology solutions called DrAid to enhance early disease detection, including tuberculosis. Earlier last year, Vinbrain collaborated with Microsoft to promote AI adoption in Vietnam’s healthcare system through joint research, product validation, and data sharing. The country is currently prioritizing the adoption of EMR systems as part of its broader digital health transformation.
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