3 examination packages will be designed to suit the health characteristics of each age group
On May 25, the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee had a working session with the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health and departments and branches on the contents of the Project on health check-ups for people and investment in expanding medical facilities in the city.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Anh Dung - Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health has reported on the plan to organize periodic health check-ups for people in Ho Chi Minh City in 2026.
The examination plan will target all actual citizens residing in the city (both permanent and temporary residents, identified through the VNeID application) along with units managed by the city and workers working in the area. The health sector pays special attention to vulnerable groups: the elderly, people with disabilities, poor and near-poor households, people with meritorious services, people with chronic diseases and people in difficult areas. This is the core spirit, ensuring fairness in accessing health services.
The implementation plan starts from May 2026. In terms of scale, it is expected to provide medical examinations for about 15 million people in 2026, with the goal of 100% of people in 168 wards, communes, and special zones being examined at least once a year. The total estimated cost in 2026 is about 2,507 billion VND for 10.3 million people.
The city's health sector will design 3 examination packages suitable for the health characteristics of each age group, based on the professional guidance of the Ministry of Health.
Packages for children under 6 years old focus on monitoring growth, nutrition assessment, mental - motor development and screening for autism risk. Packages for children from 6 to under 18 years old focus on early detection of school diseases, refractive errors, scoliosis, mental health and teenage reproductive health counseling. Packages for people from 18 years old and older include multi-specialized examinations, basic paraclinical tests and chest X-rays; female workers are screened for breast cancer and cervical cancer.
Switching from disease-curing thinking to comprehensive health management
Concluding at the working session, Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Nguyen Phuoc Loc said that the city is implementing the work of universal health care, the plan to invest in and develop the Ho Chi Minh City health system associated with health human resources. At the same time, implementing the action program of the City Party Committee and Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to implement the guidelines and directions of General Secretary and President To Lam.
The important thing now is to innovate thinking, vision and new approaches to the health sector. First of all, the health sector must develop based on science and technology, innovation and digital transformation to move towards a modern healthcare system. Second, it is necessary to shift from disease-curing thinking to comprehensive health management, focusing on disease prevention, preventive medicine, primary health care and grassroots health.
Third, it is necessary to solve diseases from the root by strictly controlling the living environment, food safety, risk factors that cause diseases and solving non-communicable diseases from the root. This is also a major direction of the city's health sector in the process of developing according to a multi-layer, multi-polar, multi-center model.
Mr. Nguyen Phuoc Loc requested the health sector to urgently complete the project according to the comments of departments and branches, continue to collect opinions from health facilities to complete the project as soon as possible; continue to survey the health sectors of Binh Duong, Ba Ria - Vung Tau (formerly)...
Mr. Nguyen Phuoc Loc emphasized that the project must clearly identify data, resources, operating mechanisms, progress and specific responsibilities of each sector and individual.
9 communes and special zones: An Nhon Tay, Ba Diem, Hiep Phuoc, Tan Nhut, Thanh An, Bac Tan Uyen, Dat Do, Ho Tram and Con Dao special zone are the first areas of Ho Chi Minh City that local leaders agreed with the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health to accelerate the implementation of the universal health check program with the determination to basically complete it in the second quarter of 2026.
