Poor and vulnerable workers receive free health check-ups
Many years of making a living have made periodic health check-ups a luxury for Mr. Ho Xuan Duc (43 years old, residing in An Hoi Tay ward, Ho Chi Minh City). As a freelancer working at a private carpentry workshop, without labor contracts and health insurance, all health care expenses are covered by him.
I only worry about going to work all day, so I don't have time to go for health check-ups. Going for re-examination costs money, while my economic conditions are still difficult, so regular health check-ups are very difficult," Mr. Duc shared.
When he received an invitation to participate in the local free people's health check program, he could not hide his joy. According to Mr. Duc, getting a free health check helps poor workers like him have the opportunity to check their health without having to worry too much about costs. "Having health means being able to work. I am very grateful that the program has paid attention to workers in difficult circumstances like us," he said.
Meanwhile, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Trinh (resident of An Hoi Tay ward) said that she and her husband were invited by the local government and the Elderly Association to participate in the free universal health check-up program.
I am very happy and happy to receive comprehensive health care without spending money. For elderly people with limited incomes, this is a very meaningful policy," Ms. Trinh shared.
According to Ms. Trinh, having free periodic health check-ups not only helps people save costs but also creates conditions to proactively monitor and control diseases. She hopes that the program will continue to be replicated so that more and more people can benefit.
Ho Chi Minh City enters 150 days and nights of peak mass health check-ups
Ho Chi Minh City officially launched a peak period of 150 days and nights to accelerate the 2026 national health check-up program, with the spirit of "accelerating every day - breaking through every week - reaching the finish line ahead of schedule".
Responding to this campaign, in recent days Go Vap Hospital has also been one of the units actively coordinating with the ward level to organize examinations for people in hospitals, schools, and grassroots areas.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Phu Manh Sieu - Director of Go Vap Hospital - said that to effectively implement the 150-day nationwide health check-up campaign, the hospital has closely coordinated with the People's Committee and health stations of wards in the area to develop specific check-up plans for each target group. Currently, the hospital receives more than 300 people for examination each day according to the list prepared by the locality and sent invitation letters.
In addition, the hospital is coordinating with schools to organize health check-ups for students, flexibly implementing them in the form of bringing students to the hospital or sending medical teams to examine at the school. The hospital has also prepared sufficient personnel and equipment to meet the increasing health check-up needs of the people.
According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Phu Manh Sieu, localities currently prioritize inviting the elderly, vulnerable people and freelancers - those who do not have the conditions to have periodic health check-ups at agencies and units. This is a group of people who need special attention to detect diseases early and improve the quality of health care.
We expect that with the smooth coordination between the hospital and the locality, the campaign will be completed on schedule, even sooner than planned, contributing to bringing healthcare services closer to all people," Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Phu Manh Sieu shared.
Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Anh Dung - Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health - added that there are currently more than 480 medical examination and treatment facilities (including public and private hospitals, ministries, health stations and general clinics) and more than 10,000 officials and medical staff who have been trained and are ready to participate in the program.
To complete the goal, Ho Chi Minh City is implementing solutions suitable for each group of people. According to the roadmap, August is the period of acceleration and breakthrough; September and October, agencies, units, and schools complete health check-up targets; before December 15, the whole city strives to complete the goal of health check-ups for the whole population.
