On May 25, city leaders met with the municipal Department of Health to discuss the universal health screening initiative and long-term plans for healthcare system development.

Every resident to receive at least one annual health checkup

According to Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Anh Dung, deputy director of the HCMC Department of Health, the city is finalizing a proposal to provide annual health screenings for all residents starting in 2026, with the goal of ensuring every person receives at least one medical examination each year.

Health records from the screenings will be integrated into electronic health profiles to support lifelong health management.

The program will cover all residents currently living in HCMC, including both permanent and temporary residents verified through the VNeID application, as well as workers employed in the city and civil servants under municipal management.

In 2026 alone, the healthcare sector aims to conduct around 15 million checkups, ensuring residents across all 168 wards and communes receive access to at least one screening.

Priority groups include elderly residents, people with disabilities, low-income households, war contributors, chronic disease patients and residents living in underserved areas.

More than $98 million allocated for over 10.3 million screenings

The total proposed budget for the 2026 health screening program stands at roughly VND 2.507 trillion ($98.3 million), covering more than 10.3 million screening visits.

The largest share of funding - more than VND 1.515 trillion ($59.5 million) - is allocated to approximately 4.5 million informal workers. Another VND 539 billion ($21.1 million) is designated for around 1.6 million elderly residents.

The maximum spending cap is set at VND 350,000 ($13.7) per person annually.

Funding will come from multiple sources. The state budget will cover groups under public welfare responsibility, school healthcare budgets will support students and preschool children, while businesses will finance healthcare screenings for more than 4.5 million formally employed workers in accordance with labor regulations.

Large-scale rollout already underway

The city’s health sector has already completed three rollout phases.

The first phase launched on April 5 across 64 wards and communes. The second phase expanded to all 168 wards and communes on April 17. The third phase, beginning May 25, applies standardized screening packages issued by the Ministry of Health citywide.

From May 30 to September 30, the Department of Health will also coordinate with the HCMC Labor Federation to organize a major screening campaign targeting around one million workers and laborers.

Three age-specific health screening packages

The Department of Health has designed three separate screening packages tailored to different age groups, based on Ministry of Health guidelines.

For children under six, the focus will include growth monitoring, nutritional assessment, physical and mental development evaluation and autism risk screening.

For residents aged six to under 18, screenings will focus on detecting school-related health problems, vision disorders, scoliosis, mental health conditions and adolescent reproductive health counseling.

Adults aged 18 and older will receive multidisciplinary examinations, basic laboratory tests and chest X-rays. Female workers will also receive breast and cervical cancer screenings.

To maximize accessibility, HCMC plans to offer multiple service models, including screenings at healthcare facilities, mobile clinics at schools, factories and residential areas, as well as home visits for elderly residents and those with limited mobility.

City health officials emphasized that the universal screening initiative is not simply about increasing the number of checkups, but represents a broader shift in healthcare philosophy - from treatment-focused medicine to proactive preventive care centered around residents’ long-term health.

Nine pilot localities launch free health checkups

On May 25, the HCMC Department of Health also announced free health screening schedules for residents in nine pilot localities, including An Nhon Tay, Ba Diem, Hiep Phuoc, Tan Nhut, Thanh An, Bac Tan Uyen, Dat Do, Ho Tram and the Con Dao special zone.

Local authorities and the Department of Health agreed to select these areas as breakthrough pilot locations for implementing the universal healthcare screening program under Resolution 72-NQ/TW, Directive 17/CT-TTg issued by the Prime Minister and Ministry of Health guidelines.

Phuoc Sang