This requirement was issued by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to its departments, agencies, affiliated public service units, the Management Board of Export Processing and Industrial Zones, and the People's Committees of wards, communes, and special zones. The directive, signed by Vice Chairman Nguyen Manh Cuong, was dated 30/7.

Accordingly, units must facilitate full and timely participation of workers, striving for 100% of those under their management to complete check-ups by 31/10. For businesses within export processing zones and industrial parks, the Management Board of Export Processing and Industrial Zones is tasked with urging them to develop plans, select qualified medical facilities, and ensure check-ups are completed by the specified deadline.

The check-up content must fully adhere to the health examination package for individuals aged 18 and above, as stipulated by the Ministry of Health and the Department of Health. Organizing units are not permitted to arbitrarily reduce or replace items with non-equivalent ones.

Under current regulations, the health check-up package for individuals aged 18 and older includes three groups: physical, clinical, and subclinical examinations. In addition to medical history, height, weight, BMI, and vital signs, workers will receive specialist examinations and undergo basic tests such as: complete blood count, blood sugar, liver function, kidney function, urinalysis, and a frontal chest X-ray. Female workers will also receive gynecological examinations, counseling, and early screening for breast and cervical cancer.

"The requirement to implement the full list aims for a more comprehensive assessment of health status, allowing for early detection of risk factors and diseases, rather than merely checking a few individual indicators", the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee document stated.

Check-up results will be updated on the Community Health Management Platform to create and manage electronic health records for workers. The organizing unit must report the results to the Department of Health within three days of completing the examinations.

Thus, the check-up results will not only be used for a single examination but also stored on the system for ongoing health monitoring.

To create electronic health records, workers' information such as: full name, gender, date of birth, identity card or identification number, health insurance card code, residential address, workplace, and phone number will be collected. The city mandates that the receipt, update, and management of this information must ensure personal data safety and security.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, these examinations and data updates aim to facilitate early detection of risk factors, non-communicable diseases, and health issues requiring monitoring or treatment. Simultaneously, they contribute to the progressive completion of electronic health records and universal health management.

Residents receive free health check-ups at a Ho Chi Minh City health station. Photo: Quynh Tran

Ho Chi Minh City is currently implementing a universal health check-up program for 2026, featuring a "150-day sprint" with the participation of all hospitals and medical facilities across the city. During the week of 20-26/7, the city recorded 263,327 examinations, the highest number since the program began more than two months ago, raising the total number of individuals examined and with health records established to 1,073,948.

Le Phuong