Vietnam Urges Accelerated Implementation of National Health Check-up Targets

The Vietnamese government has urged ministries and local authorities to accelerate the implementation of national health check-up targets, demanding more focused and effective efforts. In Government Office Document No. 1129/TTg-KGVX dated September 16, 2026, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra reiterated the implementation of Prime Minister's Directive No. 17/CT-TTg on people's health check-ups. So far, many ministries, sectors, and localities have actively organized implementation, with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance issuing professional and financial guidelines, and managing data. Some localities have achieved positive initial results. However, progress remains uneven across different localities. Issues have arisen in aligning and integrating target group identification, coordination, and integration between periodic health check-ups, free screening, student health checks, occupational disease examinations, worker health assessments, and health check-ups covered by health insurance. There are also risks of duplicated efforts and waste due to the use of existing test results, statistics of examined individuals, identification of funding sources, and payment processes. Connectivity, interlinking, and data updates on the Electronic Health Book, the National Population Database (VNeID), and other related databases are still limited. In response, the Prime Minister has requested the Minister of Health, ministers, heads of relevant agencies, and chairpersons of provincial and city People's Committees to concentrate their direction on implementing tasks and solutions decisively, synchronously, and effectively, in line with their assigned functions and responsibilities. Provincial and city People's Committees are fully responsible for the implementation results in their respective areas. They must urgently review and update their implementation plans until the end of 2026, categorized by target groups and prioritized roadmaps. They need to accurately determine the number of people who have undergone check-ups, those who have not, priority groups, the capacity of each medical facility, and monthly progress. Specific tasks and targets should be assigned to each agency and unit. Local budgets must be proactively allocated, and legal funding sources mobilized in accordance with responsibilities, expenditure scopes, and budget decentralization. Funding sources for each target group and examination content must be clearly identified. Furthermore, the Ministry of Health, within its functions and authority, must urgently develop and issue professional guidelines for free screening, categorized by age groups, risk factors, disease patterns, and prioritized roadmaps. It should also connect the Electronic Health Book, VNeID, health insurance examination and treatment data, test results, diagnostic imaging, and other related databases. The Ministry of Finance, within its functions and authority, will closely coordinate with the Ministry of Health to guide provinces and cities in implementing forms of task assignment, ordering, and bidding in accordance with legal regulations. Under Vietnam's one-party system, the government utilizes its strong command structure to implement national objectives. As Vietnam continues its economic growth, the health of its citizens is recognized as a cornerstone of sustainable development, and this directive underscores investments in healthcare infrastructure and digitalization. In its regional context, strengthening domestic social foundations is crucial for enhancing international credibility as Vietnam increases its influence in Southeast Asia. Source: Nhan Dan