Ho Chi Minh City Reaches 1 Million Electronic Health Records, Accelerating Shift to Preventive Healthcare

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's largest southern metropolis, has successfully established over 1 million electronic health records, just two months after launching its universal health check-up program for citizens. This significant achievement marks a crucial step towards the city's long-term goal of transitioning from a treatment-focused healthcare system to one that emphasizes proactive health management and preventive care. The electronic health record system is positioned as an essential foundation for promoting smart healthcare. By centralizing individual health data, it is expected to enable early disease detection, the provision of personalized preventive measures, and the efficient allocation of medical resources. In particular, strengthening cooperation with gateway hospitals in urban areas and expanding the health check-up network will broaden access to quality medical services for more citizens. The program's success is largely attributed to the proactive efforts of local governments in each administrative district. Ho Chi Minh City has been making all-out efforts, including a 150-day intensive campaign, to achieve the targets of this health check-up program. Initiatives such as the introduction of autism risk screening for regular check-ups for children under six and the storage of electronic records have been implemented in the past, steadily raising awareness of preventive medicine. Under Vietnam's one-party system, expanding universal health insurance coverage and improving public health are among the key policy priorities. With economic growth, public health awareness is also increasing, and the promotion of digital healthcare is directly linked to improving the quality of life for citizens. However, challenges such as addressing disparities in healthcare access between urban and rural areas, or between different income groups, and ensuring the thorough protection of personal information still remain.