Ho Chi Minh City is mobilising more than 10,000 healthcare workers and 480 public and private medical facilities in a 150-day campaign to provide free health checks for 16 million residents in the southern metropolis.
Hospitals sign cooperation agreements with ward- and commune-level authorities to support community-wide health checkups. Photo: Dinh Hang/VNA
The campaign, launched on July 16, aims to ensure that all residents receive health examinations, have electronic health records and benefit from continuous health management.
More than 550,000 residents have received health checks and electronic health records since May 25, while the figure has exceeded 1.1 million since the beginning of 2026.
The campaign will be accelerated in August and September, particularly at businesses and schools. The city aims to complete a comprehensive review by October 31 and achieve full coverage by December 15.
Medical teams will provide on-site examinations at businesses, while health checks for around 2.7 million schoolchildren and 800,000 university students are expected to be largely completed by the end of October.
Special attention will be given to informal workers, children not attending school, the elderly and vulnerable groups. People aged over 90 and those with mobility difficulties will be offered health checks at home.
Residents can undergo examinations at any convenient medical facility, regardless of their registered place of residence.
The programme is also linked to screening for five types of cancer – lung, colorectal, prostate, breast and cervical – with examination results incorporated into electronic health records.
The municipal authorities said the initiative is part of a broader shift from disease treatment towards proactive, preventive and data-driven healthcare, enabling residents' health to be continuously managed throughout their lives./.
VNA/VNP