Ho Chi Minh City to provide free health checkups for 3 million students

The program covers children and students with permanent or temporary residence in the southern metropolis.

Under the new policy, the cost of periodic health examinations will be fully covered by the state budget, replacing the previous model whose funding was contributed by parents.

The department said the change is expected to ease financial burdens on families while ensuring all students have equal access to regular health screenings.

Preparations for the program began in early June, with local authorities, schools, and healthcare facilities aiming to complete all examinations by October 30 this year.

As of August 5, 364,160 students citywide had received medical checkups, including 347,467 children under six and 16,693 students aged six to 18, equivalent to 13.4 percent of the city's target.

The department said regular health examinations have been conducted in Ho Chi Minh City for many years to monitor students' health, detect medical conditions at an early stage, and provide timely consultation, intervention, and long-term health management.

This year, examination results will be uploaded to electronic health records and synchronized with the city’s digital citizen app.

Parents can track their children’s health status, examination results, and doctors’ recommendations online.

For students who have not yet been issued a VNeID digital identification account, parents or legal guardians can access records through their VNeID accounts if information is properly updated.

To ensure all eligible students receive checkups before the new school year, ward, commune, and special-zone authorities are tasked with verifying student lists, informing parents of health check-up schedules, and assisting with residency documentation.

Schools must coordinate with healthcare facilities to prepare facilities and manage logistics.

Students absent during group checkups will be examined later to ensure no one is missed.

Parents are encouraged to bring children to scheduled appointments and provide accurate information to ensure complete data entry.