Binh Hung Hoa A Ward of Binh Tan District is one of the five highest elderly populations in HCMC, with more than 8,000 out of 123,000 dwellers. Chairman Le Van Ut of the Association for Elderly People in the ward shared that despite various efforts of the local authorities, only about 10 percent of these senior people do regular medical checkup. In general, Binh Tan District has only finished medical examination for 13 percent of its total elderly population.
Nguyen Van Duong, MD, Head of An Lac Ward Clinic, informed that with only level-4 medication to offer to patients, plus insufficient specialists to operate medical equipment properly, it is understandable that the local seniors opt for medical checking in large hospitals, especially those with chronic diseases.
A similar story can be found in other districts like 12, Go Vap, Hoc Mon, where the task of encouraging old people to visit ward clinics for regular health checkups is not truly successful.
From March to the end of July 2024, the HCMC Department of Health organized 6 task forces to conduct 41 comprehensive monitoring sessions in 21 districts and Thu Duc City to support and guide the implementation of the medical checkup program for the old.
Although the locality has made great efforts to mobilize the elderly, by the end of July, only about 160,000 out of 1 million such people (accounting for 14 percent) came for free health check-ups at medical centers and clinics. This does not meet the city’s target of at least 80 percent of the senior enjoying frequent medical examinations.
To address these challenges, the municipal Department of Health has implemented several measures, including:
- Increased supervision: The department has conducted regular monitoring visits to districts to first identify existing difficulties and then provide guidance and support when needed.
- Enhanced drug supply: Efforts are underway to improve the availability of 460 types of essential medications at local clinics this September.
- Strengthened community outreach: Health authorities are working to increase awareness and encourage participation among the elderly population.
Local authorities and health officials are advised to double their efforts to increase participation in the program of regular medical checkup for the old by the city. Districts should co-buy essential medication to obtain sufficient medicines for primary healthcare services. More propaganda campaigns should be launched to form consensus help in the community for this meaningful program. Specific targets should be set for each district and ward to ensure their own accountability.
With a stronger determination and flexible working scheme from both the healthcare staff and local authorities as well as the support of the public, HCMC’s target of performing necessary medical checkups for the senior can be met in each district.
“The People's Committees of communes, wards, and towns should send invitations to each elderly person in their area. These invitations should clearly state the elderly person's full name, date of birth, time, and location of the health checkup. A monthly reconciliation of the list (those who have had checkups and those who have not) should be conducted to ensure that the correct individuals are targeted. Based on the number of elderly people who have not yet undergone health checkups in the area, resources should be mobilized to establish additional health checkup teams to ensure timely progress in the remaining four months of 2024.”
Deputy Director of the HCMC Health Department Nguyen Van Vinh Chau, MD PhD
