On May 6, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra signed and promulgated Directive No. 17/CT-TTg on behalf of the Prime Minister regarding the organization of free periodic health examinations or health screenings for the public.
The Politburo’s Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW, issued on September 9, 2025, outlines breakthrough measures to strengthen healthcare protection, improve public health services, and enhance the quality of medical care. The resolution sets a strategic target that, beginning in 2026, all citizens will receive free annual health checkups or screenings and be issued electronic health records to support lifelong health management and gradually ease the burden of medical expenses.
To ensure the effective implementation of the policy, the Prime Minister directed secretaries of provincial and municipal Party committees and instructed chairpersons of provincial and municipal people’s committees to urgently oversee the roll out of the program in line with Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW. The Government aims for the country’s population to receive free health examinations or screenings and to have electronic health records established nationwide by the end of 2026.
The Prime Minister required the Ministry of Health to preside over and coordinate with relevant ministries, agencies, and localities to guide the organization of these free health services, ensuring efficiency and feasibility. The Ministry is also tasked with guiding medical facilities in establishing and managing electronic health records, ensuring data connectivity, integration, and synchronization on the VNeID application.
The Ministry of Health will develop and issue standardized output data formats for periodic health examinations and screenings to ensure unified management and synchronization with the social insurance database, with completion expected in May.
The Ministry of Education and Training is assigned to lead and coordinate with relevant agencies to guide localities and educational institutions in organizing free periodic health examinations for pupils, students, and trainees in collaboration with medical facilities. This must be completed in June to allow for immediate implementation at the beginning of the 2026-2027 academic year.
The Ministry of Finance will preside over and coordinate with relevant parties to allocate state budget funds according to budget decentralization, ensuring efficiency and thriftiness, while providing guidance on payments from the state budget and other legal sources when necessary.
Provincial and municipal people’s committees across the country are directed to coordinate examinations at commune-level health stations and medical facilities with the organization of mobile health missions within communities, residential clusters, remote areas, disadvantaged and extremely disadvantaged regions, borders, and islands.
Public healthcare facilities and grassroots health networks will serve as the core force. Simultaneously, qualified private medical facilities shall be mobilized to participate in periodic health check-ups or screenings for the public according to local plans.
The Prime Minister also required ministries, ministerial-level agencies, other central government bodies, organizations, enterprises, and employers to develop plans and organize annual free periodic health examinations or screenings for employees in accordance with statutory regulations.
