Hai Phong speeds up universal check-ups

Hai Phong is among Vietnam’s pioneers in implementing free check-ups for residents, ranking in the top 12 of 34 localities where more than 50% of the population has already received medical examinations.

The city has so far passed the halfway mark in its goal of providing every resident with at least one free annual check-up. To accelerate progress, Hai Phong has launched the “90-Day Sprint to Universal Check-ups 2026” campaign alongside the “100-Day Campaign to Create and Update Electronic Health Records on VNeID through Integrated Health Data in Hai Phong”.

During the 90-day campaign, the city aims to complete free health examinations and screenings for nearly 2 million residents. This unprecedented large-scale effort represents a decisive phase that requires the coordinated participation of the entire political system.

The campaign also serves as a major test for the healthcare system in meeting new demands, helping identify existing shortcomings so they can be addressed promptly. More importantly, accelerating universal check-ups reflects the city’s political commitment to ensuring that no one is left behind and that all residents have equal access to healthcare – the core objective of Hai Phong’s vision of becoming a Comprehensive City for Universal Healthcare.

From the outset, local authorities have adopted a well-defined approach by prioritizing elderly people, people with meritorious service, near-poor households, people with disabilities, patients with chronic diseases, children, and self-employed workers who are not covered by organizations or businesses.

Beyond achieving numerical targets, the 90-day campaign marks the beginning of building a comprehensive health database for the entire population while strengthening long-term, continuous health management through electronic health records.

The electronic health record is the heart of the city’s digital healthcare system, functioning as a personal “health passport” that offers significant benefits to both residents and medical professionals. Continuously updating medical indicators and treatment records after each examination is essential to ensuring that health data remains current and practically useful. So far, 2,144,453 electronic health records have been created or updated across the city, equivalent to 48.48% of the target population.

With a population of more than 4.2 million, providing regular check-ups for every resident is an enormous undertaking. The proactive launch of the 90-day sprint further demonstrates Hai Phong’s determination to place people at the center of development.

It is also clear evidence of the city’s development philosophy: economic growth must go hand in hand with social progress, equity, and the unwavering commitment to leave no one behind. For this policy to deliver lasting results, sustained cooperation among grassroots authorities, the health sector, and residents is essential. In the long run, Hai Phong aims to foster a culture of preventive healthcare within every family, making regular check-ups a routine part of everyday life.

HOANG XUAN

HOANG XUAN