Ensuring every Dong Nai resident receives annual health checkup

In late October 2026, the Dong Nai Department of Health announced a list of 13 locations offering health checkups and free screening as part of the city's 2026 campaign to accelerate universal health checkups. The services are available to people of all ages, from children to older adults.

The health sector is focusing on resolving obstacles in localities where implementation is lagging, helping residents access regular health checkups, detect diseases early and receive long-term health monitoring.

Free consultation fees, more opportunities for healthcare

According to the list published by the city’s Department of Health on October 29, Long Khanh Regional General Hospital in Binh Loc Ward is one of 13 locations offering health checkups or free screening in Dong Nai City. The initiative gives residents more opportunities to monitor their health, identify conditions requiring further attention or treatment, and gradually develop a proactive approach to disease prevention.

Specialist Level II Doctor Nguyen Thi Lan Phuong, Head of the General Planning Department at Long Khanh Regional General Hospital, said the hospital had registered to provide checkups for people aged 60 and above at its outpatient clinics. Examinations are available on Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. “We have arranged a reception desk for residents seeking medical examinations and treatment based on lists submitted by ward health stations. The free support mainly covers consultation fees. Residents requiring laboratory tests or medication can continue to access these services under their health insurance coverage,” Dr. Phuong said.

Dong Nai held a launch ceremony in July 2026 to kick off the 180-day-and-night campaign promoting regular health checkups for all residents.

At Long Khanh Regional General Hospital, most people seeking medical examinations already have health insurance cards. To help residents access healthcare services and support the city's 2026 campaign to accelerate universal health checkups across Dong Nai, the Bao Vinh Ward People's Committee has also issued a notice inviting residents to register for free health checkups at the hospital. Under the program, ward residents aged 60 and above who wish to receive free checkups can register through their neighborhood heads or neighborhood management boards. The registration lists are then compiled and forwarded to ward authorities, who coordinate their submission to the hospital so that doctors can be assigned to conduct the examinations.

Children also have greater opportunities to receive free screening, helping families proactively monitor their development and health. Photo: Bich Nhan.

Alongside older adults, children also have more opportunities to receive free health screenings, helping families proactively monitor their children's development and care for their health. Master of Medicine, Doctor Nguyen Trong Nghia, Deputy Director of Dong Nai Children's Hospital, said the hospital began receiving children seeking medical examinations this week, based on lists forwarded by health stations across the city. Health checkups conducted at the hospital by pediatric specialists aim to detect unusual signs that require monitoring and provide families with additional information to help them care for their children. In particular, children who lack family support or face difficult circumstances and can access the program will have an opportunity to have their health checked and monitored.

"Children are exempt from consultation fees. If a medical condition is detected, they will receive further examinations and treatment in accordance with the hospital's standard procedures. With our current outpatient facilities, we can accommodate 50 children a day. Should demand exceed that capacity, we will arrange a separate examination area, add consultation rooms and mobilize additional medical personnel to meet the need," Dr. Nghia said.

According to the Department of Health, as of October 16, more than 4.1 million Dong Nai residents had received health checkups or free health screenings, including nearly 1.9 million who had received medical examinations or treatment covered by health insurance. The total accounted for more than 91% of the population.

However, implementation progress varies considerably among localities. As many as 42 of the city's 95 communes and wards have achieved less than 20% of their targets, including 13 localities with progress below 10%. This highlights the need to focus on resolving difficulties and accelerating implementation in areas falling behind.

Flexible examination arrangements to expand access

Specialist Level II Doctor Nguyen Van Binh, Deputy Director of the Department of Health, emphasized that the department had required all facilities on the published list to provide examinations within their registered professional scope and service commitments, ensuring safety, quality and transparency while charging no fees for services pledged to be free. The health sector is working to provide every resident with at least one periodic health checkup or free screening each year. This initiative is linked to the creation and updating of Electronic Health Books in the VNeID application by integrating data from health checkups, medical examinations and treatments.

The health sector is focusing on providing residents with at least one periodic health checkup or free screening each year. Photo: Bich Nhan.

According to Deputy Director Nguyen Van Binh, progress in universal health checkups has improved, but significant disparities remain among localities. As of October 22, 42 of the city's 95 communes and wards had achieved less than 20% of their targets. These included Tan Trieu, An Loc, Long Binh, Bom Bo and Bau Ham. To accelerate implementation in these areas, the Department of Health is continuing to review and provide guidance on resolving obstacles related to task assignments, commissioning arrangements, the selection of healthcare providers, and funding payments and settlements. Consistent implementation guidelines are being issued to help local authorities begin work immediately, without allowing administrative procedures to cause delays. Based on the capacity of individual localities, hospitals and medical centers will be assigned to support clusters of communes and wards with low completion rates. Mobile medical teams will also be expanded, with examination points arranged in residential areas and businesses. Additional checkups will be offered outside regular working hours and on Saturdays and Sundays to accommodate shift workers, older adults, vulnerable groups and people with limited mobility.

Alongside supporting localities that are falling behind, the health sector is continuing to encourage public and private healthcare facilities to voluntarily establish free examination locations, prioritizing areas with low participation rates, large concentrations of workers or populations with limited access to healthcare services. Information on locations, schedules and eligible groups must be publicly announced. Authorities are also required to coordinate with relevant units to display these locations on the Dong Nai City application, making it easier for residents to find and choose convenient examination sites. Post-examination results must be promptly integrated into the relevant systems to ensure that implementation progress is recorded completely and accurately.

According to Nguyen Van Binh, Deputy Director of the Dong Nai Department of Health, Politburo Resolution No. 72 on breakthrough solutions to strengthen the protection, care and improvement of public health calls for a major shift away from a healthcare system focused primarily on medical examination and treatment toward proactive disease prevention and continuous healthcare throughout people's lives. To put this direction into practice, Dong Nai's health sector aims to ensure that by December 31, 2026, 100% of residents receive at least one periodic health checkup or free screening during the year and have an electronic health record created → have an Electronic Health Book created for them. This will enable examination results to serve as a basis for long-term health monitoring and management, helping detect disease risks early and promote proactive healthcare for every resident.

In response to residents' demand for health checkups, Xuan Dinh Commune contacted Long Khanh Regional General Hospital to arrange examinations to be conducted directly in the locality. Dr. Lan Phuong said the hospital would send a team of nearly 20 doctors and nurses to the commune on October 31 to provide general, internal medicine, surgical, ophthalmological, ear, nose and throat, dental and maxillofacial, and obstetric and gynecological examinations, among other services. Bringing a multidisciplinary medical team to the locality will make screening services more accessible, particularly for residents who have difficulty traveling to healthcare facilities.

Through these examinations, residents will have more opportunities to identify health conditions requiring monitoring, receive medical advice and obtain appropriate treatment guidance. Such coordination helps bring the universal health checkup program closer to communities and encourages people to take a more proactive approach to regular health monitoring.

By Bich Nhan – Translated by Mai Nga, Minho