100% of people get regular health check-ups by 2026: Goal and reality are still far apart

Although the Ministry of Health has set a target of 100% of people receiving annual health check-ups by 2026, the reality is that this rate is still very low in many localities, especially in rural and mountainous areas and the self-employed - only about 25%. Many health experts are concerned about whether this target is feasible, when regular health check-ups have not yet become a habit for the majority of people.

Serious illness due to subjectivity

Recently, People's Hospital 115 has frequently admitted patients for treatment when their illness is already severe due to being subjective with warning symptoms and not going for regular check-ups and screenings.

Staff of Hoa Hao General Clinic (HCMC) take blood samples for testing for people

A typical case is a 59-year-old female patient who came to the clinic because of vomiting, epigastric pain and dizziness. The patient was completely healthy, with no symptoms of pain. When performing an abdominal ultrasound, the doctor discovered a 75x60mm tumor in the right kidney, diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma. Dr. Truong Hoang Minh, Head of the Department of Urology - Kidney Transplantation, People's Hospital 115, said that thanks to the timely detection, the doctors performed laparoscopic surgery to remove the tumor, preserving the remaining kidney parenchyma, maintaining optimal kidney function for the patient.

“Kidney cancer does not always present with specific signs. Regular health check-ups, especially abdominal ultrasound and kidney function tests, can help detect the disease at an early stage when there are no obvious symptoms,” informed Dr. Truong Hoang Minh.

The draft Resolution of the Politburo on breakthroughs in public health care, meeting the requirements of the country's current development, has been put out for experts to comment. According to the draft, the goal is to increase the number of doctors working for a limited period of time in grassroots health care each year from 2025 to 2030. The rate of direct out-of-pocket expenditure for health care from households will be reduced to 30%. From 2026, each person will receive a free periodic health check-up or screening examination according to professional requirements at least once a year; an electronic health book will be created to manage health over the life cycle.

Nguyen Truong Uy (34 years old, living in Cau Ong Lanh ward, Ho Chi Minh City) always thought he was healthy because he rarely got sick, and other health problems were rare. More than a year ago, Uy occasionally felt itchy skin, tiredness, and nausea. Due to his long work schedule and thinking he had a stomach ache, he just needed to eat regularly and on time to get better, so Uy was subjective and did not go to the doctor.

Recently, fatigue appeared more frequently, accompanied by symptoms of jaundice, yellow eyes, so he decided to take a leave to go to the doctor. At Cho Ray Hospital, the doctors concluded that Mr. Uy had chronic hepatitis that had turned into severe cirrhosis, and had to be hospitalized for treatment. Mr. Uy regretted: "I was too subjective about my health, if I had gone to the doctor sooner, maybe I wouldn't be in this miserable situation now."

Early detection reduces treatment costs

According to medical experts, “forgetting” to have regular health check-ups is a common situation among many people today. Besides those who are well -off and regularly have regular check-ups, there are still many people who do not have the conditions to have health check-ups.

Doctors at University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City examine patients

In addition, with the fear of going to the doctor for fear of “finding the disease”, many people wait until the disease has severe symptoms or the pain is unbearable before going to the doctor, which means there is no chance of treatment. For example, early detection and diagnosis of cancer has a decisive influence on intervention measures, treatment results and prognosis. As for diabetes, if detected early, patients can avoid many dangerous complications.

Dr. Le Trung Nhan, Head of the Examination Department, Cho Ray Hospital, said that regular general health check-ups help detect health problems early before the body shows signs of illness, thereby making treatment more effective, shortening treatment time and saving money. Through regular health check-ups, doctors will advise on nutrition, exercise and rest regimens appropriate for each person. More importantly, after each examination, the patient's health data is continuously updated in the management software at the medical facility. This is important information, helping doctors to make diagnoses of the disease condition in subsequent examinations.

“Regular health check-ups are an investment in long-term health. Instead of spending tens of millions of dong, even hundreds of millions of dong to treat late-stage diseases, people only need to spend a small amount on general health check-up packages for regular check-ups. Not only that, early detection of diseases and understanding of one’s health status also helps each person adjust their living habits and stay away from risk factors for diseases,” Dr. Le Trung Nhan advised.

According to the World Health Organization, if each person has a full health check-up as recommended, it can help reduce 25% of total medical examination and treatment costs compared to late disease detection; reduce the risk of stroke by 13%-16%; reduce the rate of anemia, metabolic disorders, and other chronic diseases in the middle-aged and elderly population... Adults should have a general health check-up at least 1-2 times/year, people with high risk factors such as over 40 years old, have underlying diseases, or a family history of chronic diseases, the frequency of check-ups should be more frequent, combined with in-depth screening.

THANH SON

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/100-nguoi-dan-duoc-kham-suc-khoe-dinh-ky-vao-nam-2026-muc-tieu-va-thuc-te-con-cach-xa-post804791.html