What does the Ministry of Health say about the information regarding the 'elimination of health certificates when issuing driver's licenses'?

The Ministry of Health speaks out on the "elimination of health certificate requirements when issuing driver's licenses".

On February 6th, the Minister of Health issued Decision No. 295, announcing newly issued and abolished administrative procedures within the scope and functions of the Ministry's management, including the procedure for "Issuing health certificates for drivers," "Periodic health check-ups for car drivers," or "Periodic health check-ups."

Many people believe this means that a medical examination is no longer required when taking a driving test.

Regarding this issue, according to VietNamNet, the head of the Rehabilitation and Assessment Department of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management (Ministry of Health) stated that this view is incorrect.

"A health check-up is a medical examination to determine health status, classify health conditions, or detect and manage diseases. Health check-ups for drivers to obtain a driver's license are still being conducted as usual. The information that a health check-up is being abolished for driver's license issuance is inaccurate," a representative from the Ministry of Health stated.

This means that when taking a driving test or renewing a driving license, people still need to undergo a health check and present a driving health certificate as required before.

On March 26, Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan signed công văn (official letter) No. 1435 addressed to local health departments; hospitals and institutes under the Ministry; hospitals affiliated with universities and health departments of ministries and sectors. According to the Ministry of Health, abolishing this administrative procedure does not mean that a health check is no longer required when taking a driving test.

According to the old regulations, procedures such as "Issuing health certificates for drivers," "periodic health check-ups for car drivers," or "periodic health check-ups" were considered administrative procedures. However, according to the new regulations (Article 2 of the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment 2023), these "are no longer administrative procedures but rather professional processes and techniques implemented by medical staff according to their assigned functions and duties," a representative from the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management, Ministry of Health, stated.

The abolition of administrative procedure No. 10: "Announcement of facilities qualified to conduct driver's health examinations under the authority of the Ministry of Health and other Ministries and sectors" and administrative procedure No. 11: "Announcement of facilities qualified to conduct driver's health examinations under the authority of the Department of Health" is due to the fact that these procedures have already been stipulated in Decision No. 159 dated January 18th of the Ministry of Health, according to the Ministry of Health's explanation.

A medical check-up is necessary and mandatory when learning to drive a car. (Illustrative image: TL)

Why do drivers need a medical certificate when applying for a driver's license?

Driving is a profession that involves frequent travel, therefore drivers must have the ability and agility to cope with unexpected situations on the road. Lack of sufficient health and other necessary qualities can lead to dangerous driving.

In addition, drivers come into contact with many people and are easily susceptible to spreading diseases, so drivers of passenger vehicles with 40 seats or more must have a health check-up every 6 months.

Individuals who are ineligible for a driver's license include those with poor eyesight, missing limbs (arms/legs), serious neurological conditions, and drug use. Therefore, drivers must undergo a medical examination to rule out these conditions. This is a crucial measure to ensure traffic safety. For these reasons, obtaining a health certificate requires a rigorous health check.

Therefore, a medical examination is necessary and mandatory when learning to drive a car. Those learning to drive must undergo a medical examination and submit a driver's license medical certificate in the form prescribed by the General Department of Roads in each period.

Medical examination procedure for driver's license application.

Individuals needing a driver's license medical examination must go directly to a qualified medical facility. These facilities are typically hospitals at the district/county level or higher, and they must submit a medical examination form.

According to the health check-up list on the health check-up form, the medical facility will check the health of the patient for each category in turn.

The health check-up includes the following:

Prenatal check-ups.

Endocrine examination.

Musculoskeletal examination.

Respiratory examination.

Cardiovascular examination.

Ear, nose, and throat examination.

Eye examination.

Neurological/psychiatric examination.

At each examination department, according to the above-mentioned requirements, the medical facility will mark and confirm the information on the health examination form as prescribed. Finally, they will conclude whether the applicant's health is sufficient to register for driving lessons before issuing the health certificate to the applicant.

Where can I get a driver's license medical examination?

Medical examinations for drivers must be conducted at medical facilities licensed to operate medical examination and treatment services in accordance with the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment (hereinafter referred to as medical examination and treatment facilities) and must comply with the regulations in Joint Circular No. 24/2015/TTLT-BYT-BGTVT.

Medical examinations for drivers must be conducted in accordance with the health standards stipulated in Clause 1, Article 3 of this Circular.

According to the Ministry of Health, when taking driving tests or renewing driving licenses, people still need to undergo a health check and present a driving health certificate as previously required. (Illustrative image: TL)

How long is a driver's medical certificate valid?

According to the general regulations in Clause 3, Article 8 of Circular 14/2013/TT-BYT, the validity of the health certificate and the results of the periodic health examination for drivers is as follows:

- The health certificate is valid for 12 months from the date the health assessment conclusion is signed.

For health examinations for Vietnamese citizens going to work abroad under contract, the validity of the health certificate is determined by the regulations of the country or territory where the Vietnamese worker will be employed.

- The results of the periodic health check-up are valid according to the provisions of the law.

What is the procedure for issuing a health certificate for drivers?

Based on Article 8 of Circular 14/2013/TT-BYT, the procedure for issuing health certificates for drivers is as follows:

- One copy of the health certificate is issued to the person undergoing the health examination. If the person undergoing the health examination requests multiple health certificates, the health examination facility shall proceed as follows:

Photocopy the health certificate that has been signed by the person making the conclusion before stamping it. The number of copies of the health certificate will be made according to the request of the person being examined;

After duplicating the documents, affix the photo, stamp the photocopied health certificate with a seal, and affix the required stamp.

- Deadline for returning health examination certificates and periodic health check-up records:

For individual health check-ups: The health facility will issue the health certificate and periodic health check-up booklet to the person being examined within 24 hours of the completion of the examination, except in cases where additional examinations or tests are required at the request of the person conducting the examination.

For group health check-ups under contract: The health facility will provide the health certificate and periodic health check-up booklet to the individuals being examined, as agreed upon in the contract.

Source: https://giadinh.suckhoedoisong.vn/bo-y-te-noi-gi-ve-thong-tin-bo-giay-kham-suc-khoe-khi-cap-bang-lai-xe-172240327165140375.htm