Proposal to add a policy of free periodic health check-ups for people

During the discussion session on the Disease Prevention Law Project, delegate Nguyen Thi Quyen Thanh - Provincial Party Committee member, Vice Chairman of Vinh Long Provincial People's Committee said that this is a law project of special importance in institutionalizing Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW of the Politburo on protecting, caring for and improving people's health in the new situation.

Delegate Nguyen Thi Quyen Thanh.

Delegate Nguyen Thi Quyen Thanh said that after studying the Government's Submission and Verification Report No. 1242 of the National Assembly 's Committee on Culture and Society, she would like to contribute the following opinions:

Firstly , regarding the viewpoint and scope of the draft law: I agree with the proposal that the drafting agency clarify the orientation of the Law on Disease Prevention as a framework law, stipulating basic principles and policies; while specialized laws will be specified and assigned to the Government, the Ministry of Health and relevant ministries to stipulate in detail. At the same time, I suggest that it is necessary to stipulate transitional provisions and the relationship with laws such as the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases 2007, the Law on Food Safety 2010, the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment 2023, the Law on Insurance 2008 (amended in 2014), the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms 2012 and the Law on Prevention and Control of Alcohol Harms 2019 to avoid overlap and vacancies.

Second , regarding the State's policies on disease prevention: I agree with the 12 policies in the draft, but propose to add a policy of periodic health check-ups or free screening at least once a year for people to detect diseases early, especially non-communicable diseases according to the roadmap as well as in accordance with the ability to balance the budget and the Health Insurance Fund. It is especially necessary to clearly identify high-risk groups.

According to experts, in developed countries such as the US, Australia, and Europe, screening focuses on high-risk groups instead of the entire population to ensure cost-effectiveness. Vietnam also needs to move towards this approach, screening smokers, the elderly, and people with a history of exposure to dust or toxic chemicals. The effectiveness of early screening not only increases survival rates but also reduces treatment costs and reduces the burden on the health system. Current reality shows that more than 70% of the disease burden in Vietnam is due to non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and hypertension. However, the draft only stops at principles, so I propose adding specific regulations on screening, early detection, and management of chronic diseases in the community and assigning the Ministry of Health to guide the list of diseases, subjects, and financial mechanisms to ensure implementation.

I also suggest that the drafting committee study the mechanism to encourage socialization in vaccination, nutrition, chronic disease screening, and mental health counseling according to the principle that the State plays a leading role but needs to create conditions for the private sector and the community to participate, in the spirit that each citizen is a soldier on the disease prevention front. Strengthen communication, change behavior, and focus on controlling risk factors such as tobacco, alcohol, nutrition, and physical exercise. Disease prevention is not only the task of the health sector but also the responsibility of the whole society. Therefore, the law needs to clearly demonstrate the spirit of universal health care throughout the life cycle, considering investment in disease prevention as investment in sustainable development.

Third , regarding mental health, I suggest that it is necessary to clearly identify high-risk groups such as students, postpartum women, and people with psychological trauma. At the same time, there should be specific regulations on preventive counseling and support services in the community as well as a coordination mechanism between the Ministry of Health, relevant ministries, associations, and organizations. In addition, it is necessary to clarify the concept of mental health disorders to ensure compliance with international practices and ease of understanding in practice.

Fourth , regarding nutrition in disease prevention, I propose to institutionalize more clearly the principles of nutrition throughout the life cycle, ensuring a balance in portions, meal quality and suitability with the economic and cultural conditions of the Vietnamese people. In particular, the nutrition support policy should be expanded to all pregnant women in need, not just limited to particularly difficult areas, because this is a humane policy and also contributes to improving population quality. It is necessary to supplement regulations on breast milk banks, supporting newborns without breast milk. It is recommended to legislate the legal framework for breast milk banks as safety standards and traceability. The Government is assigned to regulate the conditions, scope, and level of health insurance payment for donated breast milk, pasteurized for high-risk newborns, ensuring proper indications and avoiding abuse. This will help breast milk banks have the resources to increase their maximum pasteurization capacity, and then all premature and sick babies who do not have breast milk can access it and reduce the burden of disease. Currently, many countries in the world have included donated breast milk in their national policies and health insurance payments. In particular, in Southeast Asia, except for the Philippines, all countries have implemented these policies.

Fifth , on digital transformation and international cooperation: The law needs to clearly stipulate digital transformation in disease prevention work, including: Electronic health records, epidemiological surveillance systems, early warnings and national health data. Currently, information security in general and privacy protection of electronic medical records in particular have been basically stipulated in many legal documents. However, I suggest that the Drafting Committee study and supplement regulations on core personal health data, electronic health records used throughout their life cycle, interconnection between levels, authority to exploit data for epidemiological surveillance and research to ensure information security and privacy according to the law on personal data protection. Regulate the mechanism for removing identity when using data for research, the mechanism for handling violations, the mechanism for encouraging the application of artificial intelligence, early warnings, the system for monitoring implementation time and the national disease prevention Dashboard.

Sixth , there needs to be a policy to strengthen public-private partnership in providing disease prevention, vaccination, nutrition, and chronic disease screening services.

Investing in the preventive health system at the grassroots level, prioritizing the budget for investment in health stations for human resources, equipment, basic testing and information technology, and perfecting the legal framework for PPP in disease prevention. In case of establishing a disease prevention fund, it is necessary to clearly define the objectives and revenue sources, including a mechanism that can deduct a portion from special consumption tax on risky goods, an independent governance and monitoring mechanism, and the principle of allocation based on risk and cost effectiveness.

The Law on Disease Prevention is not only a legal document but also a political commitment to a healthy, civilized and sustainably developed Vietnam. I believe that with the careful preparation of the Government, especially the Ministry of Health and the responsible contribution of the National Assembly deputies, the Law on Disease Prevention will become a deeply humane law, bringing practical benefits to the health of the people.

QN (record)

Source: https://baovinhlong.com.vn/thoi-su/202511/de-nghi-bo-sung-chinh-sach-kham-suc-khoe-dinh-ky-mien-phi-cho-nguoi-dan-1e63247/