Health standards for railway vehicle drivers

(Chinhphu.vn) - The Minister of Health has just issued Circular 42/2025/TT-BYT regulating health standards for railway vehicle drivers.

People with mental illness who have been completely stabilized but have not been treated for 24 months are not qualified to drive railway vehicles.

The Circular stipulates that railway vehicle drivers must meet the following health standards:

STT	Specialty	People with one of the following medical conditions or disabilities are not qualified to drive railway vehicles:
1	PSYCHOLOGY	Mental illness that has been treated and stabilized completely but for less than 24 months
2	NERVE	- Epilepsy; - Paralysis of one or more limbs; - Extrapyramidal syndrome; - Superficial sensory disturbance or deep sensory disturbance; - Dizziness due to pathological causes
3	EYE	- Distance vision of each eye: good eye < 8/10 or poor eye < 5/10 (including correction with glasses); - Refractive error with glasses number: > + 5 diopters or > - 8 diopters; - Horizontal visual field of both eyes (nasal-temporal direction): < 160° extending to the right < 70°, extending to the left < 70°; - Vertical market (up-down direction) above and below the horizontal line <30°; - Semi-sharp, blind corner; - Disorder in recognizing 3 basic colors: red, yellow, green; - Double vision; - Glare diseases; - Reduced vision at dusk (night blindness).
4	EAR - NOSE - THROAT	Better hearing in the ear: - Normal speaking < 4m (including using hearing aids) - Or hear a whisper at least (in the better ear) < 0.4 m (including the use of a hearing aid).
5	CARDIOVASCULAR	- Hypertension with treatment in which maximum BP ≥ 180 mmHg and/or minimum BP ≥ 100 mmHg; - Low blood pressure (maximum blood pressure < 90 mmHg) with a history of symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue, drowsiness or fainting; - Vascular occlusive diseases (arteriovenous), vascular malformations with clinical manifestations affecting the ability to operate and control railway vehicles; - Arrhythmias: supraventricular tachycardia, ventricular tachycardia, atrial flutter, atrial fibrillation, atrial tachycardia and sinus tachycardia > 120 cycles/minute, treated but not stable; - Ventricular extrasystole in people with structural heart disease and/or grade III or higher according to Lown's classification; - Second-degree atrioventricular block or bradycardia with clinical symptoms (even if treated but not stable); - Angina pectoris due to coronary artery disease; - Heart transplant; - After coronary revascularization intervention; - Heart failure class II or higher (according to the classification of the New York Heart Association - NYHA).
6	BREATHING	- Diseases and disabilities that cause difficulty breathing level II or higher (according to mMRC classification); - Partially controlled or uncontrolled asthma; - Tuberculosis is in the infectious stage.
7	Musculoskeletal	- Stiffness/stickiness of a large joint; - Pseudo-articular joints at a position belonging to (in) large bones; - Excessive hunchback and scoliosis cause spinal curvature; spinal stiffness/adhesion affects motor function; - Absolute length difference between two upper or two lower limbs of 5 cm or more without assistive devices; - Amputation or loss of function of 02 fingers of 01 hand or more or amputation or loss of function of 01 foot or more.
8	endocrine	Diabetic (diabetic) with a history of diabetic coma within 01 month.
9	USE OF DRUGS, ALCOHOL, Narcotics, AND PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES	- Use of drugs; - Use of alcohol (applicable during routine health check-ups); - Use of medication that affects the ability to wake up; - Abuse of stimulants and hallucinogens.

Responsibilities of health examination facilities

According to the Circular, health examination facilities must comply with the provisions of the law on health examination of the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment and documents guiding the implementation of the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment.

Issue forms and issue health certificates that ensure they fully contain the minimum information specified in Appendix 02 and Appendix 03 issued with this Circular and fully update health examination information as prescribed in Article 5 of Circular No. 36/2024/TT-BYT dated November 16, 2024 of the Minister of Health regulating health standards, health examinations for drivers and specialized motorbike operators; periodic health examinations for car drivers; database on health of drivers and specialized motorbike operators.

This Circular takes effect from January 1, 2026.

Minh Hien

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/tieu-chuan-suc-khoe-cua-nguoi-dieu-khien-phuong-tien-giao-thong-duong-sat-102251114154532488.htm