The HCM City department of health will roll out free specialist health screenings at 58 hospitals and medical centres across 64 wards and communes for local residents.
The programme, scheduled for April 5 to mark National Health Day on April 7, will prioritise outlying areas to improve access to specialised care at the grassroots level.
Residents will be screened for a wide range of conditions, including cancers, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Services will also cover eye, ear, nose and throat, dental, mental health and musculoskeletal conditions. Paediatric facilities, including Children’s Hospital 1, Children’s Hospital 2 and the city children’s hospital, will screen for congenital heart defects and childhood obesity.
Authorities said the initiative is intended to support early detection, provide medical advice and referrals where necessary, and update patient data into the city’s health management system as part of efforts to build electronic health records.
The department added that the citywide rollout reflects a broader push to strengthen primary healthcare and improve community-based health management, while linking local services with higher-level facilities.
According to Doctor Diep Bao Tuan, director of Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital, the hospital will organise a series of professional and outreach activities for National Health Day 2026 under the theme “Proactive prevention-For a healthier Vietnam”.
These include the launch of a vaccination unit to expand cancer prevention services, a free vaccination week from April 6 to April 10 offering 250 flu or meningococcal shots for patients, and a free cancer screening programme from April 6 to April 8 for 50 patients’ relatives.