Senior citizens in HCM City got free health checks at the Ward 9 health station District 8 in August last year. —VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — HCM City People’s Committee has given approval for more medical facilities to perform free health checks for people aged 60 and above.

Seniors are now entitled to get free annual checks at general clinics, medical centres, and grade 2 and grade 1 hospitals, according to the Department of Health.

Previously, they could only get checked at local health stations. 

The move aims to manage the treatment of non-communicable diseases among them and create electronic health records, the department said.

They will be examined and get a blood test and abdominal ultrasound test.

The city has over one million people aged 60 or above.

Last year only 329,330 of them got free health check-ups.

It was found that 61.6 per cent had high blood pressure and 25.6 per cent possibly had diabetes, according to the department. —VNS