People in difficult circumstance in HCM City were gifted health insurance cards on October 10. VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — Over the last five years, HCM City has been implementing practical policies for its citizens to ensure sustainable social welfare, caring for the well-being and improving living standards for all people.

Trần Thị Diệu Thúy, deputy chairwoman of the municipal People’s Committee, told the Sài Gòn Giải Phóng (Liberated Sài Gòn) newspaper that social security and welfare are consistently prioritised in the city’s development process from the expanded social security network to specific policies on healthcare, education, sustainable poverty reduction, leaving no one behind in the progress of development.

The city has always been a pioneer in implementing mechanisms and policies to help mobilise and effectively use social resources to care for the well-being of people and improve health, stature, longevity and quality of life.

It has gradually developed comprehensive health care from preventive medicine and primary health care to specialised health care.

At the same time, it has continuously expanded free medical examination and treatment programmes and health insurance for the disadvantaged and people in difficult circumstances.

In the 2020-2025 period, the city has strengthened its health care system with 34 new hospitals and 106 renovated health stations. It has achievedca ratio of 21 doctors and 43 hospital beds per 10,000 people.

Senior citizens in HCM City got health check-ups on September 25. —VNA/VNS Photo

During the period, the policy of tuition fee exemption has been implemented from kindergarten to grade 12.

The city has effectively implemented its social security policy, putting into effect Resolution No. 35/2023/NQ-HDND of the municipal People’s Council on special policies to care for and support the elderly, orphans and people in difficult circumstances in the city.

The city has prioritise attention to people with meritorious service, policy beneficiaries, social protection beneficiaries and those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Policies to support the disadvantaged continue to be implemented, and many localities have established social security centres to support people in need.

Many localities in the city have invested heavily in social welfare, poverty reduction, healthcare, and expanding the coverage of social insurance for citizens.

The former HCM City supports 100 per cent of health insurance premiums for people aged 75 and over from poor and near-poor households in Cần Giờ, people with serious illnesses, abandoned orphans, and children with mild disabilities from six to 16 years old, according to the HCM City Social Security Office.

After the merger with Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu and Bình Dương provinces, the expanded city has a population of about 14 million people. The rate of social insurance coverage both mandatory and voluntary reaches 57 per cent of the workforce and the rate of health insurance participation reaches 95 per cent.

No more poor households

The city’s Poverty Reduction Programme has been effectively implemented during the period.

In the first six months of 2025, the city has reduced the number of poor and near-poor households by 1,267 and fulfilled the goal of no more poor households in accordance to the city’s multidimensional poverty standards for the period 2021 - 2025.

In 2025, the programme has a total budget of more than VNĐ13.2 trillion (US$501.3 million).

In addition, many social resources are mobilised to support poor and near-poor households. As of early June, the programme has mobilised more than VNĐ12.3 trillion ($466.9 million) from social resources.

In the first six months of the year, the programme supported 73,438 health insurance cards for people who are eligible to the programme with a total budget of more than VNĐ91.5 billion ($3.47 million).

During the period, the city provided vocational training for 157 workers from poor households, near-poor households, and households that have just escaped poverty.

It supported employment for 469 workers from poor households, near-poor households, and households that have just escaped poverty.

In the first six months of the year, the programme has coordinated with localities to support the construction and repair of 327 houses for poor households, near-poor households, and households with housing difficulties with a total amount of more than VNĐ25.8 billion ($977,900).

The deputy chairwoman of the municipal People’s Committee emphasised that the city will continue efforts to implement sustainable poverty reduction strategies and practical solutions to build a livable, modern, civilised and compassionate city. —VNS

Leaders of the HCM City Labour Federation handed over “Mái ấm công đoàn” (Union shelters) to disadvantaged workers in the city on January 19. —VNA/VNS Photo