Minister of Health Đào Hồng Lan (right) at the 14th National Congress of the Việt Nam General Confederation of Labour. VNA/VNS Photo Tuấn Anh

HÀ NỘI — An increasing number of businesses have organised regular health check-ups for employees, reaching about 70 per cent of firms nationwide, according to Minister of Health Đào Hồng Lan.

Annual health check-ups have been written into the Law on Occupational Safety and Health. Ordinary employees are entitled to at least one check-up per year, while those working in hazardous or physically demanding occupations, as well as workers with disabilities, must receive health examinations at least once every six months.

Speaking with workers at the recent 14th National Congress of the Việt Nam General Confederation of Labour, Lan said: “Many companies have proactively combined regular health check-ups with screening for non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension and diabetes.

“In addition, numerous programmes have been introduced to manage and care for workers suffering from occupational diseases.”

She noted that Politburo Resolution 72-NQ/TW on breakthrough measures to strengthen the protection, care and improvement of public health, which was issued in September 2025, represents a major policy aimed at ensuring lifelong healthcare for all citizens.

The Ministry of Health said that employers have generally been proactive in providing periodic health check-ups for workers in line with current regulations. However, implementation remains uneven, with many small businesses or those in rural areas still failing to give sufficient attention to worker health screening.

Meanwhile, efforts to ensure safe working environments and conduct workplace environmental monitoring have not yet met requirements. Although about 5,800 enterprises are now carrying out environmental monitoring, significant work remains to be done across the broader labour market, according to the health minister.

In the near future, the Ministry of Health will focus on implementing Resolution 72, Lan said. In addition to periodic health examinations, health records will be integrated with electronic health books. An action month on food safety is also held every year as part of the effort to safeguard workers’ health and improve environmental hygiene.

To strengthen workplace environmental monitoring and ensure safer working conditions, as well as support amendments to social and health insurance regulations, the health ministry has called on trade unions to enhance oversight of legal implementation and better protect workers' legitimate rights and interests, particularly in the implementation of collective labour agreements.

The ministry also encouraged trade unions to develop programmes that provide additional support for workers’ health screenings, occupational healthcare services and workplace fitness activities. It recommended that such provisions be incorporated into collective labour agreements through negotiations with employers. — VNS