An elderly resident receives a free health check-up at a medical station in the northern port city of Hải Phòng. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Government has approved amendments to its national elderly health care programme, mandating free annual medical check-ups for all older citizens starting this year and setting a series of targets to be met by 2030.

Deputy Prime Minister Phạm Thị Thanh Trà has signed Decision 1116, which amends Decision 1579 and revises the National Elderly Health Care Programme through 2030.

Under the new decision, elderly citizens are entitled to free annual periodic health examinations or screenings beginning in 2026, with individual health records to be established and maintained for each beneficiary.

By 2030, the programme targets coverage of at least 90 per cent of elderly citizens for detection, treatment and management of non-communicable diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease and dementia.

The decision also sets targets requiring that 90 per cent of commune-level administrative units establish at least one elderly care club and one volunteer care team by 2030.

At least a fifth of such units are to pilot daytime elderly care facilities by the same deadline.

All provinces and cities nationwide are required to have elderly care facilities operating under a socialised model – meaning privately funded or public-private partnership arrangements – by 2030, while every locality must have either a dedicated geriatric hospital or a general hospital with a geriatric department.

The decision also calls for digitally enabled care services incorporating social media and internet-based platforms.

The Ministry of Health is designated as the lead agency, coordinating with the Ministry of Finance and relevant ministries to plan, staff and implement the programme nationwide.

Elderly care projects are to be incorporated into the ministry's medium-term and annual public investment plans and submitted to the Ministry of Finance for consolidation before being presented to the government. — VNS