The Ta Xua Commune Health Station, Son La Province, conducts health check-ups for students in the area. Photo taken by Ha Bien on September 23, 2026.

Son La- Bringing health check-ups to schools helps students access healthcare more easily and allows for early detection of issues requiring monitoring and care.

Son La currently has over 370,000 students from preschool to high school. In the 2026 free health check-up and screening program, schools will become convenient examination points, especially for students in mountainous areas where access to medical facilities remains challenging.

In Chieng An ward, six schools with over 5,000 students are scheduled to receive health check-ups. To date, more than 4,300 students have been examined, achieving over 85% of the plan.

Doctors and nurses from Chieng An Ward Health Station conduct health checkups for students at Chieng An Kindergarten (Lo Van Gia branch). Photo: Truong Son, taken on September 24, 2026.

Dr. Tran Thi Minh Nguyet, Director of Chieng An Ward Health Station, said that the unit is coordinating with schools to organize examinations in groups, striving to complete the process in September 2026.

At school, students are checked sequentially for health indicators, vision, dental health, and other screening issues. Not having to travel to a medical facility saves time for students, teachers, and parents, while also providing more information for health monitoring.

In the mountainous region of Ta Xua, health check-ups for students face additional challenges. Prolonged rain, a vast geographical area, and many schools located far from the center make travel for the health check-up teams difficult. To date, 2,839 out of 3,526 children have been examined, reaching 80.5%. Of these, 64.1% are children under 6 years old and 87.3% are school-aged children.

Dr. Ha Van Bien, Director of the Ta Xua Commune Health Station, said that prolonged rain has made it difficult to travel to remote schools. The unit is coordinating with the schools to arrange suitable examination schedules, prioritizing remote locations to minimize the need for students to travel.

At Hang Dong Primary and Secondary School in Ta Xua commune, 784 students received health check-ups. Mr. Tran Viet Cuong, the school principal, said that bringing doctors to the school facilitates access to healthcare services for students in mountainous areas, especially those in remote villages.

Chiềng Lao Commune Health Station conducts health check-ups for students. Photo: Văn Bước, taken on September 17, 2026.

In Muong Bu commune, health check-ups were also conducted right at the school. Hoang Luong Phuc, a student in class 5A1, said he was happy to have his teeth and eyes checked by the doctor and receive guidance on how to take care of his health.

Muong Bu Primary School has nearly 2,000 students, with over 97% being children from ethnic minority groups. According to Ms. Ngo Thi Hoa, the school's principal, through screening, some students were found to have problems with scoliosis, malnutrition, and a risk of obesity. The school informed parents to cooperate in monitoring their children's condition.

Ms. Lo Thi Bua, a parent, said that having her child examined at school helps the family learn more about the child's health and provides appropriate care.

Mr. Tran Thanh Binh, Deputy Director of the Department of Health, said: “Regular health check-ups help detect physical and medical problems early, thereby providing appropriate advice and monitoring. Bringing health check-up activities to schools right from the beginning of the school year, especially in mountainous areas, helps students more easily access health services.”

Muong Chanh Commune Health Station conducts health check-ups for junior high school students. Photo: Nguyen Nam, taken on September 23, 2026.

From central provincial schools to remote schools in mountainous areas, bringing doctors closer to students helps reduce obstacles related to distance and travel. The examination results also help families and schools to quickly identify and monitor children's health issues.