Ministry of Health strictly prohibits doctors from signing fake health check-up results

The Ministry of Health requires medical examination and treatment facilities to arrange sufficient personnel according to each specialty, strictly prohibiting doctors from arbitrarily examining, concluding or signing on behalf of many specialties when the scope of practice and professional capacity are not sufficient.

According to Official Dispatch No. 7739/BYT-KCB on rectifying the work of medical examination and health certificate issuance, the Ministry of Health requests health units nationwide to strictly implement professional procedures, ensuring the quality and accuracy of health examination results.

The above request was made after inspection, examination and reflection activities of mass media agencies recorded violations at some central-level hospitals and private general clinics. Violations include doctors examining multiple specialties outside the scope of licensed practice, signing instead or signing combined conclusions of multiple specialties in the same dossier.

In addition, the Ministry of Health requires the full implementation of tests and paraclinical techniques as prescribed, such as blood tests, urine tests, diagnostic imaging and functional exploration. Health records must be fully stored, accompanied by paraclinical results and the signature of the performer as prescribed.

The Ministry of Health also warned about the situation of perfunctory health check-ups, being formalistic, omitting mandatory tests or using drugs to temporarily lower blood pressure and heart rate to cope with the check-up process, and then concluding that the examined person is healthy enough. These acts can distort the results and affect the reliability of health certificates.

Medical facilities are required to properly implement Circular No. 32/2023/TT-BYT, amended and supplemented documents and relevant legal regulations. Directors of units under the Ministry of Health, Departments of Health of provinces and cities and health agencies of ministries and sectors are responsible for directing the implementation and sending results reports to the Ministry of Health through the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management before October 30, 2026.

The rectification aims to ensure that medical examination and health certificate issuance activities are in accordance with procedures, within the scope of practice, improve the responsibility of medical facilities and medical staff, and at the same time limit the situation of falsifying examination results.

Read the original here