New regulations regarding medical examinations for drivers.
The draft circular on health standards for drivers, released by the Ministry of Health on the morning of December 30th, has removed previously controversial regulations such as prohibiting women with flat chests from driving, while adding criteria regarding medical conditions, physical fitness, and the use of drugs and alcohol.
According to Mr. Le Tuan Dong, Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management (Ministry of Health), the draft joint circular on health standards for drivers (motorcycles, trailers, and automobiles) consists of 5 chapters with 21 articles; it stipulates the standards for health examinations and the conditions for medical facilities conducting health examinations.
This draft expands the scope to include not only Vietnamese citizens but also foreigners studying, working, and living in Vietnam. It also categorizes the standards into three groups: A1, B1, and A2-A4, B2, C, D, E, FB3, FC, FD, EF.
Health standards for new drivers are divided into nine specialties: psychiatry, neurology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, musculoskeletal, respiratory, endocrinology, and drugs and other psychotropic substances.
For example, people with impaired perception of the three primary colors (red, yellow, and green), motor paralysis of one or more limbs, or drug use are not eligible to drive.
Individuals who have lost or amputated a hand or foot and whose function is impaired even with assistive devices, or whose binocular distant vision (with or without corrective lenses) is below 4/10, are not eligible to drive a motorcycle.
In addition, individuals with scoliosis, scoliosis, or excessive lordosis; bronchial asthma; pseudoarthrosis; amputation or loss of function of the first finger, or two of the remaining three fingers of one hand… are also ineligible to drive vehicles of categories A2-A4, B2, C, D…
According to Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Xuyen, developing and issuing health criteria for drivers is a highly complex and sensitive issue, affecting almost all segments of the population. Therefore, the Ministry of Health is implementing it step by step, meticulously and carefully. Simultaneously, it will clearly define the responsibilities of medical personnel conducting health examinations for drivers; the responsibilities of drivers; and the responsibilities of hospitals, etc. The Ministry of Health will strive to work with the Ministry of Transport to issue this circular as soon as possible.
Mr. Luong Ngoc Khue, Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management, stated that incomplete health examinations are currently being mixed with the sale of fake health certificates. Therefore, the Ministry of Health requires medical facilities to strictly adhere to health examination procedures. This is a right of the people, and they should demand that doctors conduct quality examinations according to professional procedures. The Ministry also directs and requires close monitoring of the issuance of health certificates.
Previously, the Ministry of Justice had criticized Decision 33 on the issuance of health standards for drivers of motorized vehicles and Decision 34/2008 on the issuance of health standards for disabled people driving motorcycles and three-wheeled vehicles, both issued by the Ministry of Health.
The Ministry of Justice argues that the introduction of too many standards (83 standards), especially those regarding height, weight, chest circumference, and other standards that are not in line with reality, has restricted citizens' constitutional rights in using property and vehicles; creating unnecessary discrimination against some citizens.
According to Vietnam+
