Ministry of National Defense new regulations on health standards, military service examination

The Ministry of National Defense has issued a new circular regulating new health standards and military service examinations, including specific regulations on eye and vision examinations.

Young men performing military service - Photo: NAM TRAN

The Ministry of National Defense has issued Circular 106/2025 amending Circular 105 on health standards and military service medical examination with many important contents. The Circular takes effect from September 30.

Supplementing regulations on military service medical examination

The Circular has amended the current regulations on military service health screening. Accordingly, commune-level health stations conduct military service health screening under the direction and guidance on expertise and techniques of the health department or hospital, medical center under the health department; and supervision of the commune-level military command, regional defense command.

The Circular also amends and supplements regulations on military service medical examination.

Accordingly, the regional health examination council includes the chairman of the council who is the director of the hospital or director of the medical center under the Department of Health, the vice chairman who is the deputy director of the hospital or medical center, the standing member and secretary who is an officer of the hospital, medical center, or medical agency under the Department of Health; the members are officers and employees of agencies and units.

Members of the regional health examination council must ensure that they have all the required departments and specialties and must have a practice certificate or practice license appropriate to their duties. According to the old regulations, council members belonged to district-level agencies.

Amending and supplementing the military service eye examination process

Circular 106 amends and supplements the eye examination process and vision scoring method in health classification standards.

Specifically, visual acuity is the basic standard to assess the vision of each eye. To measure visual acuity accurately, a specialist must directly instruct how to read and perform the test according to the prescribed techniques of the ophthalmology profession. To detect cases where the reader is dishonest or does not know how to read according to the instructions, use an automatic refractometer to check.

How to calculate total vision of both eyes: If vision is higher than 10/10, it is still only counted as 10/10. For example: Right eye 12/10, left eye 5/10, then total vision of both eyes is 15/10.

The Circular clearly states that when calculating total visual acuity for classification, attention should be paid to the visual acuity of the right eye. The left eye's visual acuity cannot compensate for the right eye's, and the right eye's visual acuity must meet the prescribed standards.

When checking vision without glasses, if the vision of both eyes does not reach 19/10, the specialist must continue to check vision after adjusting the glasses.

Normally, the maximum vision of both eyes when adjusted with glasses must reach 19/10 or higher. In case the maximum vision of both eyes after adjusting with glasses does not reach 19/10, an ophthalmologist must evaluate and find the cause of the pathology causing the vision loss.

Visual acuity scoring: If visual acuity without glasses for both eyes is 19/10 or higher, score according to visual acuity without glasses. If visual acuity without glasses for both eyes is less than 19/10, score according to visual acuity after maximum correction with glasses.

The new circular also has specific regulations on pterygium, with pterygium grading according to the level of pterygium crawling into the cornea, diseases of the eyelids and eye sockets, and instructions for measuring color blindness.

The new circular also outlines how to calculate scores for quick mental illness diagnosis.

Requirements for eye chart

Black letters, white background, rows 7/10 to 8/10 must be hung at eye level.

Sufficient light for reading (about 400-700 lux), avoid any glare, too bright or too dark that affects the reader's vision.

The distance between the board and the reader's place is according to regulations.

The reader must cover one eye with a piece of cardboard (not with his hand) and while reading, keep both eyes open (one eye open behind the cover).

The measurer uses a stick to point under each letter, the reader must read that letter in less than 10 seconds. Rows 8/10, 9/10, 10/10 each row can only read 1 letter wrong to count the result of that row.

THANH CHUNG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bo-quoc-phong-quy-dinh-moi-ve-tieu-chuan-suc-khoe-kham-nghia-vu-quan-su-20251004084129368.htm