Removing difficulties for military recruitment

At this time, localities in Hai Duong province have completed the examination for military service in 2024. According to the assessment of the Military Service Council of localities, the number of young men coming for examination upon summons reached more than 98%. However, the number of healthy young men is still low compared to the number of young men coming for examination. Notably, the rate of young men with eye defects such as myopia, astigmatism, hyperopia, etc. is increasing. This is a major difficulty for localities in military recruitment.

Before entering the preliminary examination for military service in 2024, the leader of the Cam Giang District Military Command said that the whole district has about 5,000 young men of military age, of which more than 1,000 young men are eligible for military service, the rest are eligible for deferment or exemption. Of these young men who are ready to join the army, over 40% have eye defects.

Every year, through the preliminary examination, Hai Duong City has over 1,000 young people who are qualified for the city-level examination. However, the results show that the number of young people who are qualified for military service only accounts for over 30%, the rest are not qualified. The number of young people who are rejected and do not meet the health requirements are mostly suffering from refractive eye defects such as myopia and astigmatism. In many wards in the inner city, the rate of young people with myopia and astigmatism is up to 50-60%, and in some residential areas, 100% of young people ready to join the army have refractive eye defects.

In many other localities in the province, the number of young men ready to join the army with refractive eye defects also accounts for 30 - 40%...

According to the Military Command of districts, towns and cities, the rate of young people of military service age suffering from eye diseases is increasing. The number of young people with myopia and astigmatism accounts for a very high rate among eye diseases. The cause is due to the living environment, study, and living habits of a part of young men. Many young people are lazy to exercise, use phones, and watch TV too much, leading to eye diseases.

At the meetings to summarize and deploy military recruitment work in recent years, many localities have recommended that the Ministry of National Defense soon adjust the regulations on health standards, and consider eye diseases as a disease of modern society to suit the actual situation.

On December 6, 2023, the Ministry of National Defense issued Circular 105/2023/TT-BQP regulating standards and health for subjects under the management of this ministry. The regulation is a "liberation" and a solution to the current military recruitment work of the whole country in general and Hai Duong province in particular. Because there will be many cases of refractive eye defects that will have to participate in military service.

Specifically, according to Article 4, Circular 105/2023/TT-BQP, the health standards for military service must meet type 1, type 2, type 3. In type 1, all examination indicators score 1, indicating very good health. Type 2 has at least one indicator with a score of 2, indicating good health. Type 3 has at least one indicator with a score of 3, indicating fair health. Type 4 has at least one indicator with a score of 4, indicating average health. Type 5 has at least one indicator with a score of 5, indicating poor health, and type 6 has at least one indicator with a score of 6, indicating very poor health.

According to Section I, Appendix I issued with Circular 105/2023/TT-BQP, people with myopia under 3 diopters will have their vision scores calculated based on their post-correction vision with a score of 2 - 3. Therefore, people with myopia can still have to do military service if their myopia is under 3 diopters. Also according to the new circular of the Ministry of National Defense, people with astigmatism who meet other health standards must still do military service.

According to current regulations (Joint Circular No. 16/2016/TTLT-BYT-BQP of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of National Defense), people with astigmatism (including all types) will be given a score of 6, which means they are classified into health category 6 - not eligible for military service. But with Circular 105/2023/TT-BQP, people with physiological farsightedness or less than 1 diopter will be given 2 points; greater than or equal to 1 diopter will be given 3 points. In cases of astigmatism that has been surgically corrected, the astigmatism will be given 3 or 4 points depending on the case. Thus, people with astigmatism who are given a score of 2 but have no other health criteria that are given a score of 3, 4, 5, or 6 will have health category 2, eligible for military service. For people with astigmatism who are scored 3 and have no other health criteria scored 4, 5, or 6, they will have health category 3 and will also be eligible for military service.

The results of the preliminary health screening and military service medical examination before January 1, 2024 will continue to be implemented according to the provisions of Joint Circular No. 16/2016/TTLT-BYT-BQP. After January 1, 2024, the preliminary health screening and medical examination will be implemented according to Circular 105/2023/TT-BQP.

With timely adjustments to health standards for people of military age, military recruitment in the province will have positive changes in the coming time, overcoming the current shortage of military recruits.