Authorities detain nearly 100 at HCM City bar

Authorities have temporarily taken into custody nearly 100 people suspected of using drugs at Feeling Bar in Au Co Road, Tan Binh District, HCM City, early yesterday morning.

According to the Tien Phong (Vanguard) Newspaper, an inspection team also uncovered many violations at the bar, such as operating past regulated hours and employing numerous people without labour contracts. The bar also hasn't met the safety regulation on emergency exits.

Feeling Bar is also considered one of largest brothels in the district. Similar violations were found at the bar in five previous inspections since the beginning of 2013.

Resettlement creates instability

Families forced to relocate for the construction of key infrastructure projects in HCM City from 2007 to 2012 have been resettled, but their lives are not stable, city officials admit.

Huynh Cong Hung, head of the municipal People's Council's Culture and Social Affairs Board, said after moving to resettlement apartments, relocated families had a better living space.

However, the work and study of relocated family members have suffered as they live far away from their old homes. "It is also difficult for relocated people to find jobs in their resettlement areas," he said at a meeting on Wednesday.

The municipal People's Committee should have a programme to restore stability to the lives of resettled people, he said.

The programme would ensure the responsibility of project investors and local administrations to support resettled residents, he said.

Participants at the meeting noted that there was a shortage of resetlement apartments for relocated families in some areas while they were abundant in others.

Many relocated families have chosen to receive compensation money and buy a new house on their own as most resettelement houses which are allocated for sale to them are too far from comfort.

Nguyen Huu Tin, deputy chairman of the municipal People's Committee, said the city built resettlement houses based on the demand of each project and also built standby accommodation.

These measures have led to the shortage or surplus of resettlement houses and land in certain areas, he said.

In addition, the number of relocated people who registered to buy resettlement houses or land and those who actually bought them did not match, causing an imbalance.

To deal with this situation, the municipal People's Committee has assigned the city's Department of Construction to be the only agency that will manage the city's fund of resettlement houses and land. Currently these are being managed by district administrations.

The city will also issue policies that allocate resettlement houses for relocated people in their old house areas, he said.

The municipal People's Committee has ordered districts to end the situation of all temporary settlement by the end of June 2014, he said.

Between 2007 and 2012, the city constructed 191 key projects, affecting the lives of 44,436 households in 17 districts, according to the city's Department of Construction.

Of these, 24,000 households had to be relocated.

A newly released survey conducted by the city's Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the city's Statistic Office, found that of 1,200 surveyed resettlement

households in 12 districts, 419 bought their new houses on their own, 648 received the city's resettlement apartments and the rest live mostly in rented accommodations.

Thirty-six per cent of the respondents reported higher incomes after resettlement, 37.8 per cent have the same income and 26 per cent have less income, the survey found.

Stiff penalties for use of harmful food additives

Use of harmful food additives in food processing will from now on face very harsh penalties as per a new decree passed by the government effective from December 31, 2013.

As per the new decree, maximum penalty for administrative violation against food safety and hygiene will be VND100 million (US$4,800) for individuals and VND200 million ($9,600) for organizations.

Anyone who adds dangerous additives to food items will be fined VND70-100 million ($3,315-4,800).

If a person uses food additives of unclear origin, they will be penalized VND40-50 million ($1,896-2,368).

The new decree also states clearly that people using expired food additives in cooking food will be fined VND10-20 million.

In addition, if owners of eateries overuse additives, they will be fined VND3-5 million. Besides fines, violators will face withdrawal of food safety certificates or be forced to shut down operations.

Storm damages in Vietnam estimated at VND25,000 billion

According to the latest count by the Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control so far, 47 people are either dead or missing and about 100,000 houses have collapsed in the recent storms and floods in Central Vietnam.

Since the beginning of this year, Vietnam has faced 15 storms and four tropical low pressure systems. So far, 264 people have been reported either dead or missing, 800 have been injured, 12,000 houses have collapsed, and more than 300,000 hectares of rice crops have been damaged. Total storm damage is now being estimated at VND25,000 billion.

In 2012, Vietnam suffered only 10 storms and two tropical low pressure systems, which caused the death of 258 people and injured 408 others. Total storm damage was estimated at VND16,000 billion.

The National Hydro Meteorological Forecasting Center announced that temperatures in Hanoi and the northern provinces have reduced rapidly to 18-19 degrees, while some places even as low as 13-15 degrees. Temperatures in Sapa have fallen to 8-9 degrees.

More benefits for health insurance card holders

The government has just submitted a draft for amendments in the Law on Health Insurance to the National Assembly, to be taken up for discussion this week.

Saigon Giai Phong had a talk with Truong Thi Mai, Chairwoman of the National Assembly Committee on Social Affairs over the draft amendments.

Chairwoman Mai said the aim of the draft amendments is to improve the shortcomings of the Law on Health Insurance.

The new draft amendments pay more heed to benefits for insurance card holders as well as draw more participants.

In addition, the draft amendments will expand payment for some more diseases and ailments. For instance, the Law on Health Insurance of 2009 abrogated benefits of persons who caused a traffic accident. This was not right. Those who cause accidents must be compelled to compensate or even put in prison, but they can still enjoy benefits as health insurance participants.

Mai strongly supported the government’s proposal to abrogate the regulation that poor households, ethnic minority people in disadvantaged districts needed to co-pay of 5 percent of their medical cost.

Moreover, according to the government proposal, people whose families’ economic condition is close to the poverty line and children and parents of families serving in the nation’s defense should enjoy co-payment decrease from 20 percent to 5 percent.

Agency, Unilever to improve sanitation for 10 million

The Health Environment Management Agency under the Ministry of Health and Unilever Vietnam's Vim brand have agreed to join hands to improve sanitation conditions for 10 million Vietnamese people, especially in rural areas.

At a total cost of 60 billion VND (2.86 million USD), the initiative aims to improve sanitation awareness and give millions access to clean toilets, according to a five-year strategic cooperation framework (2014-2018) signed on November 23.

Nguyen Huy Nga, head of the agency, said the programme has three points of focus: coordinating with the Ho Chi Minh City Pasteur Institute for disease prevention activities; cooperating with Unilever to improve sanitation in rural areas; and working with the Ministry of Education and Training for improved sanitation in schools.

Specific action plans include building 800 standard toilets in 80 schools at a cost of 16 billion VND (762,000 USD), which would help approximately 800,000 elementary school pupils have germ-free and safe toilets to use.

Besides, 10 billion VND (476,190 USD) will be spent on special talks on individual and environment hygiene given at 1,000 elementary schools nationwide, helping raise awareness among pupils and their parents about necessity of maintaining proper hygiene at school and home.

Major agencies that will participate in the programme include UNICEF, American Standard Co, several other NGOs and the Department of Preventive Health.

The programme, which falls under Unilever's global Sustainable Living Plan, will also be part of efforts to meet the national goals of clean water supply and improved sanitation.

According to UNICEF, in Vietnam, over 45 percent of families in the countryside either defecate in the open or use unhygienic toilets. Poor sanitation is responsible for frequent incidences of diarrhoea and pneumonia which causes the death of many children under five.

Poor sanitation is also a major cause of stunted growth among children in Vietnam, the organisation says.

Lam Dong protects riverhead forests

The Central Highlands province of Lam Dong has put forth a number of measures on forest planning and development, and support for people’s economic development in an

effort to protect forests in the upper reaches of Dong Nai River.

The province will continue implementing a campaign to increase awareness and responsibility of agencies, organisations and individuals in forest management and protection as well as improving the quality of Dong Nai River ’s water.

The local authorities will also review and adjust plans relating to improvement of forest protection capacity in the river’s basin while consolidating forest management and protection forces, and increasing patrols and financial sources for this task.

Lam Dong now has nearly 597,700 ha of forest, covering 60.4 percent of its total natural area. Of which, the forest area in the Dong Nai River basin accounts for 51 percent.

However, the forest and forest land areas have remarkably decreased over the past time as a result of increasing land use demands for accommodation, agricultural production, industrial tree growing, and hydropower development.

The province sets a target of planting over 23,800 ha of forest between now and 2023.

Tuyen Quang to build solid-waste facilities

The northern province of Tuyen Quang plans to construct 20 solid-waste treatment systems by 2020 to safeguard local public health, use environmentally sound sanitation systems and encourage sustainable development.

The solid waste will be collected, sorted, recycled, and fully treated, using the facilities' advanced technology. This will help mitigate environmental pollution in the province, particularly in urban areas and industrial parks.

Local authorities also plan to issue policies to improve waste management in the field, launch campaigns to raise public awareness on the issue, and improve the capabilities of urban companies handling waste treatment by 2015.

Sanitation project to help 10 million

The Health Environment Management Agency under the Ministry of Health on Saturday signed a five-year (2014-2018) strategic cooperation framework with Unilever Viet Nam's Vim brand to improve sanitation conditions for 10 million Vietnamese people, especially in rural areas.

At a total cost of VND60 billion (US$2.86 million), the initiative aims to improve sanitation awareness and give millions access to clean toilets.

Nguyen Huy Nga, head of Health Environment Management Agency, said the programme has three points of focus: coordinating with the HCM City Pasteur Institute for disease prevention activities; cooperating with Unilever to improve sanitation in rural areas; and working with the Ministry of Education for and Training for improved sanitation in schools.

Specific action plans include building 800 standard toilets in 80 schools at a cost of VND16 billion ($762,000), which would help approximately 800,000 elementary school pupils can have germ free and safe toilets to use.

Besides, VND10 billion ($476,190) will be spent on special talks on individual and environment hygiene given at 1,000 elementary schools nationwide, helping raise awareness among pupils and their parents about necessity of maintaining proper hygiene at school and home.

Major agencies that will participate in the programme include Unicef, American Standard Co, several other NGOs and the Department of Preventive Health.

The programme, which falls under Unilever's global Sustainable Living Plan, will also be part of efforts to meet the national goals of clean water supply and improved sanitation.

According to Unicef, in Viet Nam, over 45 per cent of rural families either defecate in the open or use unhygienic toilets. Poor sanitation is responsible for frequent incidences of diarrhoea and pneumonia which causes death of many children under five.

Poor sanitation is also a major cause of stunted growth among children in Viet Nam, the agency says.

Forest violations rise in Son La

Authorities of the northern mountainous province of Son La have recorded handling 182 cases of violations of forest protection and development regulations since the beginning of the year.

They collected a total of VND1.3 billion (US$61,900) in fines from these cases.

To raise people's awareness of forest protection, the local authorities have co-operated with social organisations and army forces to hold 86 programmes on disseminating the Law on Forest Protection and Development.

They have also encouraged production establishments, individuals and household businesses in the area to sign a commitment to abide by the laws.

VN joins fight to save rhinocerous

Viet Nam has joined forces with an international animal rights organisation to raise awareness of the endangered status of rhinos through a design competition to curtail demand for rhino horns.

Humane Society International and the Viet Nam Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Management Authority have established an organisation board to manage the event.

Candidates who wish to participate in the competition must focus on explaining why people shouldn't use rhino horns.

The candidates must hand in their designs at the CITES Management Authority office on Ngoc Ha Street, Ha Noi, before December 31.

Workshop promotes human rights education in Vietnam

Research and education on human rights in Vietnam was the primary subject discussed at a workshop held in Hanoi on November 25.

Organised by the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, the event was attended by many researchers and lecturers from universities and institutes nationwide.

At the workshop, participants said that the teaching of human rights in Vietnam still has limitations. There are only five official educational establishments in the fields nationwide.

Documentation and training materials on human rights have not been systematised or designed especially for specific groups, while researchers and lecturers’ ability has not met the demand of actual education in the country.

Moreover, the study of human rights has not delved into the details of theory, regional and international law and mechanisms. Urgent issues such as security, terrorism in relation with human rights; freedom of information and press and human rights; climate change and human rights; development, poverty and human rights have not been studied deeply.

Therefore, delegates stressed that it is necessary to pay more attention to promoting education on human rights at all education levels in Vietnam. The education sector needs to build training curricula in the field for educational institutions of law, penal science, security, management and administration.

Participants suggested Vietnam builds a network between domestic and foreign scientists and researchers in the field of human rights study and education. They also called for more information sharing among education and research institutions, state agencies, socio-political organisations and communities of scientists operating in the field.-

Work starts on new Red River bridge in Lao Cai

A ceremony was held on November 25 in Lao Cai city to start the construction of the Giang Dong bridge, the fourth of its kind in the locality to span the Red River.

The six-span bridge, 298 metres long and 14 metres wide, is designed to withstand an earthquake up to a magnitude 7 on the Richter scale.

The total investment for the first phase of the project is 167 billion VND (7.9 million USD).

The project’s constructor, Quyet Tien Investment and Construction Company, is expected to finish the work within two years.

Speaking at the event, Chairman of the Lao Cai provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Van Vinh said the project will not only help his locality develop transport infrastructure and spur socio-economic growth but also ease traffic congestion.

Work starts on Da Nang - Quang Ngai highway

Construction on a stretch of the Da Nang – Quang Ngai highway, known as bidding package A4, began in the central province of Quang Ngai on November 24.

Addressing the event, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked the investor and contractors to work closely with local authorities on site clearance, ensuring that displaced residents can settle their lives soon.

Built by the Republic of Korea’s Lotte Engineering & Construction company, the 14.6 km section running through the districts of Binh Son and Son Tinh is expected to be completed after 36 months of construction.

It is the first package that has been funded by the World Bank (WB).

As part of the North-South expressway project, the 1.47 billion USD Da Nang – Quang Ngai highway will be nearly 140km in length and 26m in width with four lanes. Its construction is scheduled for completion in 2017.

It has received funding of nearly 673 million USD in official development assistance from the Japanese Government via the Japan International Cooperation Agency and 631 million USD in loans from the WB.-

Dong Nai creates 92,000 jobs so far

The southern province of Dong Nai has announced that so far this year it has created more than 92,000 jobs, 102 percent of the set target.

According to the provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, this is a result of efforts to improve access to loans for locals and to provide further vocational training and employment to labourers.

Additionally, poverty reduction work was included in many other programmes, which proved its efficiency by lowering the proportion of poor households to 2 percent, it said.

Nearly 76 percent of local labourers resumed their jobs, the department added.

However, due to difficulties in student enrolment, the province has seen a 6.5 percent decrease in vocational training outcomes while facing an employment imbalance, thedepartment said.

Province celebrates 50th anniversary of famous battle

A meeting was held in the southernmost province of Ca Mau on November 24 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Dam Doi, Cai Nuoc, Cha La battle.

Former Defence Minister General Pham Van Tra joined military leaders of the Military Zone 9 and the Mekong Delta provinces, and over 6,000 locals at the event.

Speaking on the occassion, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Pham Thanh Tuoi reviewed the famous victory, in which the local armed force shot down 10 US aircraft and captured more than 1,000 enemies alive, wiping out three key positions of the enemy.

The achievement marked the outstanding development of the revolutionary armed force and played an important role in the national resistance war against the US, Tuoi stressed.

Over the past 50 years, Ca Mau province has overcome the aftermath of war to rebuild and develop the local economy.

The province currently has a food production capacity of 600,000 tonnes per year. It contributed almost 5 trillion VND (235 million USD) to the state budget and export value

reached 1 billion USD in 2013.-

Spanish-funded project helps disabled people

As many as 82 disabled people in the central province of Binh Thuan have benefited from a Spanish-funded project implemented in the locality since 2012.

Funded by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation and the Spanish Red Cross, the project works to provide vocational training for people with disabilities in the area, helping them find suitable jobs and easily integrate into the wider community.

The project has cooperated with 16 enterprises and vocational training centres in the province to build training programmes for the disabled.

Nguyen Thi Thu Hang from the provincial Red Cross said the disabled people in the province were trained mainly as hairdressers, sand art workers, repairers, embroiderers and civil tailors. They were also given advice to choose jobs suitable for their ability.

To encourage and help trainees do business themselves, the project’s management board organised training courses on starting a business for 29 people. All have qualified well in the locality.

At present, Binh Thuan province is home to 19,800 disabled people. Of the total, there are a great number of unemployed working-age people.

In the coming time, the project’s management board will continue building plans to organise vocational training courses for local invalid people, thus helping them integrate into community.-

Runners raise money for cancer research

As many as 15,000 residents in Ho Chi Minh City and surrounding localities participated in the 17th Terry Fox Run on November 24 to raise fund for cancer research in the city.

The event, which took place in Crescent Area, the Phu My Hung Urban Area of District 7, was organised by the Canadian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, Canada’s international school system and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam.

The funding raised at the event will be used to set up a molecular biology laboratory in the upgraded area of the Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital, which is expected to serve cancer treatment demand of patients in the city and other southern localities, as well as promote research in the field.

Wayne Robson, Canadian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City said the event is a meaningful movement towards a non-cancer world.

The Terry Fox Run is an annual non-competitive charity event held in various regions around the world to commemorate Canadian cancer activist Terry Fox, who made a Marathon of Hope run across Canada to raise funds for cancer research in 1980 after losing a leg to osteosarcoma.

Last year’s event drew the participation of 14,600 people and raised 1.7 billion VND (almost 80,000 USD). To date, more than 600 million USD has been collected over the world to serve cancer research.

Hanoi parade raises awareness of gender equality

A parade took place in Hanoi on November 24, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, in an effort to raise public awareness of gender equality.

Addressing the event, National Assembly Deputy Chairman Uong Chu Luu applauded the initiative of the Vietnam Farmers’ Union, the Vietnam Women Union and the UN Population Fund, the event’s organisers.

He noted that Vietnam has completed a legal framework on gender equality and domestic violence prevention and handling.

The introduction of the 2006 Law on Gender Equality and 2007 Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control has created an important legal foundation to preserve the rights and interests of family members, especially the elderly, children and women who are vulnerable to domestic violence, he said.

However, he admitted that shortcomings remain in the prevention and handling of violence against women and girls in Vietnam.

He urged relevant ministries, agencies and socio-politic organisations to coordinate with each other more closely to strengthen the enforcement of law on the work.

He commented that more effort should be made to enhance the efficiency of communications, education and mobilisation activities to raise awareness of gender equality and implementation of the Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control, striving to completely eliminate violence against women and girls.

The senior legislator thanked UN agencies and other international organisations for assistance to Vietnam in the fight against violence against women and girls.

Meanwhile, UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam Pratibha Mehta pledged to join hands with the Vietnamese Government in erasing this violence, ensuring that they are empowered to raise their own voices.

President of the Vietnam Farmers’ Union Nguyen Quoc Cuong said as a socio-politic organisation for the legitimate interests of Vietnamese farmers accounting for nearly 70 percent of the country’s population, the union commits to exerting efforts to improve its members’ responsibility in the field.

President of the Vietnam Women’s Union Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa also vowed to continue educating, mobilising and supporting women and helping to enhance their awareness and knowledge of the Gender Equality Law and Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control.-

Binh Duong, RoK’s city youths join cultural exchange

Fifty youngsters from Daejeon city in the Republic of Korea are joining their friends in the southern province of Binh Duong at a cultural exchange programme beginning on November 23.

Opening the programme, the second to be held so far in Binh Duong, Secretary of the provincial chapter of the Communist Youth Union Nguyen Pham Duy Trang said that the event offers a chance for participants from both sides to get to know each other’s culture and tighten bonds.

The event includes a food fair and beauty shops and introduces Vietnamese and RoK tea culture. Participants can also dress in the traditional costumes of each country, open handicraft stalls and enjoy arts performances.

During their stay until November 26, the RoK delegation is set to engage in many activities such as visiting the Minh Sang Plaza, Binh Duong New City, Hoi Khanh pagoda and the Cu Chi tunnel in Ho Chi Minh City.-

State education scheme benefits minority groups

The 2010-2015 education development scheme designed for ethnic regions, known as Project 2123, has proven effective since it was kick-started in the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau three years ago.

The project has benefited the Cong, Mang and Sila groups in poor districts of Sin Ho, Nam Nhun and Muong Te.

Over the past years, more than 11 billion VND (500,000 USD) has been earmarked for infrastructure development. As many as 14 primary schools with 30 well-furnished classrooms and 20 faculty rooms have been opened.

An outstanding example is Huoi Van school in Nam Nhun district. In the past, its pupils had to sit in leaking and dilapidated classrooms, meaning many of them played truant. Now more and more students are attending classes in the new, well-furnished rooms.

In addition to improving infrastructure, the province has also paid heed to raising the qualifications of education management staff and teachers. Training courses have been held to help them hone their professional skills. The number of teachers in minority communities has now topped 580.

According to the provincial Department of Education and Training, over 5,000 ethnic students are enjoying the study support policy. More than 2,600 of those students are benefiting from Project 2123.-

Vietnamese, Japanese localities strengthen cooperation

The central Thua Thien-Hue province of Vietnam and Japan’s Kyoto prefecture have issued a joint statement on the establishment of friendly and cooperative relations between the two localities.

The document was signed at a working session between Chairman of the Thua Thien-Hue provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Van Cao and Kyoto prefecture’s Governor Keiji Yamada on November 22 during the latter’s visit to the Vietnamese locality.

Under the statement, the two sides committed to strengthening the relations for mutual benefits while respecting each locality’s characteristics, exchanging information and cooperating in education-training, preservation of cultural values, tourism and trade.

According to Chairman Nguyen Van Cao, Japan is the most important cooperation partner and ODA supplier of Thua Thien-Hue.

The country has so far provided 500 million USD in ODA for the province, he said, adding that eight Japanese partners have implemented 20 cooperative projects, mostly in culture, in the province.

The two sides have also enjoyed good relations in education and training, human resource training and health care, Cao said.

The Chairman said he hopes to receive Japanese ODA for the building of an international university in the province and suggested that the two localities focus their cooperation on cultural heritage preservation, cultural exchange, and training in the time ahead, in the framework of the cooperation agreement signed in February this year.

Governor Keiji Yamada pledged to implement many activities with an aim to sign an agreement on cooperation between Thua Thien-Hue and Kyoto next year.

Risk management training succeeds in Yen Bai

A conference summarising a project for community-based disaster risk management in vulnerable regions was held in the northern province of Yen Bai on November 22.

The project was implemented in the province by the provincial Steering Committee for Flood Control, Research and Rescue in collaboration with Save the Children in Vietnam from December 2012 to November 2013 at a cost of about 133,000 USD.

Under the programme, local officials and residents in the two communes of Hong Ca and Tan Dong in Tran Yen district were provided training to improve their awareness of disasters and build disaster-prevention plans minimising damage caused by natural disasters.

Thanks to its success, project managers have asked Save the Children to continue expanding the programme over other communes in Yen Bai.

 Hospitals to set up hotline to receive patients’ feedback

The Ministry of Health on November 23 ordered hospitals across the country to set up a hotline to receive feedback from patients’ on quality of treatment and other related services.

Hospitals have been asked to set up the hotline in their premises at accessible locations and for hospital leaders to check the hotline regularly.

Medical workers who are on duty on the hot line round-the-clock must resolve complaints or transfer to related divisions.

In addition to the hotline, telephone numbers of hospital leaders and the Department of Health should be placed at visible locations in hospitals.

The Ministry has asked hospital leaders to throw a book at negligent hotline receivers in dealing with complaints. Negligent staff will receive punishment for criticizing hospital staff in public, or matters related to salary or work position.

Complaints to be dealt with will include a medical worker’s behavior in treatment procedure, clamor for money or presents in an emergency case or even praise for a good deed.

The Ministry set up its own hotline this month to listen to patients’ complaints. The hotline has so far received nearly 300 calls in 10 days only.

Up to 41 percent of callers complained about high hospital charges and 37 percent complained of medical workers’ callousness in dealing with patients.

Ministry wants verification of infant death in private clinic

The Ministry of Health on November 23 asked the Department of Health in Hanoi and related agencies to verify the death of a 16-month-old boy at an unlicensed private clinic in Thuong Tin District, and report back before November 27.

The 16-month-old baby named Nguyen Dinh Quan suffered from fever and a cough on November 19. He was taken to the Huong Sen Private Clinic belonging to Dr. Pham Anh Son, also Head of the Pediatrics Department of Thuong Tin General Hospital.

The clinic was not legally licensed to operate.

Dr. Son diagnosed the baby with an inflammation and gave him a shot and some medicine.

Before injecting the infant, Dr. Son performed an initial test injection for counter reaction. After the vaccination, the baby seemed to show relief from the cough and fever.

On the same day, the child was again taken to the clinic for a second injection.

This time Dr. Son did not conduct an initial test for reaction as he supposed the check had been satisfactory during the first injection. However, a few minutes after administration of the injection, the baby began foaming at the mouth and turning blue.

Despite Dr. Son’s efforts to save the baby, his condition worsened. Seeing the baby’s deteriorating condition, the doctor urged the baby’s relatives to take him to a nearby hospital. On arrival, doctors declared the baby had died before coming to the hospital.

Soon after the death of the toddler, Thuong Tin General Hospital leaders decided to suspend Dr. Son from work. The Department of Health in Hanoi and related agencies are now working together to bring some light to the case.

Huong Sen Private Clinic belonging to Dr. Son has been operating for years without a legal license. Related agencies had asked to shut down the clinic several times but Dr. Son did not pay heed.