Private hospitals failing the public

In a country where cheap and efficient health care is a right, private hospitals have failed to gain a footing due to high charges and a belief among the rich that they will get better care at facilities in foreign countries, such as Singapore, draining billions of USD from the economy.

Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nam, at Ho Chi Minh City Medicine and Pharmacy University, said that in Vietnam, private hospitals are still inferior to pubic ones, which get government assistance for human resources and investment.

Many private hospitals in Vietnam, despite heavy investment, operate at capacity levels of 60-to-70 percent. Some have closed because they could not generate enough income.

Vu Anh International Hospital in Go Vap District, HCM City, has for the past three years attracted only a handful of patients a day. It opened in 2008, and was hailed as the first “five-star” hospital in Vietnam.

Phu Tho General Hospital in HCM City closed in 2010 after a widely publicised medical error when a doctor took out the ovaries of a healthy 24-year-old woman.

Investment in private hospitals is failing to find traction. The Hanoi American International Hospital in Hanoi, which was licensed in 1997, with an initial investment of USD50 million, has yet to open, even though investment has doubled to date.

Private health facilities are now resorting to opening representative clinics, which diagnose and direct patients in Vietnam to established hospitals abroad, such as Singapore’s Mount Alvernia and Parkway Health.

The main issue appears to be the failure of private hospitals to put patient care above profit. Several months ago, the musician Thanh Tung was taken to Vietnam-France Hospital in Hanoi, with a light fever. After examination, doctors admitted him for further tests.

A day later, the musician's son was told his father’s health was deteriorating and he should prepare for his funeral, but the son was unhappy with the explanation of his father's condition, which he believed was meant to keep him in the hospital for more than a month.

The hospital was charging VND40m (USD1,900) a day.

He moved his father to the state Bach Mai Hospital nearby, over the opposition of the medical staff, where doctors examined the musician and declared his conditional was not serious, and he was discharged after a week.

Some people complain that despite the high cost of private hospitals, they are left unhappy about the bedside manner of doctors and the quality of service.

About 300 people a year go overseas for medical check-ups using International SOS’s office in HCM City.

VN to compete in 24 skills at World Skills Competition

With the sponsor for training contestants by businesses from Japan and the Republic of Korea, Viet Nam is going to compete in 24 among 50 skills at the 43th World Skills Competition which is taking place from August 11-16, 2015 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The information was announced at a signing ceremony between the General Department of Vocational Training and the Denso Viet Nam Ltd. Company in Ha Noi on December 24.

According to Isao Mizuno, General Director of the Denso Viet Nam Ltd. Company, the company established the Denso Viet Nam Vocational Skills Training Institute to train outstanding staff, with a focus on practicing rather than teaching theories, for the company’s key positions in the future.

This year, the company helps train six candidates to compete in skills of Japan’s strengths at the world competition. Two candidates were selected for further training in Japan for a year and in Brazil for two months to prepare for the competition.

Fifty skills, including 46 officially competing and four displaying skills, are planned to be competed at the World Skills Competition, which attracts nearly 1,300 contestants from all over the world.

Viet Nam has taken part in the completion for four times since 2007 and merely achieved seven outstanding skills certificates in 2011 and 2013.

Body of missing sailor recovered in Ben Tre

The body of a sailor who disappeared after his ship flipped over in HCM City's Can Gio District was found yesterday.

Rescue forces retrieved Truong Duc Hau's body near Cua Dai Beach in the neighbouring province of Ben Tre.

Hau died after his fishing boat captained by Tran Cong Hung, 36, was flipped over by big waves on Monday.

The other six sailors were rescued the following day.

Police discovers 120-kg dead tiger hidden in truck

Environmental criminal police in Vietnam’s central province of Nghe An yesterday said that it has found a dead tiger weighing over 120 kilogram with no clear origin hidden in a truck on December 22.

Environmental criminal police discovered a truck travelling in the National Highway with doubtful sign; accordingly they asked traffic police to stop the truck and found a 120-kg dead tiger.

34 year old driver Nguyen Van Lap from Quynh Luu District said that an unknown man had hired him to carry the tiger to a northern province. He will be paid VND8 million (US$ 374) later.

Three fined for immigration fraud

Border officers in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum fined three people VND50 million (US$2,400) for their involvement in illegal immigration.

On December 8, Nguyen Ngoc Quynh, 20, from Ha Tinh Province and Vu Thi Nguyet, 30, and Le Tan Ha, 28, both from Kon Tum's Ngoc Hoi District, were caught near the Bo Y International Border Gate with 11 passports and two border passes stamped with fake immigration seals.

Two Laotian individuals admitted stamping the papers with two seal stamps bought from Thailand in November for 2 million Laotian Kip ($246) each.

Human traffickers face 14-16 years’ imprisonment

The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court sentenced Ngo Thi Lan, 44, and Tuong Dinh Thuong, 35, to 16 years and 14 years in prison, respectively, for human trafficking.

Three accomplices included Tran Ngoc Quy, 44, and Pham Tuan Phuong, 52, who faced 12 years’ imprisonment, while Nguyen Van Vien, 44, was given 6 years in jail.

Lan and Quy admitted that since February 2014 they had colluded with Thuong and Phuong in selling away three children.

Luxury cruise liner docks at Hon Gai port

Royal Caribbean Cruise's luxury cruise ship Celebrity Millennium docked on December 24 at Hon Gai port in Ha Long city with nearly 3,500 visitors from the US, Canada, UK, and Australia.

From Ha Long, the tourists’ itinerary lists tours to Ha Long-Hanoi-Hai Phong-Hue-Danang-Hoi An-Vung Tau-HCM City.

The land portion of their trip is being arranged by Vietnam’s leading tour operator, Saigontourist.

To date, Saigontourist has welcomed more than 180 cruise ships carrying in excess of 220,000 arrivals from the Europe, Asia, the US and Australia to Vietnam’s shores.

Da Lat city in the central highland province of Lam Dong is closing out the 2014 Central Highlands-Da Lat National Tourism Year and heralding Christmas and The New Year in style with Japanese cultural festival.

The five-day event, December 23-27, is the province’s way of saying thank you to Japan for all the support it has provided during the year, says Nguyen Van Yen, Vice chairman of Lam Dong provincial People’s Committee.

The Japanese Government has been instrumental in providing assistance to Lam Dong in carrying out a number of projects including an eco-tourism project, a Xuan Huong lake water treatment project to name just a couple, Yen says.

They have also provided invaluable assistance in upgrading agricultural technology and in making it more environmentally friendly, Yen says, adding the Vietnam-Japan relationship has been raised into a new height and Japan is now a strategic partner of the city and nation.

The event includes a variety of exciting activities befitting for the time of year flush with flower gardens, photo exhibitions, and art performances. Japanese cuisine, music, dance and films are also being showcased. In short, there is a little something for everyone to enjoy.

Da Nang maritime rescue centre brings 43 people ashore

The Da Nang Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) has rescued and brought ashore 43 people, including one foreigner, over the past two months.

The centre also towed ashore four vessels in distress in Vietnam’s waters during the reviewed period.

On December 24, the centre successfully rescued vessel BD 97184 TS with 13 crew members on board. The fishing vessel had a breakdown and was drifted in waters off central Da Nang city earlier the day.

Shortly after receiving information, the centre deployed ship SAR 274 to rescue crew members and tow the vessel to Da Nang safely.

In the context of unfavourable weather conditions and rough seas, Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang has urged the Vietnam Maritime Administration to put rescue forces and means on standby for search and rescue missions at sea.

Support activities aim to bring happier New Year holiday to workers

Trade unions in a number of southern localities have planned various support activities to help workers enjoy a Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday, which falls in middle of February 2015 this year.

In Binh Duong province, the provincial Federation of Labour plans to give free bus tickets for 1,220 workers who come from central and northern localities to travel to their hometown for the holiday, about 10 percent higher than last year.

According to Nguyen Thien Phuoc, Vice Chairman of the federatio, the union has also proposed to the Binh Duong People’s Committee to present 6,000 gifts to poor workers, while organising a number of art performances to entertain them.

Meanwhile, Dong Nai province has mobilised about 80 billion VND for supporting workers in the locality. Besides offering free bus tickets to workers, the province will present gifts to about 400 families who cannot afford a holiday in their hometown.

Hosting 15 economic zones and industrial parks with about 280,000 workers, Ho Chi Minh City will give away 6,000 bus tickets and about 1,500 gifts to poor workers.

Huynh Cong Khanh, Chairman of the Trade Union of export processing zones and industrial parks in Ho Chi Minh City, said the board will work with local processing zones and industrial parks to monitor the payment of wage, salary and bonus for workers.

On the occasion, the Nissei Vietnam company will hold a New Year music performance for workers, while giving 200 bus tickets for workers from far-way localities.

Quang Ninh plants over 4,000ha of forest

The northern province of Quang Ninh planted over 4,000ha of forest between 2007 and 2013, equivalent to 97.2 percent of its original target under the third phase of a Germany-supported project (Kfw).

The figure raises the rate of local forest coverage to 53.5 percent this year, surpassing the target, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Dang Huy Hau told a conference reviewing the project on December 24.

During the period, the 4 million EUR project generated jobs to nearly 3,000 poor households in remote areas, with a majority getting to know how to plant and protect forests sustainably.

On the occasion, the provincial People’s Committee presented certificates of merit to 10 individuals and 6 organisations in recognition of their contributions to the project.

VFF President welcomes university delegation from China

President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF)’s Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan received a delegation from China ’s Guangxi Teacher Education University (GTEU) in Hanoi on December 24.

He acknowledged the university’s renovations in teaching and its creation of conditions for generations of Vietnamese students.

The university’s enhanced cooperation with Vietnam over the past decades is a vivid manifestation for the friendship and mutual trust between the two nations, he said.

Appreciating the GTEU’s initiative to build a house for Vietnamese ex-students to meet, the VFF leader suggested the university draft a plan to contact with Vietnamese students who have learned there during the past ten years.

He expressed his belief that the university, with its prestige, will further support education and training activities in Vietnam , especially border provinces.

On his part, GTEU Rector Prof. Liang Hong said he hopes that Nhan, who ever pursued his study at the university, will make more contributions to fostering cooperation between the GTEU and Vietnamese universities, firstly its joint effort with the Hanoi University to build the Confucius Institute.

Quang Tri province gathers feedback on public services

The central province of Quang Tri on December 24 launched a pilot project on gathering public opinions on the quality of public services at one-stop-shop offices via mobile phones.

The M-Score project is a joint effort of the provincial People’s Council, the Oxfam International in Vietnam , the Vietnam Initiative of the US Indiana University, the Centre for Analysis and Forecasting of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, and the military telecom group Viettel.

Quang Tri is the first locality in the country to pilot the project which aims to create a dialogue channel between local authorities and residents to improve the quality of public services at the grassroots level as well as strengthen transparency and accountability in State-run agencies.

The locals will receive messages and calls from the Viettel switchboard after completing administrative formalities at one-stop-shop offices asking them to give feedback on the working attitude of the office staff.

Citizens can also call 18008081 to inquire about the processing status of their applications and give their assessment about the offices’ operation.

The provincial People’s Council pledged to facilitate the implementation of the project and use its results to ensure better public services, while making assessment on the offices’ performance every three months.

Efforts made to bring electricity to rural areas

As many as 97.83 percent of households in rural areas nationwide have accessed power services so far, as a result of the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN)’s efforts to realise the Party and State’s policy on rural electrification over the past 15 years.

As one of the pioneers in the programme, the Southern Power Corporation (EVN SPC), a subsidiary of the EVN, has invested more than 5.7 trillion VND on power projects in 1,270 southern communes, benefiting 960,271 local households.

According to Pham Ngoc Le, EVN SPC Vice Director General, to date electricity have been supplied to 100 percent of communes, wards and towns, a remarkable rise from 70 percent in 1996. As many as 98.44 percent of households had access to power, he added.

At the same time, the EVN SPC provided electricity serving agriculture across the Mekong Delta region, meeting the demand of electricity for daily activities and irrigation, he said.

The firm worked on a 172-billion VND project to build 371km middle voltage transmission line and install 936 transformer stations with a capacity of 90,493 KVA, providing electricity for 936 water stations that help irrigate 165,000 hectares of paddy field in An Giang province.

The Mekong Delta province of Long An, where 82 percent of local residents live in rural areas, is among the localities that benefit most from the project.

After 15 years, 99.3 percent of local rural households enjoyed power services, helping improve their living conditions and production.

So far, Long An has launched 68 small-scaled water supply stations to irrigate 10,915 hectares of farming areas.

However, Nguyen Ngoc Tuan, Vice Director of the Long An Power Company, highlighted the difficulty of supplying electricity to remote and mountainous areas.

A high power supplying cost, which is estimated at 80 million VND per household, is also a barrier that hinders the access of power to the areas, he said, adding that the province could only afford power supply to two communes each year.

In 2015, Long An is set to bring power to 31 communes to meet the standard on electricity of a new-style rural area, up from 25 communes currently. Total investment for the electrification programme in the province is expected to reach nearly 991 billion VND until 2020, doubling that of the 1998-2014 period.

Health insurance law to expand benefits, coverage

New amendments to the health insurance law will expand benefits, increase coverage among poor people and encourage more people to join plans, a senior official has said.

Le Van Kham, Deputy Director of the Department of Health Insurance, said on December 23 at a conference that the new changes will take effect at the beginning of next year.

Under the amendments, inpatients registered at province-level hospitals can get treated at central-level hospitals by paying 60 percent of their fees, instead of the current 70 percent.

Similarly, those registered at district level hospitals but wanting to get treatment at provincial facilities will have to pay 40 percent of their fees instead of the current 50 percent.

Inpatients getting treatment at district-level hospitals after being registered at commune-level hospitals will continue to pay 30 percent of the fees.

Poor patients and those belonging to ethnic minority groups in disadvantaged districts will have 100 percent of their fees covered, instead of the current 80-95 percent.

From January 1, 2016, health insurance card holders will be allowed to visit any hospital in communes and districts for examination and treatment. Those from poor households and minority groups can visit any hospital in the country.

Under the amended law, the State budget will pay 100 percent of the treatment expenses for those who've had health insurance for five consecutive years and whose hospital fees exceed six months of their basic salaries.

Measures to prevent erosion at Cua Dai beach proposed

Scientists from domestic universities and research institutes and Japan’s Tohuku University made practical proposals to prevent erosion along Cua Dai beach in central Quang Nam province at a workshop on December 24.

The serious destruction occurring along the 7-kilometre coastline is posing direct threats to nearby tourism facilities and residential areas and intruding into cultivated land, participants noted.

They stressed the need to carefully look at terrain, geological, hydro-geological and wind conditions at the beach and in surrounding areas as well as seawater flows in order to define a scientific foundation for main reasons and factors for the phenomenon.

Scientists suggested building sea embankments and dykes to protect river mouth and coastal areas.

Quang Nam should take prompt measures to prevent sand dredging activities on Vu Gia and Thu Bon rivers, which are a direct reason for erosion along Cua Dai beach.

Cua Dai beach, which is 5km from Hoi An's old quarter, is a favourite location for tourists visiting the UNESCO-recognised ancient city.

Erosion has come closer to the main section of the 1.5km road connecting the beach with Hoi An, threatening dozens of resorts. Rising sea levels have already washed a 20-hectare area of Cua Dai beach away.

Minister urges localities to enhance drought prevention effort

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development has stressed that drought prevention is an urgent task in the time ahead as severe and large-scale drought is forecast for 2015.

During his recent working session with the Directorate of Water Resources (DWR), the Departments of Cultivation and Animal Husbandry, Phat urged the agencies to make detailed plans to respond to the situation.

He asked the Department of Cultivation to assist drought-prone localities in planning the use of available water resources for farming, while the Department of Animal Husbandry must take measures to ensure food for cattle.

Drought has been occurring in a number of areas in the central region and the Central Highlands, according to Nguyen Van Tinh, DWR deputy director.

He said his agency has worked with Binh Dinh province, the hardest-hit locality, to map out a detailed response plan for next year.

The National Hydrometeorology Forecasting Centre reported that water shortage is likely to occur in many localities, especially those along the central coast in the coming dry season, with negative impacts on the 2014-15 Winter-Spring and the 2015 Summer-Autumn crops.

International arrivals to Hanoi hit 3 million

The number of international tourist arrivals to Hanoi reached 3 million in 2014, up 16 percent against the previous year and 200,000 people more than the yearly target, according to the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Meanwhile, the city welcomed 15.5 million domestic holidaymakers, a year-on-year rise of 11 percent.

The local tourism sector reported total revenue of 48 trillion VND (2.3 billion USD), surging 25 percent compared to last year’s figure.

To achieve these positive results, the city focused on developing tourism infrastructure, diversifying products and improving itself as a safe and hospitable destination for visitors.

Hanoi also increased activities to promote its tourism in key markets such as Northeast Asia, ASEAN and Europe while training human resources to meet international standards.

Since 2002, Hanoi has been continuously named in the top six most attractive destinations in Asia by online tourism magazine Smart Travel Asia.

Trip Advisor, the US’s premier travel website, also ranked Hanoi among the top tourist destinations in Asia in 2013 and 2014, making it one of the world’s ten emerging areas for tourism.

Hanoi to mobilise non-State funding to plant trees in 2015

The capital city of Hanoi plans to mobilise non-State funding from collectives, businesses and individuals to remove old trees and replace them with new ones in 2015 in a bid to save money for the State.

The information was released by the Hanoi Department of Construction (HDC) at a press briefing held on December 23 by the Hanoi Municipal Party Committee Commission for Communication and Education.

Under the programme, around 1,000 green trees will be planted across the Belt Road 1; Kim Ma – Nguyen Thai Hoc and Hue – Hang Bai routes; Nguyen Chi Thanh street; and 17 streets in four inner districts, as well as at some public spaces.

The trees are planned to replace old ones, which are at high risk of being fallen during storm season, and those which are defacing the city’s appearance.

According to the HDC, eight businesses have registered to contribute nearly 600 trees to the programme. They have been asked to submit their plans for relevant agencies to evaluate types and quality of the trees and to ensure the landscape where the trees will be planted.

At the press briefing, the HDC pledged to co-ordinate with authorities of the city’s districts and relevant agencies in implementing the programme in order to increase Hanoi’s green spaces and improve the environment.

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