The authorities of Quang Ninh province have decided to reward up to VND700 million ($35,000) to students who win prizes at international competitions. This is the highest award offered by a local government in Vietnam.

According to a newly issued decision, Quang Ninh’s students who win prizes at competitions at provincial and national levels, and medals of regional and international competitions will be rewarded at a much higher level than before.

The reward for excellent students at the provincial level will rise by 1.7 times compared to that of the period 2016-2020. It is 3.5 to nearly 7 times higher for students who win national prizes; 2.8 to 3.3 times for those winning prizes at regional competitions and 3 to 4.5 times for the prize winners of international contests.

Specifically, students who win the first prize/gold medal at international competitions will receive VND700 million. It is VND500 million ($25,000) and VND50 million ($2,500) for the winners of the first prize of gold medal at regional and national competitions.

 Nearly 100 people search for two missing “treasure hunters” in Bac Kan

The authorities of Bac Kan province have mobilized nearly 100 people to search for two men who were trapped in a cave Ban Thi commune in Cho Don district while searching for “treasures”.

The victims were identified as a 44-year-old man from Cho Don district in Bac Kan province and a 40-year-old man from Dong Trieu town in Quang Ninh province.

The cave where the two men are trapped is a natural cave of 0.5m high, 0.7m wide, and about 400m deep. From the cave entrance to the landslide site is about 220m, separated by a big rock.

The National Committee for Natural Disaster Response and Search-Rescue has sent experts to Bac Kan to rescue the people.

Prime Minister asks Health Ministry to deal with medical workers’ resignation

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh talked with health workers of Cho Ray Hospital during his trip to Ho Chi Minh City to inspect pandemic prevention activities. Photo: Nhat Bac

The Prime Minister has asked the Minister of Health to have solutions to promptly solve the situation that many health workers, particularly in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, quit their job.

Earlier, Nguyen Thi Huynh Mai, Chief of the Office of the HCM City Health Department, said that the number of health workers leaving their job is 597 in 2020 and 968 in January – October 2021.

Ho Chi Minh City currently has 310 commune and ward health stations with 50% of them having no station chief. These health stations have 4-5 staff on average. They are always overloaded with works, while their income is low and the risk is no less than any doctor at Covid-19 treatment facilities.

Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long appointed head of Committee overseeing key officials’ health

The Politburo has appointed Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long as the head of the Committee that oversees care of the health of officials who are managed by the Politburo, the Secretariat, and the Party Central Committee. Earlier, on November 19, the Politburo gave a warning and dismissed former Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien from the above position.

Tien, as Secretary of the Party Committee of the Ministry of Health and Minister of Health, is responsible for violations and shortcomings of the Health Ministry’s Party Committee in the 2015-2021 period.

First Vietnam-Laos border friendship exchange held

The event opened at Densavan border gate (Laos) and Lao Bao international border gate (Vietnam) on the morning of December 12. The high-ranking delegation of the Ministry of National Defense of Vietnam was led by Minister of Defense, General Phan Van Giang.

The first Vietnam-Laos border friendship exchange was held in Huong Hoa district, Quang Tri province (Vietnam) and Sepon district, Savannakhet province (Laos) with many activities. The defense ministers of the two countries will also hold talks and sign a number of important documents to further promote bilateral defense cooperation between the two countries' border guards.

HCM City-Vung Tau high-speed boat services resume

The Can Gio - Vung Tau high-speed boat route reopened on December 12 after being suspended for six months due to Covid-19.

The Can Gio - Vung Tau high-speed boat route has a distance of about 15 km, departing from Tac Suat wharf (Can Gio) to Vung Tau city, with a travel time of about 30 minutes. Before the Covid-19 epidemic, there were 24 trips a day, with one trip per hour.

There will be four trips during weekdays and eight for weekends.

Hanoi has more hospitals treating Covid-19 patients

As the number of new infection cases is rising, more hospitals in the capital are receiving Covid-19 patients, including Saint Paul General Hospital, Hanoi Hospital of Traditional Medicine, Thanh Tri Hospital and Hanoi Heart Hospital.

Family of former Hanoi Mayor pays VND10 billion bail

The family of Nguyen Duc Chung, Hanoi’s former Chairman, has paid VND10 billion (nearly $500,000) of bail to guarantee Chung’s responsibility to pay compensation for losses in cases he was involved in. In addition, police have distrained one house and two apartments of defendant Nguyen Duc Chung. 

PV

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES DECEMBER 11

Covid-19 child patients in HCM City on the rise