Quang Ngai border guards receive saved Filipino fisherman

A Philippine national has been saved and delivered to the border guard in the central province of Quang Ngai after his boat sunk at sea.

On December 5, La Van Dang, a fisherman from central Binh Dinh province, and his team-mates rescued the Philippine man, who was drifting on waters near Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago, while they were catching tuna in the area.

The rescued man is Eduin C Puda Jr, 30, from Bolinao, Luzon province, the Philippines. He said his tuna-fishing boat was hit by great waves and sunk on November 28.

On December 10, Dang brought him to the Quang Ngai provincial border guard high command at Sa Huynh fishing port in Duc Pho district, where he would receive further medical treatment and administrative procedures.

Vietnamese students hold charitable event in Singapore

The Vietnam Students in Singapore Association organised a beauty contest on December 10 to select a representative for its charity work in the host nation.

Phuong Linh from the East Asia Institute of Management rose above nine other candidates to win the first prize after competing in three categories of ao dai (Vietnamese traditional dress), talent and improvisation. 

All proceeds from ticket sales and the cash prize of 1,000 SGD were donated to Singapore’s Rare Disorders Society (RDSS) – a non-profit organisation initiated by parents of children with LSD (Lysosomal Storage Disorder), aiming to create awareness about various life threatening rare diseases (RD).

There are currently 10,000 Vietnamese students studying in Singapore. They have contributed significantly to strengthening the strategic partnership between the two nations.

Đà Nẵng launches five new inner city bus routes

Five new inner-city bus routes with subsidised fares were launched on Saturday in Đà Nẵng.

Lê Văn Trung, director of the central city’s Department of Transport, said 61 new 40-seat busses have been introduced on the new routes. They will run every 20 minutes between 5am until 9pm, he added.

Tickets cost VNĐ5,000 (US$0.2) per trip, or VNĐ90,000 ($4) for a monthly package. People with disabilities, students, workers in industrial zones as well as underprivileged sections will get a 50 per cent discount.

Nguyễn Ngọc Tuấn, Vice Chairman of the Đà Nẵng People’s Committee, said the new bus routes are part of the city’s 2016-20 public transportation development that aims to reduce the use of personal cars and motorbikes.

Through December, the city is offering free tickets to all commuters.

In 2018, the city plans to introduce three of their first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes and a BRT route connecting the Đà Nẵng International Airport with favourite destinations in Hội An City in neighbouring Quảng Nam Province.

The city’s population of 900,000 has far outgrown the current public bus system, which has just 48 buses travelling on five routes, meeting just 10 per cent of demand.

The city’s Transport Department estimates that residents make 2.1 million journeys each day, 80 per cent of them on motorbikes.

ASEAN-China Rally 2016 completes journey

The China-ASEAN International Touring Assembly and Journalists Rally 2016 (CAITA) arrived at the finish line in Jakarta on December 11 after a 10,000km journey through nine countries in 20 days.

The rally consisted of 25 cars and nearly 100 participants, including journalists from China and the 10 ASEAN member countries. It is part of activities to celebrate 25 years of ASEAN-China dialogue relations.

Speaking at the ceremony to welcome CAITA in Jakarta, Deputy Secretary General of ASEAN Mochtan emphasised the journey aims to promote people-to-people exchange, thus tightening the friendship of people in China and ASEAN countries.

Starting from Nanning, China on November 23, the cars travelled through Hanoi (Vietnam), Vientiane (Laos), Phitsanulok (Thailand), Hpa an (Myanmar), Sukothai and Pattaya (Thailand), Siem Reap (Cambodia), Bangkok and Hat Jay (Thailand), Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Singapore and Yogyakarta, Bandung and Jakarta (Indonesia).

The Vietnamese delegation in the rally had five members, two of whom are journalists.  

In each destination, the rally staged a series of promotion campaigns on the lands and people of participating countries to enhance trade and tourism cooperation between ASEAN and China.

China is currently the largest trader partner of ASEAN, while ASEAN is the third major trade partner of China. The China-ASEAN relations are expected to contribute to the economic development of East Asia region.

Hải Phòng Police bust drug trafficking ring

Hải Phòng Police and Customs unearthed a drug trade ring, seizing more than 10kg of white substance and tools allegedly used to make the drug ecstasy, police announced yesterday.

Last Friday, two drug dealers – Khúc Thị Minh Trang, 33, of northern Hải Phòng City’s Lê Chân District, and Nguyễn Đình Hưng, 43, of the city’s Hồng Bàng District – were found with 400 tablets and 10kg of the white substance, which are undergoing testing to determine whether it was used to make the drug ecstasy.

Police also found tools to measure and process the substance.

The two dealers admitted to the police that they processed, packed and transported the substance across the city.

The dealers were arrested for illegally making and keeping the drug.

Further investigations are underway.

Int’l congress features latest achievements in plastic, aesthetic surgery

The latest advances in the field of aesthetic surgery and medicine were discussed at the 14th annual international scientific congress of the HCM City Society of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, which closed on Friday.

Around 500 aesthetic and plastic surgeons, and other doctors, attended the three-day meeting, which features presentations on facial rejuvenation, aesthetic breast surgery, rhinoplasty and sex reassignment surgery.

Dr Marcos Harel, national secretary of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery in Israel, said the use of diced cartilage wrapped in fascia grafts had gained widespread popularity in the last decade and showed good and long-lasting results

Harel gave technical tips that will aid the new rhinoplasty surgeon to achieve good aesthetics and functional outcomes.

Along with live demonstrations of surgery techniques by guest speakers, an exhibition displays new medical technical products that upgrade aesthetic therapeutic quality.

Prof Susumu Takayanagi, director of the Mega Clinic in Japan and global chairman of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, said that more advanced technologies in plastic and aesthetic surgery were under development.

“It is necessary that surgeons be well-trained and able to deal with potential complications,” he said, adding that many patients have complications after surgery, leading to higher costs for treatment.

A care plan after plastic and aesthetic surgery should be carried out for timely recovery, he added.

In Japan, many patients often travel to other countries for rhinoplasty and breast aesthetic surgery because of the cheaper costs.

But they often have complications after returning  home because of poorly qualified surgeons and no post-surgery care, Takayanagi said.

Professor Lê Hành, chairman of the HCM City Society of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, said that Việt Nam has 294 hospitals, departments and clinics operating in the sector.

Since 1997, 368 doctors have received training in a one-year programme, and 74 doctors have finished a three-year training programme since 2011.

Tropical depression unleashes rains in southern region

A low pressure area has intensified into a tropical depression south of Huyen Tran Island, the Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands, triggering medium to heavy rains in the southern region, reported the National Hydro Meteorological Forecasting Center.

The tropical low pressure system was centered 290 kilometers east southeast off the coast from Binh Thuan to Ben Tre provinces at 10 a.m. this morning. The strongest winds near the center of the system reached level 7 moving 50-60 kilometers an hour.

In the next 24 hours, it will travel west northwest at 10 kilometers an hour towards the southern waters and might gain strengths. By 10 a.m. tomorrow, the system will locate in the coastal area of provinces from Binh Thuan to Ben Tre.

Being affected by the tropical depression, HCMC and southern provinces have seen medium to heavy rains since the late afternoon on December 11.

Rains will linger until December 13 with the precipitation of 100-200mm and over 200mm in some places. Thunderstorm will scatter across the southern region and might bring about cyclones and wind gusts.

In addition, a high tide has swelled Saigon and Mekong rivers threatening areas in lower reaches. Water level will reach its peak on December 14-15, surging to 1.6 meters at Phu An station in Saigon river. It is 0.1 meter higher than alarm level 3.

PM urges for Hung Yen’s rapid, sustainable growth

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked the northern province of Hung Yen to focus on reforming its administrative system towards a modern, dynamic and effective administration, while improving its business and investment environment.

Attending a ceremony on December 11 to mark the 185th founding anniversary and 20th anniversary of the re-establishment of Hung Yen, the PM said he hopes the province will optimise its advantages and enhance competitiveness for more rapid and sustainable development.

He asked the province to post a provincial competitiveness index equal to the average level of the region in the 2017-2018, while mobilising resources for the building of the socio-economic infrastructure system, promoting production and improving products’ quality, and developing high technology agriculture.

Hung Yen should also pay more attention to human resources development and the application of high technology, while ensuring social security for locals, he said, adding that the province should further boost tourism in line with the conservation and promotion of cultural values.

The PM also requested the locality to strengthen the prevention and combat of corruption and wastefulness, while effectively implementing the Party’s resolution on Party building and Politburo’s direction on strengthening the study and following moral example of President Ho Chi Minh.

Located in the left bank of the Red River and the centre of the northern delta, Hung Yen, also known as Pho Hien, was a busy urban area and a bustling commercial port of the north after the capital city of Hanoi in the 17th century. Its name also attached with the legend of Chu Dong Tu, one of the four immortals of Vietnam.

Hung Yen province was founded in 1831 and re-established in 1997. The province, which has long tradition of patriotism, is home to many famous patriots, including Trieu Quang Phuc, Pham Ngu Lao, Nguyen Thien Thuat and Hoang Hoa Tham.

Realising the Party’s renewal policy, Hung Yen has risen to a locality with economic growth higher than the country’s average. Per capital income of the locality has increased 10 times compared to that in 20 years ago. Its economic structure has changed rapidly towards modernisation and industrialisation. Hung Yen expects to be among 16 localities with highest budget collection in 2017.

On the occasion, PM Phuc presented Independence Order, first class, to the Party Organisation, administration and people of Hung Yen to recognise devotion and contributions of the province to the national construction and defence.

Romania’s 98th National Day celebrated in HCM City

The 98th National Day of Romania (December 1, 1918) was marked with a ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City on December 10.

The event drew the participation of Romanian people in HCM City and many Vietnamese who used to study in the European nation.

Congratulating the Romanian people on their National Day, Nguyen Sy Thang, Chairman of the Vietnam-Romania Friendship Association in HCM City, thanked for their wholehearted assistance to his country during the fight for national reunification and the cause of development today.

More than 4,000 Vietnamese engineers and experts who received training in Romania are substantially contributing to national development, he said, describing them as a priceless asset of the two peoples’ friendship and cooperation.

In recent years, cooperation between Ben Tre province and Romania’s Tulcea city in biosphere conservation in submerged areas and eco-tourism, along with that between Hue and Iasi cities, between Da Nang and Timisoara cities, and between the PetroVietnam University and the Petroleum & Gas University of Ploiesti has been greatly helping to solidify bilateral relations in various aspects, he added.

Romanian Ambassador to Vietnam Valeriu Arteni expressed his delight at the growing all-round cooperation and traditional friendship between Vietnam and his nation.

The countries have organised many delegation exchanges between leaders of Parties, States, ministries and localities, thereby fostering the amity nurtured over the last 66 years, he said.

He highly valued the role of the Vietnam-Romania Friendship Association, which has worked effectively during the past 25 years to increase amity, mutual understanding, and economic, cultural, social and scientific-technological collaboration between the two sides.

Youths hoped to nurture Vietnam-Russia amity

The Vietnam-Russia Friendship Association is advised to draw more youngsters to engage in its activities to sustain and develop the friendly relations between the two countries.

Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung made the suggestion at the fifth congress of the association for the 2016-2021 tenure in Hanoi on December 10.

He said the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership holds significance in the foreign policy of the Vietnamese Party and State.

He told the association to diversify activities and seek more international partners to increase experience sharing and bridge cooperation between Vietnamese and Russian businesses.

He asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia to closely coordinate with the association to promote people-to-people exchanges.

Delegates approved orientations and activities for the 2016-2021 tenure, including the popularisation of Vietnamese Party and State’s policies on internal and external affairs to help Russian people, especially youngsters, understand better about Vietnam as well as the two countries’ relations.

The executive board in the 2016-2021 tenure includes 28 members. Vice Chairman of the association in 2011-2016 Tran Binh Minh was elected as new Chairman.

Deputy PM inspects flood-hit areas in Binh Dinh, Quang Ngai

Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung on December 9 visited Tuy Phuoc district in the south central province of Binh Dinh, one of the hardest hit areas by recent floods where many villages are still being isolated.

The Deputy PM asked for the relocation of residents living near the bank of Ha Thanh river in Luat Le village to safer places, while requesting Binh Dinh’s authorities to give timely support to flood victims.

The province should roll out measures to assist families facing difficulties, while mobilising forces to help locals repair their houses to resume normal lives and production after the flood.

According to Ho Quoc Dung, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, flood has killed 16 people and injured five others, while collapsing 225 houses, uproofing 120 others and destroying nearly 20,000 hectares of rice fields and harming many transport and irrigation works.

Deputy PM Dung directed the Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Health, and Industry and Trade to help Binh Dinh overcome consequences of the disaster, especially restoring damaged roads.

The same day, the Deputy PM visited the family of Nguyen Minh Hai in Phuong Quang commune whose house was destroyed by flood, and the bereaved family of Dao Minh Tai in Nhon An commune, An Nhon town. Tai was swept away and killed by floodwater on the way home from school on December 8.

According to Chairman of Binh Dinh provincial People’s Committee Ho Quoc Dung, the two consecutive floods over the past month killed 16 persons and injured 5 others. A total of 225 houses in the province collapsed and nearly 20,000ha of rice was destroyed. Total losses were estimated at 800 billion VND (over 35.4 million USD).

Also on December 9, Deputy PM Dung visited and handed over gifts to flood victims in Binh Dinh’s neighbouring province of Quang Ngai.

The recent floods killed 10 people in the province, leaving four missing and inundated 1,800 houses. More than 700 hectares of rice fields and over 3,500 hectares of crop were damaged. National Highway 24 and 24C as well as many provincial roads were also affected.

The Deputy PM required the locality to timely deliver aid to flood victims to ensure no one suffers from hunger. Priority should be given to recovering farming production, repairing houses and public works and preventing diseases.

HCM City readies supports for disadvantaged students during Tet

The Student Assistance Centre of Ho Chi Minh City is set to carry out activities to support disadvantaged students during the Lunar New Year holiday (Tet).
 
Up to 5,000 coach tickets will be presented to less privileged students, as well as workers, to help them reunite with their families in central, Central Highlands and southwestern regions.

The programme targets university students and workers whose hometowns are the central provinces suffering from recent floods.

Meanwhile, gatherings and arts activities will be held for those who are unable to leave or want to stay in the city during Tet – the biggest traditional festival in Vietnam. About 2,000 gift packages will be given to students with disadvantaged backgrounds.

The assistance centre said it will liaise with local businesses to provide 5,000 part-time jobs for university students during Tet.

Homeless children, orphans and primary students in outlying areas will also receive Tet gifts, the centre noted, adding that student volunteers will invite locals to donate gifts to the underprivileged.

10 Vietnamese outstanding young students honored by Honda Vietnam

Honda Vietnam has just awarded the Honda Y-E-S Award 2016 to 10 talented young Vietnamese scientists, engineers with the witness of Mr. Hoang Xuan Long  from the National Institute of Science and Technology Policy and Strategy; Le Trong Hung – Science Technology Division–Ministry of Training & Education and Ms. Mizuki Tanaka – from Embassy of Japan to Vietnam.

The annual award is for outstanding students at Technology Universities nationwide aiming to seek & train young talents in science, technology field in Vietnam.

The 2016 award has been launched since April 2016; after 3 launching months, the organization board has received 102 files from students in 10 universities. 

30 contestants have been selected for the second round and 10 outstanding students have won the awards including 2 students from Hanoi University of Polytechnic; 2 from Technology University; 2 from Nature Science University under the Hanoi National University; 2 from Nature Science University under the HCMC National University and 2 from HCMC Polytechnic University.

2016 National Television Festival to be held in Lao Cai

The 36th National Television Festival will be held in the nothern province of Lao Cai on December 21-24.

The event attracts nearly 100 television production companies featuring more than 500 works of all genres, including children’s programs, documentary, reportage, science and education, talk shows, dialogue, programs in ethnic minority languages, music, and TV serial.

As part of the event, there will be photo exhibitions, nominated work screenings, exchanges between television makers and audiences, free screenings, seminars and more.

This year, the jury members are People’s Artists Nguyen Nhu Vu and Da Bao Son, Meritorious Artists Manh Cuong and My Uyen.

Free portraits given for free to poor people

Over 900 young photographers and volunteers yesterday joined in the annual event Help-portrait Vietnam in which photographers take free portraits of people they meet on the street in seven cities and provinces in the country.

This year Help-portrait Vietnam took place in 35 spots including hospitals, open houses, centers where disabled kids are taken care of, and residential blocks.

The event gave away nearly 10,000  portrais to people for free. Especially, with the theme “ Taking photo with family” this year, the even will help many families to keep their happiest moments.

The event was organized by the Help-Portrait Vietnam community and the Vietnam Youth Federation in Ho Chi Minh City.

34 young creative projects honored in Vinh Phuc province

The Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union hosted the 9th national young creativity festival honoring 34 creative projects and products on December 10.
 
According to organization board, the 34 winners were selected from 219 nominations from 44 provinces and cities. They come from diversified fields including construction, industry, aviation security, information technology, health, environment and climate change adaption.
 
Of these, many works have good applicability and high efficiency such as the project to improve the scaffolding system to build Rut River bridge in Quang Ninh province of Mr. Nguyen Van Truong from Civil Engineering Construction Corporation No.1. This project has been materialized bringing VND6.14 billion in benefit.
 
In addition, there is smart communications product for the disable Multiglass by author Le Anh Tien from VP9 Vietnam Joint Stock Company and salt intrusion warning and climate change adaptation system project by high school student Duong Duy Minh.
 
The young creativity festival encourages young people to develop their ideas and initiatives into products to improve production technology and benefit the community.

Vietnam removes four cosmetic products with wrong labels

The Drug Administration of Vietnam under the Ministry of Health yesterday decided to remove four cosmetic products from shelves.

Deputy head of the administration Do Van Dong said the four cosmetic products must be removed because their label did not match with document registered in the administration. They include Jamilah Henna Hair Color-Burgundy Henna numbered 1415/15/CBMP-QLD; Jamilah Henna Hair Color-Chestnut Henna with the number 1416/15-CBMP-QLD; Jamilah Henna Hair Color-Black Henna with the number 1417/15-CBMP-QLD; Jamilah Henna Hair Color-Brown Henna numbered 1418/15-CBMP-QLD.

All of them are made by India K.K. Export and imported by Miteco Company at 187 Nguyen Van Cu Street in Hanoi’s Long Bien District.

Additionally, the administration urged Miteco to take back all products and write report to the administration before December 15.  The administration asked the departments of health in cities and provinces to inform businesses and shop to remove these cosmetic products. Inspectors from health department must check the removal.

Japan supports HCM City to develop infrastructure, agriculture

Japan will discuss with Ho Chi Minh City projects to develop transport infrastructure and green agriculture in the coming time.
 
Isao Iijima, a special adviser to the Japanese Prime Minister, made the statement at a meeting with Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong in the city on December 10.

He said the Japanese Government will continue cooperating and assisting the construction and development cause of Vietnam in general and HCM City in particular.

The official reiterated Japan’s wish to make investment in Vietnam and asked the local authorities to provide more support for Japanese businesses in the city for mutual benefits.

Chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong said the two sides have co-organised a number of programmes in economics, culture, tourism, education and investment.

The southern metropolis will create the best conditions for Japanese firms to do long-term business, especially in the fields of infrastructure, transport, environment and clean agriculture, he added.

Earlier on December 9, Phong hosted a reception for Tsutomu Takebe, special adviser to the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance, who wished to host economic, culture, education, and tourism events with HCM City.

Ðà N?ng win women’s doubles title

Phan Th? Thanh Bình and Ð? Ðan Thi of Ðà N?ng won the women’s doubles title in the ongoing National Tennis Tournament being held in Ngh? An Province.

The pair beat Nguy?n Th? Bé Xuyên and Nguy?n Minh Huy?n of Kiên Giang 6(4)-7; 6-4 và 15-13.

In the men’s doubles semis, Qu?c Khánh and Quang Trí of HCM City defeated teammates H?u Vinh and Giang Thanh, while Thành Trung and Ð?c Duong of People’s Police won against Chí Khuong and Thanh Hoàng of Military team.

HCM City tourist area chefs win Golden Spoon Contest

A team of three chefs from Bình Qu?i 1 Tourist Area defeated 14 rival teams to win the fourth Golden Spoon Contest besides VNÐ1 billion (US$44,150) and a trophy.

Four runners-up - Indochine Palace Hotel Hu?, Naman Retreat Resort Ðà N?ng, InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort, and Nhi Restaurant in C?n Tho --won VNÐ100 million each for having the most creative, best decorated, most nutritious, and most unique traditional dishes.

The jury consisted of prestigious local and foreign culinary experts and food artisans, including Eckart Witzigmann, who won the award “Chef of the Century” from the Gault Millau guide.

Witzigmann said he was impressed with the contest as well as the Vietnamese chefs’ innovation.

Organised by the Bình Duong-based Minh Long I Company and the Business Studies and Assistance Centre, the contest attracted 312 chefs from 104 hotels, restaurants and resorts from 39 cities and provinces, who introduced a dozen new spices and more than 600 dishes.

Ly Huy Sáng, deputy general director of Minh Long I and deputy head of the organisers, said the contest aims to discover, preserve and promote traditional dishes that embody traditional regional culture besides honouring professional chefs who research into nutrition and introduce Vietnamese specialties and healthy dishes.

It also seeks to develop a brand for Vietnamese cuisine and turn it into a national tourist attraction, he said.

Sáng said the contest would not be held next year to enable the organisers to review and create a complete new programme.

Youth, couples basked in sun flowers selfies

A 60ha sunflower field in the central Ngh? An Province has become a tourism hotspot during the final months of this year.

Hundreds of young people--both province natives and visitors from around the country--flocked to the field for selfies, posing in costumes with professional photographers.

The beauty of the yellow sunflowers, which in bloom looks like the bright sun, is responsible for the surge in visitors to the cow-fed plant farm. A similar increase can be seen in the wide fields of buckwheat field in the country’s northern mountainous provinces, the wild sunflower fences in the villa-town of Dalat City or the mustard plantations in many localities.

Located in the province’s Nghia Ðàn District, the plants were first sowed in 2010 by TH True Milk, a Vietnamese dairy producer, to feed its cows. Years later, the field has gained fame among youngsters for its unique beauty.

The field becomes a hot rendezvous site in late November, when the flowers are blooming and are at their maximum size. According to the field managers, blooming season arrived later this year, as sowing was delayed by 20 days.

The district authorities are holding a Sunflower Festival and a beauty contest for young girls posing with the flowers in late December. The three-day event will take place from the 25th to the 27th of this month.

The event will include a festive day designated for ethnic minority groups living in the mountainous areas of Ngh? An.

Critics, however, gave some negative comments to the organisation of the event, saying it was reasonable to use the sunflower field to attract young visitors but not to use it as a base for a large cultural festival.

Localities around the country are competing to hold cultural events or ‘festivals’ held in many places, despite the risk of failure and loss. — VNS

Lào Cai scraps Hàm R?ng eco-tourism site project

The People’s Committee of Sa Pa District in northern mountain province of Lào Cai has decided to take back the land and scrap the Hàm R?ng eco-tourism project being developed by Hàm R?ng Rubber Joint Stock Company.

The company, a member of the Vi?t Nam Rubber Industry Group, had got the licence to build the tourism site at an estimated cost of more than VNÐ496.6 billion (US$22.2 million) on July 2, 2009. The licence was given on the condition that the investor would complete construction in 2012.

However, to date, the company has only upgraded the hotel, expanded the walkway and planted some trees.

Explaining the committee’s decision released on Thursday, deputy chairman Nguy?n H?u Th? said progress was very slow in the past 36 months, which was a waste of resources. By the end of 2012, only around 5.8 per cent of the estimated investment had been utilised, and by 2016, expenses had touched only VNÐ49.8 billion ($2.2 million), 10 per cent of the total estimated cost, Th? said, adding that a lot of work had not been done.

Despite multiple meetings between the committee and Vi?t Nam Rubber Industry Group to speed up the project, the firm did not implement the project as committed.

On December 2, the committee issued a notice to the company to stop selling tickets and collecting money from tourists visiting Hàm R?ng mountain tourism site.

K Hospital letting patients down

Minister of Health Nguy?n Th? Kim Ti?n ordered the K Hospital’s Management Board on Thursday afternoon to clarify the responsibility of handling complaints from patients.

The order came after Ti?n paid a surpirse visit to four major hospitals in Hà N?i on Thursday morning. The hospitals were K Hospital, E Hospital, National Hospital of Endocrinology and Vi?t Nam – Soviet Friendship Hospital.

Patients at the K hospital’s branch in Tân Tri?u Commune said some doctors and nurses in the pediatrics department failed to show the correct attitude when patients asked for help in stopping fluid transfusions or replacing bedcovers.

The minister also received complaints about patients having to pay doctors to get examined quicker, some people being examined without queuing as they knew doctors or nurses, and up to four patients having to share a bed.

K Hospital was given the lowest rank among the four hospitals based on the satisfaction level of patients, data from a survey by the health ministry said.

Ti?n said “The situation must be brought under control so that it does not affect the quality of examinations and treatment as well as the image of doctors.”

She told K Hospital to quickly tackle the bed sharing problem.

“Could you bear it if four of you were forced to share a same bed?” she asked the hospital’s doctors.

On the other hand, in the National Hospital of Endocrinology’s branch in Tam H??p Commune, most patients appreciated the attitude of doctors and nurses, while the toilets were clean and accessible to those with disabilities.

Vu Th? Minh H?nh, deputy head of the ministry’s Heath Strategy and Policy Institute said the survey revealed that 91.3 per cent patients were satisfied with the attitude of doctors and nurses in E Hospital.

This hospital gained the highest rank among the four hospitals based on the satisfaction of patients, H?nh said.

Ti?n said she recognised the efforts of the hospitals to improve their service quality.

She said after each time she visited hospitals, she saw many changes.

This time, the quality of the hospitals was improved compared to the last time she visited and all the toilets were clean, she said.

However, she required the hospitals to continue improving to satisfy patients every day.

Apartments illegally used by businesses

Residential apartments in Hà N?i are still being used as offices despite a ban that took effect last year.

According to Government Decree 99/2015/NÐ-CP, since June, 30, 2015, enterprises are not allowed to use apartments as offices.

However, it’s easy to see stores or office signs in front of apartments in residential buildings in Hà N?i such as HH Linh Ðàm Complex in Hoàng Mai District, Golden Land Buiding in Thanh Xuân District, UDIC Complex in C?u Gi?y District or Blocks 18T1, 34T, 29T2 in Trung Hòa-Nhân Chính New Urban Area.

At HH3A Block in HH Linh Ðàm Complex, there is a massage parlour on the fourth floor and home decoration store on the third. On HH 2A block’s sixth floor, there is a spa, a laundry and a hair salon.

Nguy?n Ð?t, owner of the massage parlour said that he knew about the ban but did not consider moving his business because the business did not affect others.

Manager of HH3A Block, Bùi Công S? said that businesses were allowed on the first and second floors in accordance with law and the Board of Directors of the company that develops the estate.

“Businesses on upper floors were asked to move and any advertisements/office signs must be removed but it’s been difficult to stop business operations in apartments,” he said.

Hoàng Thùy, manager of an air travel office in N2D Buiding in Lê Van Luong Street said that her company’s head office was at another address and that if they had to close this branch, the business would struggle.

Nguy?n Thành H?i who rents an apartment in a building on Láng H? Street as an office for his company said that renting an apartment was 20-40 per cent cheaper than renting an office.

Residents who share their apartment buildings with companies complained that they were unhappy about the situation.

Ph?m Ng?c Thanh, a resident of Block B, Golden Land Apartment Building said that she worried about building security when some apartments became offices.

“Clients of the offices enter and leave the building noisily. I saw my 5-year-old daughter playing in corridor with a stranger who works for the next-door company,” she said.

Another resident, Nguy?n Van Minh, said that locals had to share the lift with staff of the offices and their clients, forcing him to wait for the lift.

On average, four people live in an apartment but when an apartment is used as an office, there would be 10 or more people.

Phan Ð?c Hi?u, deputy director of the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) said that besides Hà N?i, HCM City also saw thousands of businesses renting apartments instead of building head offices.

Moving from the apartment to a new location could increase their operation cost or force them to suspend operations, he said.

Tr?n Ng?c Hùng, chairman of the Vi?t Nam Construction Association said because of high rents in big cities, enterprises, particularly small-and-medium sized ones or star-ups used residential buildings.

He said that the use of apartments must be controlled to ensure rights and safety of people living in apartment buildings.

Enforcement of intellectual property laws discussed at int’l seminar

More than 150 local and foreign scholars and researchers met at an international workshop in HCM City on Wednesday to discuss enforcement of intellectual property laws in relation to new trade agreements.

The “Intellectual Property and Trade: Law and Practical Experience” workshop was organised by HCM City’s University of Economics and Law, Vi?t Nam’s Ministry of Science and Technology, and Indiana University in the US. Participants also included representatives from the Ministry of Education and Training and Ministry of Justice.

Prof. Nguy?n Ti?n Dung, rector of the University of Economics and Law, said that professionals who work in the fields of research, teaching, government and business management would have an opportunity to view international legislation and regulations from various perspectives at the meeting.

The conference included four sessions: intellectual property and trade; trademark, patents, biologics, copyright and trade secrets; intellectual property enforcement; and intellectual property implementation for economic growth.    

Participants were also exposed to the latest concepts, objectives and obligations of concerned parties in intellectual property provisions contained in the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement.

The workshop attendees discussed the challenges of implementation of intellectual property law in Vi?t Nam in the context of free trade agreements and the status of protection of intellectual property rights.

US legal experts, representatives from the World Bank and neighbouring countries spoke about their experiences in the field.

The event aimed to seek solutions for the implementation of intellectual property rights based on research in legal policy around the world.

At the opening of the seminar, the University of Economics and Law officially launched the American Law Centre.

The university also signed a cooperation agreement with the Robert H. McKinney School of Law at Indiana University.

HCM City has more Zika cases than any other in Vietnam

When the link between Zika virus and birth defects first made headlines in Vietnam at the end of last year, many immediately worried about how this might affect Ho Chi Minh City. Now they are worrying more.

The City’s Municipal Department of Health on December 2 released a report showing 89 cases of the mosquito-borne disease in 19 districts, putting the rate of virus infection the highest of any urban area in the nation.

The Department noted that four new cases have recently been detected in districts 9, 12, Phu Nhuan and Thu Duc, indicating an expansion of the virus circulation to an even wider area than had been expected.

At a recent meeting with hospitals and others in the medical community, Doctor Tang Chi Thuong, deputy director of the Department emphasized that this is a health emergency that requires immediate action be taken to eradicate mosquito larvae.

Doctor Thuong warned that vigilance needs to remain high.

The three districts with the highest number of Zika infections are Binh Thanh with 17, District 2 with 14 and District 12 with 10. Of the infected cases, 11 pregnant women are under special treatment at hospitals.

Doctor Hoang Thi Diem Tuyet, director of the Hung Vuong Obstetrics Hospital in HCM City cautions residents to initiate coordinated eradication plans to kill mosquito larvae, which are known to be carriers of both dengue fever and Zika.

Foreign diplomats hope for extensive ties with Son La province

Foreign female diplomats to Vietnam expressed their hope for stronger cooperation with Son La province while visiting this northern mountainous locality on December 12.

National Assembly (NA) Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong and several NA deputies also joined the delegation.

At a working session with the delegation, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Hoang Van Chat introduced that Son La has always strived to manage and effectively capitalise on investment. It has created the best possible environment for 55 hydropower plants to operate. Their electricity output is estimated at 11.9 billion kWh at present, accounting for 7.39 percent of Vietnam’s total production.

Many strides have also been made in local agriculture, he said, noting that 41 Son La-based businesses and cooperatives have had 86 agricultural products certified with the Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practice (VietGAP). About 13,150 local families have planted 12,400 hectares of coffee and they have built a brand of organic Arabica coffee, he noted.

Speaking highly of the province’s socio-economic development potential, the foreign diplomats said they are impressed by the local budget revenue this year, 3.89 trillion VND (nearly 172 million USD) – up 600 billion VND (over 26,500 USD) from 2015. Its gross regional domestic product growth rate is estimated to reach over 9 percent despite impacts of the severe cold spell in the beginning of 2016.

They said they expect to cooperate extensively with the Vietnamese Government in general and Son La in particular, especially in sustainable agricultural development, education, and skilled labour in order to raise local residents’ income and the province’s competitiveness.

NA Vice Chairwoman Phong thanked the female diplomats for their interest, asking Son La authorities to provide favourable conditions for foreign investments, including those in education, hydropower and agricultural export.

She hoped that with the Columbian Government’s cooperation, local coffee will be exported to other countries in the near future. She also asked the Australian Government to grant more scholarships to students at the Tay Bac University, based in Son La, particularly to female students with disadvantaged backgrounds and of ethnic minorities.

Hoang Sa, Truong Sa exhibition opens in Phu Yen

A map exhibition entitled “Hoang Sa, Truong Sa belong to Vietnam – historical and legal evidence” opened in the central province of Phu Yen on December 12. 

On display are 80 maps and documents written in ancient Chinese, Vietnamese and French languages, four atlases featuring maps published in the UK, Germany, Australia, Canada and the US, and others archived by the Vietnamese republic administration from 1954 to 1975. 

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Phan Dinh Phung said the event aims to affirm Vietnam’s sovereignty over the two archipelagoes and refute distorted and untrue allegations while awakening patriotism of Vietnamese people in the national defence cause. 

Photos capturing the waters and islands of Phu Yen are also exhibited at the event, which will last till December 14./.

Vietnamese, Russian youths hold cross-cultural exchange

A cross-cultural exchange program between members of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and Lenin Communist Youth Union was held in Moscow on December 12.

Le Anh Duy, Secretary of the Youth Union’s chapter in Russia said, “Vietnamese people living and studying the Russia have helped develop the friendship between Vietnam and Russia through art, cultural, and sport activities, where Vietnam’s land and people are introduced to the wider world public.

If an additional foreign friend loves Vietnamese culture, it means he or she loves our country Vietnam. A nation which is loved and supported by many international friends will be eternal and great.”

As part the exchange program, where Vietnamese and Russian students sang and danced together, an exhibition on Vietnam’s land and people was also held on the occasion.

VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri/VNE