Tay Ninh: New hospital to boost poor people’ access to quality health care

The ceremony to start the construction of the Xuyen A-Tay Ninh hospital on October 10 

The construction of a general hospital with 1,000 beds began in Go Dau district, the southern province of Tay Ninh, on October 10.

Invested with 1.25 trillion VND (53.5 million USD), the Xuyen A-Tay Ninh hospital will cover 41,000 sq.m in Thanh Phuoc commune.

In the first phase, a 10-storey building and supporting facilities will be built and put into use by 2020. A centre for cardiology and neurology will be constructed in the second phase.

This is the fourth in a network of Xuyen A hospitals invested by the Xuyen A Hospital Investment JSC.

When operational, the hospital will have 25 clinical and paraclinical departments, as well as 18 global-standard operating rooms. It will be able to serve 2,000-3,000 outpatients and 1,000 inpatients each day.

With cutting-edge technology and high-quality personnel, it is expected to become one of the most modern hospitals in Tay Ninh. The hospital also pledges competitive medical fees so as to facilitate low-income earners’ access to advanced medical services, said Nguyen Van Chau – General Director of the Xuyen A Hospital Investment JSC.

Vice Chairman of the Tay Ninh People’s Committee Duong Van Thang said medical establishments across the province have 2,140 patient beds at present, equivalent to 18.9 beds per 10,000 people – a worrying figure, much lower than the set target.

He added that the construction of a high-quality hospital is critically necessary for the local health care system. It will also help diversify services and improve the quality of medical examination and treatment. 

Quang Binh: 520 scholarships presented to poor gifted students

Major Pham Thanh Nam, Director of Viettel Quang Binh, presents the financial support to fund scholarships to a representative of the Quang Binh Study Encouragement Association 

As many as 520 scholarships, each worth 1 million VND (43 USD), were presented to poor gifted students in the central province of Quang Binh on October 10.

The granting ceremony in Dong Hoi city was jointly held by the military-run telecommunications group Viettel’s branch in Quang Binh (Viettel Quang Binh), the provincial Study Encouragement Association, the Department of Education and Training, and the Department of Information and Communications.  

This is the fifth year Viettel has joined the scholarship programme in Quang Binh province. The company has so far granted more than 3,000 scholarships to local poor students with outstanding academic achievements.

Major Pham Thanh Nam, Director of Viettel Quang Binh, said joining the programme, the company wants to give more strength to poor students in order to help them overcome difficulties to continue pursuing their study.

Viettel pledges to spend at least 26 billion VND (1.1 million USD) each year on scholarships to poor gifted pupils, he said, hoping that many other benefactors will join hands with the company in this effort.

Hailing Viettel Quang Binh’s contributions to the local socio-economic development over the past time, especially in education, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Tien Hoang said the company’s support has helped disadvantaged students to pursue their schooling dreams towards a better life, thus contributing to nurturing talents for the province.

ASEAN youngsters seek ways to end gender violence, promote equality

The dialogue in Hanoi on October 10 attracted youth representatives from 10 ASEAN countries (Photo: nhandan.com.vn)

Youth representatives from 10 ASEAN countries, including over 100 Vietnamese youngsters, discussed challenges and solutions to achieving gender equality in ASEAN by 2030 during a dialogue in Hanoi on October 10.

The wider dialogue closed a five-day training course on the role of youth in ensuring gender equality, which had 24 participants from ASEAN countries, including six from Vietnam.

The course aimed to provide trainees with information on gender violence, allowing them to become more confident in implementing initiatives to promote gender equality and end gender violence in the community.

Nguyen Hai Minh, Vice President of the Vietnam Youth Federation, said that Vietnam is currently under a “golden demographic period”, with one third of the population aged between 15 and 24 years.

This is the ideal time to change the values and standards regarding gender and gender equality, he said, holding that working with youngsters is a good way to create positive social norms, preventing and ending violence against women and girls.

Education, including non-official approaches that target youth, is the most effective solution to preventing violence and developing relationships based on mutual respect, stated Minh.

Minh also expressed his hope that participants will help to form action plans and give effective initiatives, ideas, and measures to strengthen collaboration amongst ASEAN youngsters.

Furthermore, it is necessary to enhance the engagement of ASEAN youngsters in promoting gender equality, as well as putting an end to violence against women and girls in the future, he added.

Elisa Fernandez, head of the UN’s Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) Office in Vietnam, said that the 24 course trainees had a chance to discuss the meaning and origin of gender equality, thus seeking ideas to erase gender inequality.

The “change makers” provided trainees with basic gender equality theories and gave them a chance to implement their own initiatives, she said. She revealed that 12 of the youngsters’ projects were chosen by UN Women for financial support during their implementation in ASEAN countries. These projects are expected to contribute to completing the fifth Sustainable Development Goal on gender equality and female empowerment by 2030.

Ho Chi Minh City pitches for French investment

A conference promoting trade and investment in Ho Chi Minh City took place in Paris on October 8, attracting over 60 firms from France and abroad. 

Speaking at the event, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Trade Promotion Centre (ITPC) Cao Thi Phi Van highlighted the strengths and potential of Vietnam, and Ho Chi Minh City in particular, towards attracting foreign investment. 

She said that Vietnam has achieved an average growth of 6.22 percent over the past five years, joined 12 bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements, and negotiated six FTAs with more than 100 countries, adding that its open policies have attracted many foreign investors. 

Ho Chi Minh City, she stated, is an economic, cultural, education-training, science-technology hub in the southern key economic region and a trade centre in the region. 

With an area of 2,095 sq.km, accounting for 0.63 percent of the country’s total and a population of more than 10 million people (or 10.68 percent of the total), the city now contributes 31 percent of the national gross domestic product, one third of the State budget, one fifth of the country’s total exports, half of the foreign tourist arrivals, and 30 percent of the total foreign direct investment projects in Vietnam. 

Last year, the city was the first locality to become eligible for special mechanisms approved by the National Assembly and Government, she said. 

Chairman of the Paris Ile-de-France regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIP IDF) Didier Kling affirmed that the CCIP IDF will work closely with the ITPC to facilitate French investment in Ho Chi Minh City. 

He said that Ho Chi Minh City boasts many strengths to attract investment and will become an important economic and trade hub in ASEAN. 

According to him, over 300 French firms are doing business in Vietnam, 70 percent of which are in Ho Chi Minh City. He added that they are highly anticipating the European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, which will take effect in June 2019. 

At the conference, the ITPC introduced the city’s high-tech agriculture area, export processing and industrial zones, Japan’s Takenaka Corporation, and opportunities to join local projects. 

Participants gained an insight into Vietnam’s policies and mechanisms for foreign firms which have been investing and will invest in the city. 

Exhibition displays ceramic products in Hanoi

The Centre for Scientific and Cultural Activities of Van Mieu – QuocTu Giam (Temple of Literature – National University) and Bat Trang Ceramics and Pottery Association has co-organized an exhibition of ceramic products in Hanoi.

The event is part of diverse activities celebrating 64th anniversary of Hanoi’s Liberation Day on October 10.

The aim is to introduce visitors to Bat Trang pottery village’s sophisticated ceramic products. They are particularly popular and have been available to purchase in many nations around the world.

On display were 150 products of different ceramic genres from 10 world famous artisans, who have participated in several local and international exhibitions and won prestigious prizes. 

The event running until October 22, has presented huge opportunities for traditional ceramic products and producers in the context of international integration. The goal is to continue building and gain sustainably developing craft villages in association with tourism development.

Vietnam, Israel seek to promote ICT collaboration

A workshop to promote trade and economic cooperation, especially in information and communications technology (ICT), between Israeli and Vietnamese enterprises was held in Hanoi on October 11.

The event was jointly organised by the Israeli Embassy in Vietnam, the Economic and Trade Office under the Ministry of Economy and Industry and the Export and International Cooperation Institute of Israel as part of activities to mark the 25th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties. 

The Israeli delegation to the workshop included nine leading firms operating in the ICT field.

In his opening speech, Yaniv Tessel, Commercial Counsellor at the Israeli Embassy in Vietnam said the workshop aims to share knowledge and experience, and introduce Israel’s solutions in the field of telecommunications, IT and communications, thus opening opportunities for cooperation and technology transfer between the two nations. 

According to Krael Amitai from the Export and International Cooperation Institute of Israel, Israeli companies introduced technologies in telecommunications and communications, including network and infrastructure, value-added services, management of smart cities and buildings, video transmission optimization; video management and monitoring, big data management, Internet of Thing, mobile service and mobile network security. 

Vu The Binh, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Internet Association, said up to 54.2 percent of the Vietnamese population use the internet. This is a solid foundation for domestic and foreign enterprises to develop. 

Vietnamese firms always seek cooperation opportunities with foreign peers, including those from Israel, he stated.

Participants were updated general information related to telecommunications and ICT technologies of Israel as well as optimal solutions in the field. The two countries’ enterprises also discussed to seek business cooperation opportunities. 

In recent years, Israel’s technology transfer for Vietnam has been enhanced in the spheres of hi-tech agriculture, IT and telecommunications.  Notably, cooperation between the two sides’ firms in information safety and cyber security have strongly developed, with 80 percent of solutions in the Vietnamese market provided by Israel enterprises.

ACIAR supports mango farmers in Mekong Delta

Transparency for Cai Lay Tollgate is a must: expert

Discussing the controversial Cai Lay Tollgate in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang, an expert has noted that if an extra tollgate is built on the bypass alongside the current one on National Highway 1A to collect toll fees, it is vital to publish the relevant information in a transparent manner.

The operator of Cai Lay Tollgate, National Highway No.1 Tien Giang Investment Co., Ltd, built a 12-kilometer road bypassing Cai Lay Town and gave a facelift to a 26.5-kilometer section of National Highway 1, which runs through Cai Lay Town in Tien Giang, under the build-operate-transfer format.

The company set up a tollgate on National Highway 1 to recover capital of roughly VND1.7 trillion, but since toll collection started, in August 2017, drivers have staged strong protests, repeatedly paralyzing the tollgate’s operation.

Drivers reasoned that the investor had only built the bypass, so it only had the right to collect tolls on vehicles that use this road section. They considered it unreasonable to charge vehicles running elsewhere on National Highway 1A and found the toll fee too high, as it is almost the same as the fee for using the 40-kilometer HCMC-Trung Luong Expressway.

In December 2017, following more protests, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered the suspension of the tollgate operation and called on the transport ministry to seek solutions.

Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Ngoc Dong stated at a Government press conference on Monday that his ministry was weighing the pros and cons of two solutions.

The first solution is to keep the tollgate at the current site and offer special discounts for vehicles with fewer than 12 seats, trucks weighing less than two tons and commuter buses, with a fee reduction from VND35,000 to VND15,000 per trip.

The second solution is to build another tollgate on the bypass alongside the current one on National Highway 1A. The current fares will be applied to both tollgates.

These two solutions include fare reductions and exemptions for households living within 10 kilometers of the tollgate.

Following a recent meeting with the People’s Committee of Tien Giang, the local government was in favor of the second option to ensure more fairness, according to Deputy Minister Dong.

He said that the ministry will continue to improve these options and further assesses their effects, as well as work with the relevant agencies such as the Ministries of Public Security and Information and Communications to have the final solution based on the instructions of the Prime Minister.

A transport expert, who prefers to remain anonymous, told The Saigon Times that the main issue is to make relevant information available to the public.

He pointed out that investment capital should be made public for all construction work, including the construction of the new bypass and the facelift of the national highway. Besides this, the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam should present solutions to update data on the number of vehicles travelling through the two tollgates.

These steps will act as the basis for determining capital recovery and the toll collection period at each tollgate.

Nguyen Van Phuong, a truck driver transporting goods between the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho and HCMC, echoed the same views as the expert. He noted that the second option could be optimal. “It is necessary to publicize information on investment capital for each construction component and traffic circulation volume,” he said.