Health Ministry ensures health care for delegates of National Party Congress

The Ministry of Health (MOH) yesterday said that to ensure healthcare mission for delegates taking part in the 12th National Party Congress the ministry has mobilized 200 meficsl workers for taking care of the congress members.

MOH ordered medical workers to work around the clock in guest houses and hotels where the delegates will stay at from January 19 to 29. Hospital directors must be held accountable for assigning their staffs’ shifts as well as to the Health Minister and heads of medical groups for the session.

The Ministry also asked central hospitals, Viet Phap (Vietnam-French) hospital and other medical facilities in the capital city of Hanoi to prepare beds. In addition, hospitals must prepare to receive patients from the party’s sessions and set up mobile emergency teams. General hospitals must arrange work for leading medical workers when needed.

On the same day, the MOH’s Food Administration of Vietnam with the Department of Health in Hanoi checked the food safety for the Party’s Congress.

Street beggars in Danang see fourfold increase

New data released by Danang has showed that the city is moving further away from its idealistic goal of becoming a model city free of homeless people, beggars and drug users.

Officials at a meeting on January 13 said that despite continuous progress made since 2001, such a goal is now seriously challenged after they counted nearly 2,700 drug users and 331 homeless on the city streets last year.

The number of homeless citizens saw a staggering fourfold increase compared to 2014. Among them, 90 had mental illnesses.

Residents at a drug rehab center in Danang. Photo credit: Doan Nguyen/Zing.vn

Nguyen Thi Thanh Hung, director of the city’s social affairs department, said homeless people are "a problem of every city."

She said the problem is hard to tackle because there are many "employed" beggars, who were forced to stay on the streets and beg for money for their ring leaders.

The number of drug users was almost the same as in 2014, but police noted that the amount of heroin seized increased more than five times.

Danang’s deputy police chief Nguyen Van Chinh blamed the increasing drug use as a factor in the 7.6% rise in street crimes.

Chinese footwear entreprise causes severe environmental damages

The Police Department for Environmental Crime Prevention and Control (C49) is working with the southern province of Tay Ninh’s authorities to verify a series of environmental violations allegedly committed by Chinese Pou Hung Vietnam Co., Ltd in Cha La Industrial Park.

On January 8, the police department, on a unannounced inspection, detected that the company discharged wastewater directly into Ben Dinh canal, leading to severe pollution. The canal is directly linked to the Vam Co Dong River, exacerbating the danger and magnitude of the damage. Notably, the company’s wastewater pipe is connected to the conduits of 15 workshops rain-water pipes to discharge wastewater directly into the canal.

“At present, the Tay Ninh Economic Zones Management Authority has not received the local authorities’ conclusions on the company’s environmental violations. The company has not admitted to violating regulations, arguing that during the installation of the wastewater pipe conduit of the new workshops the construction company mistakenly connected the wastewater pipe conduit with the rain-water  pipe conduit instead of the wastewater treatment system of the industrial park,” said Pham Van Son, deputy head of the authority.

“The company is currently operating while waiting for the local authorities’ conclusions,” he added.

Established in July 2010, Pou Hung specialises in manufacturing footwear products. The company currently has 18,000 workers along the manufacturing lines and produces 1,039 cubic metres of wastewater a day.

USAID supports treatment of the disabled in Tay Ninh

A USAID-funded project to improve the capacity and treatment of people with disabilities was launched in the southern province of Tay Ninh on January 14.

The project, which will last until 2020, was given 300,000 USD by the US Agency for International Development (USAID). It will provide about 2,000 people with disabilities screening examinations; treatment plans; and devices such as wheelchairs, artificial limbs and hearing aids.

Director of the Tay Ninh Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Diep Thi Hiep said she appreciates that the project will help local people with disabilities access advanced physical therapies and integrate into the community.

She also asked USAID to consider supporting other major healthcare projects and medical facility procurement.

To carry out the project, Tay Ninh will also cooperate with domestic and foreign hospitals to add physical therapy to medical workers’ training curricula, and set up a system of functional rehabilitation centres across the province, she added.

STEM Day 2016 to take place in HCMC

STEM Day 2016 under theme of “STEM- Space Flight” is scheduled to take place at Sai Gon University in Ho Chi Minh City on January 16, 17.

Accordingly, the initiative was promoted by STEM Vietnam educational community, parents, teachers and enterprises towards demand realization about knowledge and integration skills in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics for Vietnamese children in the 21st century.

The Ho Chi Minh City Information Science Association in collaboration with Youth Science and Technology Center of the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union and Tia Sang Magazine to organize the large scale science and technology event.

Within the framework of two days event, students will have an opportunity to study, experience and practice subjects of science, technology, engineering and math through STEM Class and STEM Show.

STEM Day is a day for schools, students, teachers and companies to raise ability to logically think, issue solution for trouble problems, team working skills and studying awareness.

Famous scientist will also take part in the even such as Prof. Vo Van Toi, head of Biomedical Engineering at the International University; Prof. Ngo Bao Chau, a mathematician and founder of Talent Incubator Park, a breeding ground for young talents; Dr. Hoang Le Minh, Director of the Vietnam National Institute of Software and Digital Content Industry; Mr. Vu Minh Tri, General Director of Microsoft Vietnam; Mr. Tran Duc Trung, General Director of Intel Vietnam and other experts.

Vietnam records stable population in 2015

Vietnam’s population has remained stable and yet to surpass 92 million people, heard a conference held on January 14 reviewing last year’s outcomes related to population and family planning.

According to Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Viet Tien, in 2015, the population grew at a rate of approximately 1 percent, with 2.1 children born per woman. The lower birth rate has contributed to limiting maternal and infant mortality rates.

However, the ratio of boys to girls is 113:100, representing a gender imbalance.

The Deputy Minister pointed to obstacles facing the population/family planning sector, including slashed public funding and ineffective provincial agencies.

He recommended the sector to complete relevant legal documents and improve its mechanism and staff quality.

Communication programmes in remote and mountainous areas to curb early marriages and marriages among relatives are also a priority, he said.

In 2016, the sector plans to sustain its 2015 achievements and improve the population quality by expanding screening programmes for inherited diseases.

Fishermen complain new estuary blocking their vessels

Hundreds of fishermen in central Thua Thien-Hue Province's Loc Vinh Commune petitioned provincial authorities for help, after more than 100 fishing boats become blocked due to a newly-built estuary.

The fisherman claimed the Lach Giang Estuary, which became blocked by silt, has caused difficulties for local fishing boats seeking to sail in and out of the estuary.

Earlier this month, two motorboats carrying fisherman from Loc Vinh Commune's Binh An 2 Village became stranded in the estuary. The boats were then struck by strong waves and quickly capsized, throwing ten fishermen into the sea.

While no fishermen were injured, the boats were heavily damaged.

Due to the build-up of silt in the estuary, accidents have been reported, such as losing control of boats and propellers being broken.

According to local fishermen, such accidents have repeatedly occurred since the management board of Chan May-Lang Co Economic Zone invested in a 2-kilometre road, which connected the economic zone to Chan May Port.

The construction unit filled in part of Chu Moi Estuary, where local fishing boats anchored as they sailed in and out. The estuary also provided shelter for boats during the storm season.

When Chu Moi Estuary became too narrow for boats to sail on it, a new, artificial estuary was built. However, Lach Giang Estuary, located in the east, was affected by coastal tides and built without embankments. This has caused the estuary to suffer from serious sedimentation in only a short time.

After last year's storm season, the situation became worse, blocking many vessels.

Since then, Loc Vinh Commune's People's Committee has asked the management board of Chan May-Lang Co Economic Zone to build an embankment and dredge the estuary to assure the continuous flow of water.

It has also reported to provincial authorities about the situation. However, none of the complaints have yet to receive replies.

Nguyen Que, head of the management board, told Tien Phong (Vanguards) newspaper that the company has asked an enterprise to evaluate the level of sedimentation and propose measures to resolve the problem.

Airports face overload troubles as Tet nears

Tet air travellers can expect to face delays as airlines boost the number of flights to meet demand.

Nguyen Nam Tien, deputy director of Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, said the airport would have to serve 47 flights per hour, exceeding its designed capacity of 35 flights, to meet current levels of demand.

"We can increase the number of flights to 38 per hour," Tien said.

The Airport Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) said that for 2015 Tan Son Nhat Airport served 26 million passengers, an increase of 18% on a year earlier and was overloaded on normal days.

The number of passenger during Tet is expected to be double that of normal days. The ACV has carried out measures to shorten turnaround time, including reorganising check-in counters area and streamlined security.

Danang Airport is working with Air Division 372 to borrow a military airfield to handle flight overloads.

Da Nang launches pilot breast milk bank

The health ministry and the Da Nang health department launched a pilot breast milk bank project yesterday in Da Nang Maternity and Pediatric Hospital.

The project aims to provide breast milk to infants for whom breast milk is not available.

The Maternity and Pediatric Hospital in Da Nang is the hospital to be chosen to carry out the project, the first of its kind in the country.

The hospital will follow strict regulations for collecting breast milk, such as in the selection and screening of milk donors, milking hygiene and temperature-controlled milk processing, as well as pasteurisation, bacteriological examination and temperature-controlled transport.

Tran Thi Hoang, vice director of the hospital, said about 15,000 children were born at the hospital each year, of which about 3,000 did not have access to breast milk due to reasons of premature birth, abandonment, diseases or being placed in isolation with their mothers who have infectious diseases, she said.

"The breast milk bank will provide milk to fragile infants during the first days of their lives, protecting their immune systems and helping them to fight illnesses," Hoang said.

"The bank also aims to promote the raising of children with breast milk. The presence of the bank will help the community understand that breast milk is an important and precious asset that they should appreciate and save for their children."

If the pilot project succeeds, the model will be replicated in other cities and provinces.

Collective bargaining offers workers, employers opportunities to progress

Viet Nam's first multi-employer collective agreement was signed yesterday by four tourism enterprises in Da Nang. It is expected to benefit 700 workers in the tourism sector.

The agreements include an increase of 3.3 per cent over the Government-designated minimum wage for base wages paid by the four enterprises. They also include improvements in mid-shift meals and other allowances. These will be applied to all four enterprises.

"This is the first time trade unions and employers in Viet Nam have successfully negotiated collective agreements, covering multiple enterprises rather than just one. It is a major innovation in labour relations practices," said Chang-Hee Lee, director of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Viet Nam.

He also said that a multi-employer collective agreement can reduce staff turnover and promote stable labour relations.

"Workers will have less incentive to leave one employer for another, as similar conditions apply to all," said the ILO Viet Nam Director. "It is good for workers, as they can enjoy the same working conditions in solidarity with workers across enterprises, and it's good for employers, as they can have more stable labour relations."

The bargaining process for the agreement lasted two months, with many rounds of difficult negotiation where workers and employers participated throughout the process. They had support from the Viet Nam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) and the ILO.

This kind of democratic practice – collective bargaining – could help Viet Nam successfully implement its Trans-Pacific Partnership obligations as a member state of the ILO, Chang said.

VGCL Vice Chairman Mai Duc Chinh said the practices and lessons learnt from this were important to the VGCL. Lessons included the high level of consultation with the workforce during the process, co-ordination between unions, and bargaining that resulted in base-wage improvement and other benefits.

Rumours about Huong Dien Hydropower plant dispelled

The deputy director of Huong Dien Hydropower plant in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue yesterday refuted rumours of problems at the plant, the Voice of Viet Nam (VOV) reported.

Reacting to the rumours of water leaking from the dam of the plant, Trinh Xuan Khoa said the plant was operating normally.

"The plant's dam is safe and there is nothing unusual," he was quoted as saying, by VOV.

The Industry and Trade Department of the province has set up an inspection team to check the information about the leakage at the foot of the dam and will report to the media on Saturday, Nguyen Thanh, the department's director said.

The team includes officials from the departments of industry and trade, construction, the Committee for Flood Prevention, Search and Rescue and local authorities.

The VOV's reporters said yesterday they recognised that the plant was working with full capacity along with three generators.

However, residents from Huong Van commune in Huong Tra Township are still worried about the rumours of the plant after a series of earthquakes recently in A Luoi district.

Police is investigating the source of the rumour which sent people in the downstream area into a panic over the last few days.

Thanh Hoa police prosecute scaffolding collapse case

Thanh Hoa Police today decided to prosecute the case of a scaffolding collapse last Saturday that killed four people at the construction site.

The accident occurred when a team of workers were on the girder part of the Quanh Bridge spanning the Quanh stream in Quan Hoa district's Trung Son commune.

The police worked with district authorities to examine the scene and to conduct the autopsy on the victims after the accident.

The police said the initial cause of the accident was the poor quality of the scaffold system.

Earlier, the provincial authorities suspended construction of the bridge.

The Quanh Bridge project is part of a larger infrastructure project of Thanh Hoa's transport department, which aims to connect the western mountainous districts of the province.

Beetles damage coconut trees in Ca Mau

About 720,000 coconut palms in the southernmost Ca Mau Province have been attacked by beetles, a report by the provincial plant protection department said.

The trees account for 70 per cent of the plantations in the province.

More than 281,000 trees have been seriously affected by the beetle threat, especially in Tran Van Thoi, Phu Tan, U Minh and Dam Doi, besides Thoi Binh and Ca Mau City.

Many farmers are being forced to cut down the trees as it is difficult to control the pest menace because of the height of the trees.

Many households have also neglected to control the damage being caused by beetles in coconut plantations, leading to the spread of the pest attack.

Although this is not a major crop in the province, the huge spread of the pest attack has caused yields to fall, significantly affecting the incomes of coconut growers.

Nguyen Tran Thuc, head of the plant protection department, said there was no effective prevention measure available against the harmful beetle.

The provincial agricultural sector has asked farmers to spray insecticide at the top of the trees to destroy the beetles.

The province expects to recover 7,400ha for coconut plantations this year and to recommend that the growers should plant coconut trees with shorter trunks that suit the soil, have high productivity and make it easier to control pests and diseases.

HCM City transport prepares for Tet holiday

HCM City is increasing the number of public transportation vehicles and aircraft parking bays in preparation for the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday.

With the number of international passengers increasing from 10 million to 13 million per year, the Vietnam Airlines Corporation is pushing forward for the expansion of the international terminal at the Tan Son Nhat Airport.

Three more aircraft parking bays have been added to serve the increasing number of domestic flights. All staff at the Tan Son Nhat Airport have promised to not take leave during the peak season of Tet.

The centre for managing public transport of the city has procured 120 buses with at least 30 seats on each bus for major coach stations of Mien Dong, and Mien Tay, and other inter-municipal bus stations.

On the 29th of Tet on February 7, all chartered subsidised buses will stop delivering passengers at 12:00pm except for 4 bus lines, which are numbers 1, 20, 90 and 96. Those buses will deliver the last batch of passengers at 5pm.

All chartered subsidised buses will be working from 8am to 5pm on the first day of the Lunar New Year on February 8.

The railway transport company of HCM City said two more trains (TN7 and TN8) would be operating on January 25, 26, 27 and 28.

Health ministry launches online licensing service

The health ministry's Medical Examination and Treatment Management Department today launched level 4 online public services to issue licences for examinations and treatment practices.

Service level 4, the highest of the four administrative service levels in the country, is expected to ease the registration process for healthcare enterprises.

"The application of online service level 4 in examinations and treatment management is one of the health sector's efforts towards administrative procedure reform," Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Xuyen said at the launch ceremony.

The department director, Luong Ngoc Khue, said the department had provided some 10,000 licences annually to medical practices in Viet Nam.

The public service is expected to create favourable conditions for enterprises, especially in terms of reducing expenses and time and increasing transparency and publicity in the field of health administration.

People and enterprises will be able to submit documents, pay fees, check the progress of documents being processed and receive the results via the online facility from the start of next month, Khue said.

The health ministry's statistics showed that some 300,000 licences have been provided to medical practices so far, of which 10 per cent were approved by the health ministry, while the remainder were approved by provincial health departments.

The health ministry has so far launched level 4 online public services to serve the categories of drugs, cosmetics, hygiene and food safety and medical equipment management.

Levels of public service registration

Level 1: Procedures to fill in the required forms and information about time and service cost are available on-line.

Level 2: The service allows the user to download the required forms to be printed out and filled in later.

Level 3: The applicant can fill in and submit the forms on-line.

Level 4: Service payments can be settled on-line. Transaction results are available either on-line or by post, upon request.

Fire destroys confectionary factory

A major fire broke out early this morning, destroying tonnes of materials and much machinery at a confectionary factory in Vinh Loc District, central province of Thanh Hoa.

The factory, which is hundreds of square metres, belongs to Tien Ha Co., Ldt, which manufactures sweets, cookies and drinks.

A resident living near the factory said the fire started at a store behind the company's head office, and because the company was preparing goods for the Tet Lunar New Year there were many cartons, plastic boxes and bags in the stores, causing the fire to quickly spread to other areas.

Two fire engines, one tank truck and 20 firemen were sent to fight the blaze, which took five hours to extinguish.

Tran Xuan Tam, head of the provincial fire prevention and control police department No. 6 said although the fire was controlled, outbreaks of fire were continuing in the collapsed stores.

"Our firemen are making efforts to prevent the fire from reigniting," he said.

The company's workers were not in the factory when the fire occurred, so no injuries have been reported.

However, losses from destroyed materials and machinery are estimated to have reached tens of billions of dongs.

The fire destroyed the cloth store and much furniture in nearby rental units.

Last night, a fire also erupted at a store containing clothing and recycled plastic in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City.

At the time of the fire, the owner of the store was not present, so local residents had to force open the door and attempt to put out the fire.

However, they were not successful, and the fire quickly spread to nearby buildings.

Nearly 20 fire engines and dozens of firemen worked for two hours to extinguish the fire.

The losses are still being estimated, according to officials.

Police are investigating the cause of the two fires.

Friendship organisations to foster ties with foreign individuals, NGOs

The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) will continue expanding its relations with prestigious foreign individuals and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), its presidium members said on January 14.

At the third meeting of the VUFO presidium in the 2013-2018 tenure, participants said the union will keep working on the national programme on encouraging foreign non-governmental assistance, and actively carry out projects supported by foreign NGOs.

Another mission is to intensify Vietnam ’s solidarity and cooperation with foreign partners and countries and to actively take part in major multilateral forums.

Meanwhile, the East Sea issue will remain a focus of the union’s communication activities serving external relations, the meeting heard.

VUFO Chairman Vu Xuan Hong underlined fruitful people-to-people diplomacy last year, noting that his union coordinated with the Vietnamese people’s organisations and actively engaged in activities within the framework of the ASEAN People’s Forum and the Asia-Europe People’s Forum.

The VUFO worked to win over the public’s support in matters on democracy, human rights, religion, maritime sovereignty and Agent Orange. Its communication efforts helped enhance the Vietnamese people’s collaboration with their foreign peers and assisted the Party and State’s diplomatic work, he said.

As the standing agency of the Committee for Foreign NGO Affairs, the VUFO also worked with the committee’s subordinate bodies, ministries, sectors and localities to effectively mobilise, manage and use foreign NGOs’ assistance.

Foreign NGOs disbursed nearly 300 million USD in financial aid for Vietnam in 2015, Hong added.

Vietnam’s first collective labour agreement signed in Da Nang

A collective labour agreement, the first of its kind, was signed in the central city of Da Nang on January 14, which is expected to benefit nearly 700 workers, 60 percent of whom are female.

Signatories were the Vietnamtourism Company, the Viet Orient Tourism Corporation, the Phu An Thinh traing service company and the Saigontourane company.

Under the agreement, their workers are entitled to salary increases at least 3.3 percent above the regional minimum wage set by the government, dining allowances and other benefits.

Chang Hee Lee, Director of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Vietnam, hailed the significance of the initiative, saying that it will promote stable labour relations and enable workers to enjoy equal perks and incentives.

He added that the agreement will help Vietnam fulfill its Trans-Pacific Partnership obligations as an ILO member country.

The deal is a result of two-month negotiations involving employers and workers, with the support of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour and the ILO.

Conference seeks ways to fine-turn HIV/AIDS fight

Health experts debated measures to effect HIV/AIDS prevention efforts in the country, stressing the need to expand preventive activities, Methadone therapy, anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment, and open bidding for drug supplies.

In their discussions at a conference to review HIV/AIDS prevention held in Hanoi on January 14, participants gave proposals to mobilise resources for the work, as well as how to maximise the efficiency of communication campaigns in the field.

According to reports from the Department of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Methadone therapy for drug addicts was strongly implemented in 239 treatment centre, across 57 provinces and cities in 2015, benefiting 43,000 people living with HIV/AIDS.

Meanwhile, ARV treatment was carried out in 325 treatment centres and 562 medical stations in all the 63 provinces and cities.

HIV/AIDS communication campaigns in 2015 helped raise awareness for around 10 million targeted people, a year-on-year rise of nearly 3 million.

Programmes to distribute free syringes and injection needles to drug - injecting addicts were arranged in 53 localities in the year, while the distribution of condoms to high-risk groups was organised in 50 provinces and cities.

The country is now home to 1,000 test laboratories serving HIV screening and 100 others for confirming HIV-positive cases, 86 CD4 cell count facilities (the number of white blood cells in a cubic millimetre of blood), and six viral load testing facilities.

HIV/AIDS is a major health burden in Vietnam, said General Director of the Department of HIV/AIDS Prevention Nguyen Hoang Long.

He noted that over 254,000 people are living with HIV/AIDS in Vietnam and they need regular treatment, but resources for the work remains limited as this mainly depends on international aid, which continues to fall.

This results in the coverage of HIV/AIDS prevention services being restricted, Long stressed.

The conference heard that about 12,000-14,000 new cases are reported every year. Unprotected sex is the leading reason behind the increased rate of HIV carriers.

VN warns of danger posed by Chinese device in children’s knit cap

A parent in northern Vietnam has recently reported that a knit cap she bought for her son usually emits an annoying noise after a week of using it.

According to her post on the Internet, after her son told her about the cap, the mother in Nam Dinh Province who purchased it from a local market said she checked the headgear and found a plastic box hidden in the earflaps.

The 2cm x 4cm box embossed with the text “Made in China” has three small batteries and emits annoying, buzzing and constant sounds when a button inside it is hit.

Except the box part, the headwear looks just like a normal knit cap.

It is sold not only in Nam Dinh but also in Hanoi.

But a representative of the Hanoi market management team said it has yet to find any of such caps.

He called on people to report to local market watchdogs if they find the cap on sale anywhere in the capital.

According to Vo Quang Thanh, director of the Hanoi-based Ear Nose Throat Central Hospital, the sound from the cap is a kind of noise pollution which can cause auditory and neurological tiredness.

He added the closer to the ears the box is, the louder and more disturbing the noise becomes, especially to kids who have not been able to speak.

If children keep wearing the cap without their parents realizing the sound, their health could be adversely affected.

Thanh noted that there are neck pillows accompanied by music boxes for people who travel by plane or car, but he emphasized that it is soft music which is to help people feel comfortable on long journeys and the boxes are put far from the ears so as not to harm people’s hearing.

 Police stop fining car owners lacking fire extinguishers amid controversy

Owners of automobiles will not be fined as stipulated in a police fiat if they do not carry fire extinguishers in the cars, Vietnamese police officers said, adding that competent agencies are considering many factors before any more enforcement.

After the implementation of Circular 57 which requires cars which have four seats and above to be equipped with a fire extinguisher, competent authorities have met with both advocacy and opposition from the drivers and the public in general, said Colonel Doan Huu Thang, deputy chief of the Firefighting and Rescue Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security, which issued the legal document.

“The regulations in Circular 57 are considered new and thus affect a large number of people,” Col. Thang told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on January 13. “It is therefore inevitable that people give differing opinions on the fiat.”

Authorities will take account of questions and feedback on the difficulties citizens may encounter when following the new rules before announcing any further guidance on the enforcement, he added.

A person is seen checking the price of a fire extinguisher on his cellphone before making a purchase.

The colonel asserted that the circular was aimed at ensuring the safety of people traveling in the vehicles and minimizing any damage to their possessions.

Fire extinguishers offer drivers immediate measures to prevent any vehicle fire and explosion from spiraling out of control, which would reduce the number of casualties as well as financial damage, he explained.

Officers from all police units under the management of the Ministry of Public Security have been ordered not to impose any punishment upon the vehicle owners who have not outfitted their cars with the compulsory fire safety devices, Col. Thang said.

“The ministry has issued a document to keep all units informed of that. In the coming time, officers will carry out inspections to remind everyone of the new regulations, which will then help citizens understand them more clearly,” the colonel elaborated.

He added that the Ministry of Public Security has also ordered traffic police not to pull over vehicles just to check whether they are equipped with any fire extinguisher.

Best press works on science and technology awarded

A total of 23 of the best press works on science and technology were honoured at an awards ceremony held in Hanoi on January 14.

Launched in 2012 by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), the 2015 contest received 855 works from both local and central newspapers, radio and television stations across the country in four categories: printed newspapers, online newspapers, radio and television.

The entrants focused the contents of their works on honouring outstanding scientists, updating policies of science and technology, sci-tech achievements and science-technology transfer and application.

Ly Anh Thu, a reporter from the Science and Development Newspaper won the only first prize for her printed article entitled ‘Science and Technology helps businesses steadily penetrate into the market’.

She was presented with a cup and certificate of merit from the Minister of Science and Technology and a cash prize of VND 25 million (US$ 1,100).

No first prize was presented in the three remaining categories of online newspaper, radio and television. However four second, eight third and ten consolation prizes worth VND 134 (US$5,970) million were presented at the ceremony.

Addressing the event, MOST Deputy Minister and Head of the organising board Pham Cong Tac said that the awards aim to acknowledge outstanding sci-tech press works over the past year.

It also seeks to encourage journalists and press agencies to be more positive in reporting on sci-tech research outcomes in order to bring the latest advances to life and raise public awareness of the role of science and technology in national development and integration.

Hoi An authorities face difficulties collecting entrance fees

Hoi An Ancient Town is losing tens of thousands of dollars as visitors dodge a new ticket system.

Deputy director of the Hoi An Cultural Center, Nguyen Thi Nhung, said in the first 10 months of 2015, the town lost VND2bn (USD95,200) because of non-paying visitors.

The town received nearly 900,000 visitors, but more than 20,000 did not buy tickets. Security guards caught 20 tour guides using back alleys to gain access to the venue.

Guards confronting tour guide alleged to have dodged Hoi An ticket system

In April, 2014, Hoi An authorities introduced a single ticket system to enter the town and visit its sights. Locals pay VND80,000 at the gate, with foreigners paying VND120,000. The ticket covers the fees to six sights and street entertainment.

The revenue is spent on renovations, upkeep, staff and families who open their ancient houses for viewing.

Several travel agencies have opposed to the policy, saying visitors disliked having to pay just to wander the streets, to shop or get something to eat.

Tet bonuses this year to be higher

Bonuses for the Tet lunar new year may be slightly higher this due to the country's brisk GDP growth and improved business conditions, said an official from the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

Deputy minister Pham Minh Huan said bonuses may be VND5 million (USD238) higher on average than 2015.

But he said some businesses were still facing difficulties.

A survey by JobStreet.com, the Southeast Asia's largest online employment company, indicated Tet bonuses will be 3-6% higher. Workers in mineral exploitation, petroleum and real estate may enjoy the highest bonuses, of up four months of salary.

The survey said some 16.7% of Vietnamese workers may not receive a bonus, 35.6% may get less than a month's salary, while 31.5% will get 1-2 month's salary.

Proposal to make shops work over Tet dismissed

Economists and experts said a proposal to ask local shops to stay open through Tet holiday was unfeasible.

Most shops and services are closed from first to the third day of the Lunar New Year so workers one can spend time with family.

On January 9, Hanoi Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung proposed that petrol stations, commercial centres and supermarkets operate as normal through the Tet holiday.

Ngo Tri Long, former head of the Institute for Market and Price Research, said, "Fuel is one of the necessities so the stations can serve 24 hours even during the holiday. But supermarkets are optional."

Meanwhile, Lawyer Tran Minh Hung from HCM City Bar Association, said he understood that the chairman wanted the people to have the best services as possible, but this should not be legalised.

"Most people just want to spend time with family. Rarely does anyone want to work despite higher salary and bonuses," he said.

The president of the Hanoi Supermarket Association, Vu Vinh Phu, said people mostly buy food before Tet and they prefer fresh ingredients and live animals that are more easily found at traditional markets, so supermarkets would see losses if they stayed open during Tet.

A representative of Big C Supermarket said it would follow normal schedules as in previous years and open on the third day of the new year.

Vu Thi Hau, deputy director of Nhat Nam Co, which manages the Aeon-Fivimart supermarket chain, said only the Fivimart supermarket in Long Bien District would be open on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

Kien Giang to establish Phu My habitat reserve

The People’s Committee of southern Kien Giang province has approved the establishment of the 2,700-hectare Phu My habitat reserve in Phu My commune, Giang Thanh district.

The reserve, consisting of a 940-hectare core area and a 1,760-hectare buffer zone, aims to converse diversity in the Long Xuyen Quadrangle, especially the bang (Lepironia articule) grass ecosystem.

Some 822 hectares of the bang grass field, which is the only in the Mekong Delta, provide a source of food of red-headed cranes, which are listed in the World and Vietnamese Red Books of Threatened Species.

The bang grass is also a main material for the local handicraft industry.

Kien Giang will transfer advanced techniques to farmers living in the area to get them involved in growing the grass to help boost the handicraft industry, thus improving their incomes.

Work to start on city’s new water plant next week

Thu Duc 3 Water Plant with total investment cost of VND1.2 trillion, or US$60 million, will get off the ground next Monday.

It is one of the five water plants to be developed by Saigon Water Corporation (Sawaco) from now to 2024 in order to increase its clean water supply capacity for HCMC to 3.4 million cubic meters per day.

Thu Duc 3 Water Plant covering three hectares in HCMC’s Thu Duc District will have a daily capacity of 300,000 cubic meters. Using the crude water from the Dong Nai River, the plant is scheduled to start operation in June 2014 to supply clean water to the city.

Owner of this water plant project is Saigon Clean Water Investment and Trading Joint Stock Company (SWIC). The company was established in 2010 with 60% owned by Sawaco, 30% by Refrigeration Electrical Engineering Corporation (REE) and the rest by Water Supply & Sewerage Construction and Investment Joint Stock Company (Waseco).

In November, SWIC signed an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the project with Germany-based Passavant Roediger and Vietnam’s Construction Corporation No. 1.

The project owner will borrow 66.5% of the investment from Germany’s Commerzbank – Akabank and 21% from Vietinbank. The remaining 12.5% will be sourced from its own fund.

Sawaco’s clean water supply capacity is now some 1.5 million cubic meters a day. The water firm plans to raise its daily capacity to 2.4 million cubic meters by 2015, with 92% of the people in HCMC to be provided with clean water, and 3.4 million cubic meters by 2020 to ensure water for all people in the city.

In related news, Ha Van Sang, director of Kenh Dong Water Plant, told the Daily that his water plant would officially produce clean water in May with a capacity of 150,000 cubic meters per day. The plant will start trial run this month.

Water from Kenh Dong will be led to Tan Hiep Water Plant and sold to Sawaco for supply to the city’s western part.

In addition to Thu Duc 3 Water Plant, Sawaco will develop four other plants from now to 2024, namely Tan Hiep 2, Thu Duc 4, Tan Hiep 3 and Thu Duc 5, costing a respective US$100 million, US$130 million, US$162 million and US$176 million. Thu Duc 5 will have a daily capacity of 500,000 cubic meters, while the others are designed to produce 300,000 cubic meters a day.

2,500 Quang Ngai residents get free medical checkups

Doosan Vina and Chung Ang University (CAU) Hospital from Seoul, South Korea are holding their seventh annual medical service program for the benefit of residents of the central province of Quang Ngai between January 11 and 15.

This program offers free medical checkups and medicines for an estimated 2,500 local residents and donates some needed medical equipment to Quang Ngai General Hospital.

Nineteen CAU doctors and support staff were flown from Korea to Vietnam where they are providing a week of intensive healthcare. For the first three days the CAU doctors, assisted by 88 Doosan Vina volunteers, will exam and treat local residents in Binh Thuan, Binh Dong, Binh Tri, Binh Hai and Binh Hoa in Binh Son District.

On the fourth and fifth days the doctors and volunteers will check the health of residents in Long Mon, Long Hiep, Long Mai, Long Son and Thanh An.The program will focus on children and old people as they are need medical attention most.  The CAU doctors found that the most common aliments among the elderly are rheumatism, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, tinnitus, eye problems and osteoporosis while the children have respiratory problems, digestive disorders and dermatitis.

On the donation side, Doosan Vina and CAU have presented medical equipment to Quang Ngai General Hospital, including an EO GAS sterilizer and nine pieces of rehabilitation equipment costing over US$10,000. This is the fifth donation of equipment to hospitals in Quang Ngai, with a total value of over US$155,000.

The total cost of this week’s program is US$95,000, funded by Doosan Vina and CAU.

Dat Mui aims for more tourists

The Dat Mui Tourism Area in Ngoc Hien District of Ca Mau Province has set a target to receive at least 500,000 tourists this year, including 50,000 international ones, doubling the figure of last year, according to the Ngoc Hien District authority.

Dat Mui is widely known as the southernmost area of Viet Nam and the most attractive tourism destination in the province.

To better serve tourists, the local government has invested VND60 billion (US$2.67 million) in more than 10 projects to develop transport infrastructure system, hotels, restaurants, entertainment services and others.

A road linking Nam Can District and Dat Mui commune in Ngoc Hien district —the last section of National Highway 1A running from the northern mountainous province of Lang Son to Ca Mau — will open for traffic in the first quarter.

Nguyen Truong Giang, Ngoc Hien District Party Committee Secretary, said the province this year would invest in many large projects in the district, including Hon Khoai deep-water seaport and Khai Long wind power projects, which are expected to help the district's tourism sector.

Discovered at the end of the 17th century, Dat Mui is home to mangrove forests featuring a plethora of birds, wild animals and fish as well as other untouched landscapes.

The area received about 150,000 visitors a year since 2010. Last year, it welcome 250,000 visitors, earning a revenue of VND100 billion.

Nghe An residents dependent on water tainted with pesticides

Families in a commune in the central province of Nghe An are using water contaminated with pesticides for daily life, ignoring the potential harm it poses.

Nguyen Thi Hien, 48, a resident of Nhan Son Commune in the province's Do Luong District, said her house was built on a landfill area where pesticides were buried, but her family still drank water from the well. Back in 1995, they were unaware of the potential risks the pesticides held.

Water from Hien's well does not smell of pesticides, but the water from Nguyen My Bay's well 50m down the road has a distinct odour, so Bay has to take water from a well far from home.

"I know the pesticides are harmful, but I have no other options. The well is our only source of water," said Hien, who witnessed the contamination of the area in the 1990s.

Hien said when she was digging the foundations for the house in 1995 she found barrels of 666 and Basagran.

Other residents said in 2010 they found a 100-litre barrel containing chemicals left over from a co-operative in a rice field near Hien's house.

Dinh Van Thu, 64, said that two big warehouses were used to store pesticides and fertilisers in the commune, which belonged to the former Thong Nhat and Lien Minh agricultural co-operatives that operated from 1975 to 1993.

Hien's house is located where Thong Nhat's warehouse was based. At the old Lien Minh co-operative site, about ten families are drawing water from wells dug directly on the landfill site.

"I know its true but we only have well water for daily use and we feel the water is okay," said Nguyen Viet Binh, 41, a resident living on the site.

One kindergarten in the commune is located on the warehouse's foundation.

Vo Huu Chuong, an official in the Nhan Son Commune People's Committee, said officials were aware of pollution from the pesticide warehouses and landfill sites.

He said that some families had reported the contaminated well water to the committee, but no measures had been taken as no "critical cases" had been reported, he said.

Viet Nam News contacted directors of the province's Department of Environment Protection and Department of Natural Resources and Environment about the issue, but they refused to release any information related to pesticide pollution in the province.

Almost every province in the central region suffers from pesticide pollution from agricultural co-operatives that operated from 1975-1993. Only Thua Thien - Hue Province has cleaned up the contaminated earth.

Based on a report by Viet Nam News in March last year about the pollution in Quang Tri Province, German organisation Rosa Luxembourg Stiftung Viet Nam deployed staff to investigate the site. They also provided funds for the Centre for Social Research and Development to investigate pesticide pollution in other central provinces in July, and held a conference in September with the Hue based Centre for Social Research and Development to resolve the issue.

The two organisations are going to hold a media campaign on the issue, expecting to draw attention from local authorities and NGOs working on clean water for residents in polluted areas.

The campaign also aims to educate residents on how to protect themselves before authorities and NGOs can help rectify the situation.

Water plant built in 2009 never worked

Nearly VND20 billion (US$888,800) from the State budget was wasted on a clean water plant that has yet to supply water to residents for the past six years.

The Thuong Cat Clean Water Plant, which was completed in 2009, is in Thuong Cat Commune, Ha Noi's Bac Tu Liem District.

Tu Liem District People's Committee was the main investor in the project, and it was built by the district project management committee and the Ha Noi Real Estate Investment Joint Stock Company.

Dinh Thi Du, a local resident, said that her family had spent VND1 million ($40) to install water pipes from the plant to their house, but had not had access to clean water or received compensation in the last six years.

Residents have reported the problem at local meetings, but the situation has not improved.

At present, local residents must use water from wells, but the water is often polluted, so each family in the ward has set up filtration systems costing millions of dong. Some households also buy bottled clean water for cooking and drinking.

Ngo Tien Bac, deputy chairman of Thuong Cat Ward People's Committee, said the ward had more than 2,300 households and 10,000 people, and all of them used water from the wells.

Neighbouring communes and wards have had clean water for three years, but Thuong Cat is still dry, according to Bac.

Bac added that six years ago the ward had nine wells supplying water for the Mai Dich Clean Water Plant, so authorities intended to use the water to supply the Thuong Cat Clean Water Plant.

The plant was completed and transferred to the ward in September 2009, but water pressure in the area is too low for it to be put into use.

A Tien phong (Vanguard) newspaper correspondent said that weeds were taking hold around the plant, and the pipes were stained and rusty.

Deputy chairman Bac said that water supplies had been under the management of the Ha Noi Clean Water Plant since May last year.

Since then, the company had conducted studies to find an appropriate place to source water from, but had yet to find a suitable source.

Nguyen Van Sy, chief of the secretariat of the Bac Tu Liem District People's Committee, told Lao dong (Labour) newspaper that before the Thuong Cat Clean Water Plant was built, the ward had a pumping station to pump water from wells to the Mai Dich Clean Water Plant.

The Thuong Cat Clean Water Plant was designed to take water from the pumping station. 

 

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