Hanoi youth shake it on the streets for love

Hanoi youngsters sang and danced on Dinh Tien Hoang walking street on October 16 to raise public awareness about gender equality and freedom of choice

Several hundreds of Hanoi’s young people took part in “Dance for love”, which was held around Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi on October 16, to honour love, freedom and gender equality on the occasion of the upcoming Vietnamese Women’s Day.

Six teams of Vietnamese youth danced and sang on Dinh Tien Hoang walking street, informing passers-by about gender equality and freedom of choice. Attracted by the joyful dance and songs, many local inhabitants and tourists joined the teams by singing and dancing with them.

“Vietnamese Women’s Day on October 20 or the International Women’ Day on March 8 shouldn’t be only the occasion to honour women. But I think that they are an occasion to honour love, respect and mutual support between family members, friends and lovers. Let’s make this day meaningful for both women and men,” said Vu Phuong Thao, Deputy Director of the Institute for Studies of Society, Economics and Environment (iSEE), the organising committee.

"This event was organised to raise awareness about the true meaning of love. Love someone doesn’t mean that we put pressure on someone and expect him/her do what we want, but it means that we respect and support his/her choice, so that both women and men are free to develop their personal ability and live happily with their choice,” she added.

A newly released report by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and the Vietnam’s Institute for Family and Gender Studies, warns of the possibility of a rise in gender inequality in Vietnam.

This inequality is caused by inflexible community opinions (preconceived ideas) about the role of men and women at home and in the society.

Dance for Love was the newly founded WEQUAL’s first event. The organisation works on gender equality, with the support of iSEE and Oxfam in Vietnam, as well as of Hanoi’s authorities.

Stone quarry collapse kills three in Nghe An

At least three people were killed and one injured after a stone quarry collapsed on October 16 in Chau Quang village, Quy Hop District, central Nghe An province, said Hun Vi Thay, Secretary of Chau Quang Party Committee.

Three victims are Luong Van Huong (born in 1982) from Chau Quang village and two others from Chau Cuong village.

After getting the information, relevant authorities came on the scene to direct rescue work and investigation into the cause of the incident.

The three victims’ bodies were recovered and brought to their home for burial service.

HCM City: Developers look to youths

Young buyers make up a promising segment for the HCM City real estate market because of the high rate of migration to the city and rapid urbanisation, a conference on the housing market heard on October 13.

Le Hoang Chau, chairman of the HCM City Real Estate Association, said young people earn high incomes and this would surely increase year after year.

People aged 19 to 46 account for nearly 58 percent of the city’s population.

There are three million people who have migrated to the city so far and more are coming in, many of them do not have housing yet.

Economist Dinh The Hien said HCM City attracted many skilled workers whose incomes are higher than elsewhere in the country.

“The number of people getting married is increasing, the number of migrants is rising and urbanisation is increasing pushing demand significantly up.”

Many buy an apartment to live independently from their parents, others come to HCM City to study or work, and they also need housing, he said.

So there is great demand for improving or buying houses.

He said young people buy housing for three main purposes: living, saving and investing.

Developers and analysts told the conference that young people often buy apartments for around 1 billion VND (48,000 USD), 10-15km from District 1, and thus easily leased or sold.

“The most important thing is to buy an apartment at a place with convenient transportation facilities and from a good developer.”

To capitalise on this segment, many real estate developers are building housing for young people at affordable prices.

Nearly a month ago the Phu My Hung Development Corporation launched for the first time in its more than 20 years in Vietnam a project outside its Phu My Hung City Centre.

The project, Saigon South Residences, is being built in Nha Be District targeting young customers who would like to live in a place with Phu My Hung’s building and management standards but with more affordable prices.

Him Lam Land, also changing its business strategy this year, has announced it will focus on this segment.

The company will bring 2,000 apartments into the market this year.

Ngo Quang Phuc, its deputy general director, said: “All the apartments will be priced at 1-1.5 billion VND. They are located on Pham Van Dong, Hanoi Highway, Song Hanh and Vo Van Kiet Boulevard.

“We decided to expand this segment because young customers have actual need [for housing] demand and are knowledgeable and skilled [and will earn plenty of money],” Phuc said.

Other companies like Nam Long have also launched many projects, including Dream Home Palace, to meet demand from this segment.

According to developers, though prices are lower, the quality of apartments coming into the market is good with full facilities including pools, gymnasiums and playing yards besides good management and security.

The competition in the market is tough now and customers stand to benefit from this, Phuc said.

Deputy PM asks for proactive response to typhoon Sarika

Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung asked local and central agencies, and localities to make all-out effort to deal with typhoon Sarika, which entered the East Sea on October 16 as the seventh storm this year.

He chaired a teleconference on October 16 with the Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, the National Committee for Search and Rescue, and authorities from 22 localities from the northern port city of Hai Phong to the central province of Quang Binh on preparations for the typhoon.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong, who heads the Steering Committee, said Sarika is powerful with unpredictable developments.

If it moves as forecast, it will be the late and off-season storm hitting the northern region, he said, warning that complex situations would possibly happen as the northern central region is still tackling the consequences of torrential rains and severe floods.

Deputy PM Trinh Dinh Dung requested municipal and provincial people’s committees to keep a close watch on the movement of the storm and informed vehicles operating at sea to stay away from the area of danger and take shelter.

He asked the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting to regularly update the typhoon’s movement to support proactive preparations.

Ministries and localities should stand ready with prepared response activities, he said.

Typhoon Sarika passed Luzon Island of the Philippines and entered the East Sea on the morning of October 16.

At 8am of the day, the centre of Sarika was on the western coast of Luzon Island with the strongest winds in the eyewall of 150-165km per hour, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

In the next 24 hours, the storm is predicted to move west-northwest and then westwards at a speed of 20-25km per hour.

At 7am of October 17, its eye is expected at about 16.7 degrees north latitude and 114.6 degrees east longitude, about 250km east of Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago. Sarika can keep sustaining winds of up to 150-165km per hour.

VN National University-Hanoi should lead in start-up nation building

The Vietnam National University-Hanoi (VNU) should take the lead in building Vietnam into a start-up nation, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc told its managerial staff on October 16. 

He said VNU needs to align its development direction with the country’s goal of building a start-up nation, and it must be part of the national start-up ecosystem. 

Education and training have continually been prioritised, he reaffirmed, saying the sectors must proactively provide high-quality human resources for the country to achieve industrialisation and modernisation, and national development targets. 

The PM said VNU has proved to be the top facility in the national tertiary education system, which now comprises 412 universities and junior colleges, and applauded its education quality verification and scientific researches that won national and international awards. 

He asked the university to adapt its research to the reality, which can be seen through the establishment and successful operation of enterprises, noting that research findings must satisfy the demand of businesses and the economy and serve socio-economic development. 

Tertiary education in Vietnam, including in VNU, has yet to meet the real demand, he said, pointing out that 225,000 graduates being unemployed nationwide requests education be improved. 

VNU is a State-owned tertiary education establishment that groups different universities and institutes, including seven colleges and five faculties. 

It expects to become a research-oriented university by 2030 with some colleges and institutes that specialise in basic sciences, high technology and key socio-economic sectors reaching the Asian status.

Can Tho: Children receive free milk, scholarships

The “Vietnam Rising” milk fund has donated over 87,000 glasses of milk worth 550 million VND (24,750 USD) to nearly 1,000 kids in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho.

National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and officials of the city handed over the milk at a ceremony in the locality on October 16.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Hong Lan highlighted the significance of the programme, which was initiated by the Vietnam Children Sponsoring Fund (VCSF) and the Vietnam Dairy Products Joint Stock Company (Vinamilk) in 2008.

She said the programme has come to many regions nationwide, contributing to reducing malnutrition rate and improving physical and mental conditions of children.

The fund hopes to receive greater assistance from local authorities, political and social organizations, businesses and individuals, and schools, so more milk will reach children, especially those in mountainous, border and islands areas, she stressed.

In the coming time, the Can Tho municipal authorities will carry out a school milk programme under the support of the Ministry of Public Health and the Vietnam Dairy Association, which aims to help children have the best physical and mental growth.

According to General Director of Vinamilk Mai Kieu Lien, the Milk Fund provided 30 million glasses of milk worth 120 billion VND (5.4 million USD) free to 373,000 poor children nationwide over the last nine years.

Previously, NA Chairwoman Ngan also presented 110 scholarships worth 150 million VND (6,750 USD) to outstanding students in Can Tho city at an art performance in the city on October 15.

Jointly held by the VCSF, the municipal Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the Alaska Communications and Entertainment JSC, the event was to launch a raising-fund programme to help underprivileged children and students with good performance in the locality.

Additionally, children of local workers and families struggling with difficulties have their bank accounts, which will receive money to cover their study from donors monthly, quarterly or yearly until they are 18 years old. At present, total value of the donation to the accounts hit over 6 billion VND (6.75 million USD), donated by 20 enterprises operating in the city.

MoLISA Deputy Minister Dao Hong Lan said this is a national-scale programme, seeking to help nearly 7,000 children nationwide.

At present, 14,500 children living in poor families or social sponsoring centres in Can Tho are in dire need of support from the community.

Murder suspect arrested

The central city’s public security force has arrested a suspect for a killing that occurred in Sơn Trà district’s Mân Thái ward Saturday.

The city’s investigative agencies confirmed that Lê Tấn Tài, 34, was arrested on Saturday evening after an eight hour search.

Tài, a fisherman, admitted that he intentionally killed Trần Văn Ban, 51, at Mân Thái beach around 5am on Saturday after a quarrel that night.

He confessed that he drowned the victim in the sea, 100m away from the beach, to death.

Ban was a beach management staff member.

The city’s criminal policemen found the suspect at an aquaculture farm near Thuận Phước Bridge in Sơn Trà district.

The case is under investigation.

Last year, a Chinese man was killed by his fellow countryman in a living quarter in Sơn Trà  district. 

Vũ joins Sài Gòn FC in two-year deal

Midfielder Bùi Trần Vũ has left V.League’s Hoàng Anh Gia Lai to land at Sài Gòn FC for the upcoming football season.

Vũ, who grew up at the Hoàng Anh Gia Lai training centre, wore the club’s jersey for five years. In the 2015-16 season he played 18 of 26 matches and scored one goal.

He will play for Sài Gòn for two years, however, his contract details were not disclosed.

Vũ is the second player leaving Hoàng Anh Gia Lai, after defender Bùi Văn Long, who joined SHB Đà Nẵng last week.

Free clinic in Cần Thơ helps poor patients

A free-of-charge clinic in the Mekong Delta city of Cần Thơ, has been much praised by local people, particularly the poor.

Established by Dr Trần Văn Tốt some 12 years ago in Hưng Lợi Ward in Ninh Kieu District, the clinic has examined, consulted with and given treatment to thousands of patients including those with serious ailments such as diabetes.

Huỳnh Thị Kiều, 76, said, “Thanks to the clinic doctors I escaped from blindness, a side-effect of diabetes.”

Dr Trần Thị Lan said, “Kiều was faced with cataracts. She should have been operated on, but she also faced serious diabetes, so we told Kiều’s daughter to look after her carefully and help her to take medicine to lower her glucose level until it was stable. Then she was able to have her eyes operated on safely at Hoàn Mỹ Hospital.”

Because of the operation, Kiều’s eyes have now returned to normal, said Lan.

Apart from giving treatment to locals in Cần Thơ, the clinic’s medical workers travel to the neighbouring provinces of Hậu Giang, Tiền Giang and Vĩnh Long to treat poor patients.

Nguyễn Văn Tưởng, 62, in Hậu Giang, said he was very happy to be treated free at the clinic where the staff members always smile at him, enthusiastically take care of him, and treat him very effectively.

“My chronic cough has been much reduced,” said Tưởng.

Another patient, Hoàng Thị Hồng, 70, visited the clinic from Vĩnh Long Province. She experienced a lot of back pain, but because of a lack of money, she could not receive treatment at a hospital. Then recently she heard about this clinic.

Hồng has been carefully treated by Dr Đặng Văn Hiếu who said Hồng did not suffer any major ailments, only the usual degradation of her backbone due to old age.

Dr Hiếu wrote her a prescription for some medicine and asked her to return to the clinic in two weeks.

Hồng was very happy because she could have her back pain treated free, and just as important, the behaviour of the medical workers at the clinic was very nice.

“I feel much better after receiving their treatment,’ she said.

Phạm Hồng Minh, 55, in Cần Thơ’s Thốt Nốt District, praises the clinic as a good example for others to follow. Patients do not have to wait in line and doctors do checkups very carefully with a smile on their faces.

The 200sq.m clinic has rooms to deal with cardiovascular cases, children, and a room for ear, nose, throat and skin cases, according to Dr Trần Văn Tốt, who is head of the clinic.

In his memoirs, Tốt wrote, “After retiring in 2000, I continued working in Tân An Ward. I joined a group of seven members to help the elderly receive free cataract operations at Cần Thơ General Hospital. During that time, I often thought about setting up a clinic for the poor.”

“In 2005, by chance and luck, I met two overseas Vietnamese who lived in Australia, Võ Văn Tám and Quan Văn Cẩm, at the house of a friend. Upon hearing my idea of setting up a free clinic for poor patients in Cần Thơ and the surrounding area, they agreed to donate VNĐ15 million per month for the clinic, and gave an advance of VNĐ100 million to start up the clinic’s activities.”

Tốt said, “In the first years we had to move our clinic from place to place due to a lack of land. In 2011, Ngọc Điệp, head of the management board of the Tổ Đình Chiếu Minh Cao Đài (Caodaism is a religion in Việt Nam), agreed to lend us 200sq.m of land and donated VNĐ50 million to us so we could build the clinic.”

“In addition, I have asked my friends and relatives to donate us more money to build the clinic. As a result, it was finished in February 2011, and has treated many hundreds of patients free of charge,” said Tốt.

The clinic has also received help from the Cần Thơ authorities and other donors; however, increasing numbers of patients each year have caused difficulties such as a shortage of medicines and equipment.

Dr Tốt has called on local and foreign donors to continue assisting the clinic, “for us to have the conditions to promote medical checkups for poor patients in Cần Thơ and other areas in the Mekong Delta”. 

Teacher’s home library a beacon of light for local students

No fees, no cards. When students stop by the home library of local teacher Huỳnh Thị Thanh Phương, they’re on the honour system. She trusts them that much.

Phương, who teaches at a primary school in An Phú Commune in HCM City’s rural Củ Chi District, allows students to drop by even when she is not at home.

“I wanted to create conditions to promote honesty and responsibility among the children,” Phuơng says

Book borrowers are asked to write down their names and the lending and return dates in a notebook on a table in the library, located in a small room.

Some of the books are placed along a corridor or hung on windows to catch the eyes of children. Visitors can stay and read or take a book home, Phương says.

When she began collecting two years ago, Phương had only 200 books, but the number has risen to 1,500.

All the books have been donated by publishers, writers, volunteer students and other donors around the country. The books cover a wide variety of topics such as literature, history and geography, and include comics and textbooks.

Phuong’s passion for reading extends beyond her home and classroom. At An Bình Primary School, where she teaches, she sometimes takes books to the school’s playground “for kids to read during their break.”

Curious gawkers take selfies with two-headed piglet

When word got out last week about a two-headed piglet, local residents flocked to a farm in Nghệ An Province to take a selfie with the creature.

Born with four eyes and weighing 500 grammes, the piglet was part of a litter of 10, according to the owner and farmer, 56-year-old Nguyễn Bá Hiển of Hoi Son Commune in An Sơn District.

The chairman of the commune’s People’s Committee, Nguyễn Hũu Dũng, said the newborn pig had been sold to a pig trader from nearby Anh Sơn Town. He could not confirm whether it was still alive. 

Vietnam cuisine highlighted in Switzerland

Vietnam’s culinary art was introduced to Swiss friends at a programme recently co-hosted by Alimentarium – the Museum of Nutrition in Vevey city of Switzerland and the Vietnamese Embassy in the country.

Laetitia Aeberli from the museum said the joint organisation between the two agencies reflected the close relations between the two countries, and also aimed to honour Vietnamese food.

As part of activities to mark the 45th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Switzerland, the event showed determination of both nations to further deepen their cooperation and friendship in all fields immediately after the visit to Switzerland of Vietnamese National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong, said Ambassador Pham Hai Bang.

Swiss visitors were offered a chance to enjoy several Vietnamese traditional foods such spring rolls and Pho (noodle soup).

Alimentarium is the first museum in the world devoted exclusively to nutrition. A wonderful and educational vegetable garden also belongs to the museum. Since more than 30 years, visitors have been able to peek inside pots to view the contents and culinary habits of people from near and far.

Exhibitions organised by the museum with different subjects, numerous mediation activities, gastronomic tastings, cooking workshops and guided tours provide visitors an opportunity to quench their thirst and fulfill their appetite for knowledge.

Following the event, “Thuong nho dong que” (Nostalgia for the countryside) movie by Vietnamese director Dang Nhat Minh was screened in Lausanne city in the framework of the Vietnam Cultural Day in Switzerland on October 14.

Frederic D’Aram – a lawyer in the Vaud state said he was impressed by the film, adding that it helped him get insight into Vietnamese culture and people.

“Thuong nho dong que” was made in early 1995 by Minh and commissioned by NHK television as part of celebrations to mark the 100th birthday of cinema. It received five international awards in film festivals in France, the Netherlands, Switzerland and New Zealand.

Many international press agencies considered the movie as one of the best films of the Asian cinema.

Ca Mau: Communal medical stations meet national standards

The southernmost province of Ca Mau has completed the national set of criteria on communal health care for 2011-2020, five years earlier than the Health Ministry’s general plan, said Director of the provincial Health Department Huynh Quoc Viet.

Accordingly, all communal medical stations have been upgraded and built, meeting required standards.

The ratios of doctors and beds to 10,000 people are 8.89 and 25.6, respectively, ranking fourth nationwide.

Up to 167 doctors are working in communal medical stations. Fifty-four out of 101 communes and wards have two doctors, accounting for 53 percent.

After more than five years of implementing the national programme on grassroots health care, local medical infrastructure have been upgraded and the quality of public health care has been improved.

Viet said the provincial health sector will continue improving the quality of medical stations so as to better serve local residents.

Fund praised for 20-year charitable work

A charitable fund, known as the "Golden hearts " fund, under the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL), has been awarded with the Labour Order – third class for its contributions to charitable activities nationwide over the last two decades.

Chief Justice Nguyen Hoa Binh presented the honour to the fund at a ceremony to mark its 20th founding anniversary in Hanoi on October 16.

Addressing the event, VGCL President and Chairman of the management board of the fund Bui Van Cuong said the fund has developed strongly, seeing the involvement of trade unions nationwide, and organizations, enterprises and individuals.

It has worked to encourage the spirit of solidarity and charity in the community, he noted.

He affirmed the fund will continue carrying out national-scale activities targeting labourers and trade union members, towards raising the role and position of the VGCL.

Operated by the Lao Dong newspaper, the fund raised a total of 545.6 billion VND (24.55 million USD) over the last 20 years, helping a great number of disadvantaged families and victims of natural disasters.

It spent 98.6 billion VND (over 4.4 million USD) to support residents in areas hit by natural disasters, 86 billion VND (3.87 million USD) for charitable activities in island areas, and 40 billion VND (1.8 million USD) for building schools and boarding schools for poor students.

On the occasion, Tran Duy Phuong, Editor-in-chief of the Lao Dong Newspaper and Management Director of the fund, and Pham Thi Hong Chung, reporter of the newspaper, were also awarded with the Labour Order – third class in recognition of their contributions to the fund.

Photos of Truong Sa archipelago come to German exhibition

Three photos featuring Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago of Vietnam are on display at an international exhibition of fine art and documentary photography in the framework of the fourth Berlin Foto Biennale 2016 in Germany.

According to Nhan Dan newspaper, the photos are the works of artist Nguyen Thu Thuy during her trip to the archipelago, which capture Truong Sa before a storm, boys living on the islands, and Truong Sa peace lotus in the sunrise.

Earlier, the pictures were selected for the final round of the seventh edition of the Julia Margaret Cameron Award for Female Photographers.

Two other photos of Thuy are also displayed at the Berlin exhibition, including a ceramic mosaic mural in Hanoi and a lotus mosaic in the central province of Thanh Hoa.

Themed “Emotions and Commotions across Cultures”, the exhibition is showing 1,230 photos of 446 contemporary artists from 41 countries and territories.

Held every two years by the Worldwide Photography Gala Awards, the Berlin Foto Biennale festival runs from October 6-30, as part of the 7th European Month of Photography.-

Vietnamese ticketholder wins US$4 million lottery jackpot

Against all odds, the person has somehow picked all the right numbers, becoming the first jackpot winner ever since its debut.

Those oh-so-random numbers 05-21-31-33-38-42 have just made a Vietnamese very rich.

An American-style lottery game, the Mega 6/45, announced that its draw on October 16 found a winning ticket for the top prize of VND92.03 billion (US$4.04 million).

This is the first jackpot winner ever after 39 draws since its debut in July, according to the operator of the lottery, Vietlott.

The winner now has 60 days to claim the prize either in Ho Chi Minh City or the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, Vietlott said. The identity of the lucky person is still unknown.

Vietlott, or Vietnam Computerized Lottery One Member Limited Liability Company, in January signed an exclusive 18-year contract with Malaysian conglomerate Berjaya to launch computerized lottery games.

The Mega 6/45 is the company's first foray into the market and will be followed by other services.

The name Mega 6/45 explains it all: players select six numbers from 1 to 45 and win the jackpot, starting at VND12 million, by matching all six winning numbers from the draw. Each ticket costs VND10,000 (40 cents).

The jackpot prize will keep growing until there is a winner. The odds of winning are extremely low, believed to be around one in 8.14 million.

Traditional lottery tickets in Vietnam have predetermined numbers printed on them, with the highest prize set at VND1.5 billion (US$65,900). 

Vietnam's average annual income was around US$2,100 last year, according to the World Bank.

The country generally does not allow its citizens to gamble, but lottery tickets are popular across the country.

HCMC conducts epidemiological study in Zika risk areas

Director of the National Institute of Epidemiology Professor Dang Duc Anh October 16 said that as per the institute’s study, mosquitoes transmit Zika virus and dengue circulate in the country.

Since the Southeast Asian country has reported the first case of Zika virus in April, 2016, the institute has carried out tests on nearly 2.4 mosquitoes. 

Test results showed that 56 mosquitoes caught in traps across the country were positively identified as carrying the Zika virus, accounting for 0.24 percent; 29 mosquitoes were positive for Dengue virus or 0.12 percent and no mosquitoes resulted for Chikungunya virus. 

Professor Duc Anh stressed that finding mosquitoes with Zika virus is especially alarming in coincidence with the infection cases of Zika in some localities. It proves that mosquitoes carrying Zika virus are circulating in the living environment; accordingly, residents should kill the insect and apply preventive measures.

The Ministry of Health’s Department of Preventive Medicine said that seven cases of Zika virus have been recorded in the country including Ho Chi Minh City with four cases; the southern province of Binh Duong with one case, the central provinces of Khanh Hoa and Phu Yen with one case for each. 

Head of the Department of Preventive Medicine Tran Dac Phu said that in the upcoming time, more cases of Zika virus will be able to detect because there is circulation of the virus in the country. Additionally, people travelling between the Southeast Asian nations can carry the virus.

Therefore, the Ministry of Health determined to implement preventive measures including increasing activities of Emergency Operation Center (EOC), taking more samples for tests and increasing information to residents about the virus. Moreover, anti-mosquito campaign will be-launched nationwide.

US$314 million to restructure rice industry by 2020

About 25 programs will be implemented with the total capital of VND7 trillion ($314 million) to restructure the rice industry towards added value increase and sustainable development, according to a rice restructuring project by 2020.

The project was announced by the Cultivation Department at a seminar in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on October 11.

Talking about the project which is planning rice industry until 2030, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s agency said that it will focus on planning and infrastructure development.

Low yielding rice areas will be transferred into other crops, crossbreeding researches will be conducted and authorized agencies will map out rice development policies suiting new situation.

In addition, the programs will expand large scale production in accordance with market demand, boost mechanization and processing, build brand names and step up market development connectivity.

One of major works of the project is to develop irrigation system and upgrade traffic and electricity network for modern production.

The Mekong Delta, the Red River Delta and the South Central Coastal Region will need thousands of billion of dong for the restructuring project in the phase of 2017-2020.

According to plan, the country will maintain rice farming over about 3.8 million hectares to ensure food security and improve the use efficiency of these areas.

Rice farming will concentrate on high quality varieties for both local consumption and exports.

Taxi drivers protest rest time regulation

Taxi drivers in Hà Nội have complained about a regulation forbidding them from driving for more than four consecutive hours.

According to the Transport Ministry’s circular 9, since July this year, taxi drivers who drive nonstop for more than four hours will have their taxi licence revoked for a month. Drivers must also stop their cars and rest for at least 15 minutes for each stop during four hours.

The driving time is based on GPS, which is transmitted from Việt Nam Road Administration to the city’s transport department.

This regulation aims to help drivers ensure their health but many drivers say it is inappropriate.

In August alone, 463 taxi licences were revoked in the city.

Nguyễn Hồng Minh, director of Nguyên Minh taxi firm said that the regulation is only appropriate for coach and truck drivers who drive long journeys.

When passengers are on the way to a hospital in an emergency or the taxi is on a highway, it is impossible to stop even when the running time reaches four hours, he said.

Representatives of taxi companies also claimed that the total rest time in a day for a driver can be hours. However, when they rest for a few minutes after each fare, GPS does not recognise it.

“GPS is a machine and only records stopping time if it lasts at least 15 minutes. It cannot listen to us,” said Nguyễn Văn Đào, a taxi driver of Sao Thủ Đô taxi company.

To avoid punishment, many drivers refuse to drive when their working time reaches four hours or ask passengers if they can stop for 15-minutes to ensure regulated resting time.

Taxi drivers complained that in big cities like Hà Nội and HCM City, there is a lack of parking spots so they have to drive around the city without passengers and sometimes unintentionally violate regulations.

This has degraded quality of service. The taxi licence revocation can leave taxi drivers unemployed for a month while transport enterprises suffer economic losses and their brand is harmed.

Last month, Hà Nội’s Transport Association proposed to the Transport Ministry that the regulation be adjusted.

“We suggested allowing drivers to take a rest several times, for three to five minutes instead of 15 minutes,” Bùi Danh Liên, chairman of Hà Nội’s Transport Association said.

In response to the proposal, Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyễn Hồng Trường asked relevant agencies to study and submit to the ministry an adjustment. 

Violators still have to be subjected to punishment, Trường said.

National programme for hemophilia care needed: experts

A national programme for comprehensive care of hemophilia, a hereditary blood disorder, is needed, according to Dr Phù Chí Dũng, head of HCM City Blood Transfusion Hematology Hospital.

The programme would help provide fund for surveillance, prevention and treatment to patients with hemophilia.

Dũng spoke at a roundtable meeting on policies and new treatment guidelines for hemophilia held by the hospital in co-operation with the city’s Department of Health.

The meeting was held under the sponsorship of Shire, a biotechnology company that focuses on rare diseases and other highly specialised conditions.

The country has a total of 6,000 patients with hemophilia, but only 2,373 of them receive treatment, Dũng said, adding that 717 out of 2,000 people with the disorder in the southern region receive treatment.

Most of the 717 patients are treated at the Blood Transfusion Hematology Hospital (BTH), two paediatrics hospitals or Chợ Rẫy Hospital.

“Most doctors trained in hematology at provincial hospitals do not work in the field because these hospitals do not have wards to treat diseases related to blood disorders, including hemophilia,” Dũng said.

In addition, recombinant clotting products and others needed for treatment are not available at these hospitals.

“Patients with hemophilia come to our hospital for treatment when they have complications such as joint damage, causing repeated bleeding,” he said.

Dũng said these complications could be prevented if patients received medicine.

He said the city’s Department of Health and Social Insurance Agency should ask the Ministry of Health for coverage of treatment to prevent complications as well as coverage for treatment at patients’ homes or at health centres where they live.

Dr Nguyễn Phương Liên, head of the hospital’s general planning division, said that treatment costs for the blood disorder were high, from VNĐ2 million to VNĐ5 million (US$88.9). However, this figure does not include insurance coverage which accounts for 80 per cent of the total costs.

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