HCM City former market supervisor receives 13-year jail sentence

The former head of the Son Ky market management board in HCM City was sentenced to 13 years in prison yesterday for committing fraud involving more than VND7 billion (US$318,000).

Nguyen Cong Danh, 36, was accused of forging documents related to the market's kiosk use to cheat Huynh Van Phuong of VND5.7 billion ($259,000) over a period of six months, from July to December 2010.

Danh and Phuong had planned to speculate on the market's kiosks, hoping to earn a profit. Phuong provided cash for the purchases, while Danh was in charge of selling the kiosks later.

After receiving cash from Phuong to buy the kiosks, Danh forged kiosk use documents to fool Phuong and kept the money.

Danh used the same trick to cheat Dinh Thi Lap and Pham Thi Sim of VND620 million ($28,000) and VND700 million ($31,800), respectively.

The HCM City People's Court ordered Danh to return the money to his three victims.

Dai Ngai Bridge to link two provinces

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved the Dai Ngai Bridge project, which will build 26 bridges on National Highway 60, linking Mekong Delta provinces Soc Trang and Tra Vinh.

Last year, the Transport Ministry outlined the project with an estimated investment of VND13 trillion (US$650 million) for building 24 medium-sized bridges and two large bridges – Dai Ngai 1 and Dai Ngai 2 – along a 54km stretch of the highway.

Once complete, the bridges will help reduce the distance to travel from many coastal provinces of the Mekong Delta to HCM City by 70-100km and reduce the congestion on National Highway 1A.

The bridges will replace all ferries crossing Hau River in the coastal provinces from southernmost Ca Mau Province to HCM City. Some 4,000 vehicles use ferries to travel between Tra Vinh and Soc Trang daily.

The PM has asked the Transport Ministry to calculate the funding needed for the project.

The project will have two components, one of which will involve a build-operate-transfer contract with a private investor, while the other makes use of the State's budget.

The PM allowed private investors to collect toll at Dai Ngai Toll Station and Co Chien Bridge to earn back their investment.

The Transport Ministry was asked to find competent investors.

Head of EU Delegation honoured with ‘For People’s Health’ insignia

Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien on July 15 presented the ministry’s insignia ‘For People’s Health’ to Ambassador-Head of the Delegation of the European Union (EU) in Vietnam Franz Jessen for his contributions to the country’s health sector.

The EU official, who has completed his 2011-2015 term in Vietnam, has made positive contributions to the development of better relations between the EU and Vietnam, especially in the field of healthcare. His active contributions contributed to the EU decision to provide EUR114 million to help Vietnam in its budget support programme for the health sector, with an aim of reforming the sector during the 2015-2017 period.

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Tien praised the effective contributions by Dr Franz Jessen to the health sector in Vietnam and said that this is an especially important event on the occasion of celebrating the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the EU. She expressed her wish to continue receiving support from the EU delegation in Vietnam and from healthcare professionals around the world for Vietnamese people.

For his part, Dr. Franz Jessen expressed his sincere thanks to the Ministry of Health and the State of Vietnam for facilitating his mission in the country. He also spoke fondly of working with colleagues in the Vietnamese health sector.

Fishermen involved in accident in Spratly waters rescued

On July 15, at Cam Ranh Port, Khanh Hoa province, the hospital ship Khanh Hoa-01, No.561 of the Navy Zone 4, safely brought ashore 11 fishermen from Binh Dinh province, who were involved in an accident in the waters of Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoon July 9.

The fishermen, working for fishing vessel QNg 98604-TS captained by Do Van Thu from Hoai Nhon district, Binh Dinh province, were handed over to the Cam Ranh Border Guard Station. Each of them received VND500,000 in aid from the Navy Zone 4.

Leaders of the People’s Committee of the Hoai Nhon district visited the fishermen and supported them with VND4 million each.

On the same day, the fishing vessel QNg 95779-TS captained by Vo Hai from Binh Chau commune, Binh Son district, Quang Ngai province brought ashore 11 other fishermen at Sa Ky Port, Quang Ngai province.

According to a fisherman working for the crashed fishing vessel QNg 90559-TS owned by Truong Van Duc, his vessel sunk after a crash with a foreign vessel at 23:00 on July 9 when fishing around Phu Lam island of Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago. They were saved by Le Van An’s fishing vessel QNg 95248-TS after being adrift for three hours. An asked Hai to bring the victims ashore as he had to continue his fishing voyage.

Embassy in Malaysia supports crewmen exposed to poisonous gas

The Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia is making every endeavour to support Vietnamese crewmen affected by a poisonous gas accident on a ship off the Malaysian coast, said Ambassador Pham Cao Phong.

The three Vietnamese who died in the accident were identified as Captain Nguyen Duy Thai, Chief Officer Nguyen Dinh Hung and Master Mariner Pham Van Quy.

Two other crew members, Luu Duc Thanh and Nguyen Van Quang, were hospitalised for treatment. On July 15, Thanh recovered and was discharged from the hospital while Quang was moved to another hospital in Johor Baru city due to the severity of his condition. Though he remains in a coma, his condition is no longer critical and is expected to be discharged from the hospital in the next 1-2 weeks, the ambassador said, quoting doctors at Burn Unit Sultatn Ismail Hospital.

The embassy is in contact with the liaison board of the overseas Vietnamese community in Johor and the hospital to assure Quang receives the best care available, the diplomat said.

The embassy has also worked with Malaysian authorities to coordinate legal and consular procedures to repatriate the deceased as soon as possible, he added.

The incident occurred on the night of July 12 when the ship, MV HI RAM, was 4.1 nautical miles southeast of Tanjung Penyusuk.-

Four hospitals pledge to change medical workers' behaviors

The Ministry of Health yesterday asked Bach Mai hospitals in Ha Noi to sign pledge “ Changing medical workers’ behaviors for patients’ satisfactions”.

Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said that the basic ground of all professions, especially health profession, is professional ethic. Predecessor generations such as doctor Hai Thuong Lan Ong or doctor Le Huu Trach or Uncle Ho used to advise medical workers to be virtuous and devoted to patients and to the profession.

In reality, there have been many cases of medical workers who are not mind difficulties or danger to take care of patients. However, a part of medical workers have improper behaviors towards patients destroying the image of the sector and exemplary people.

Accordingly, the Health Minister asked hospital management boards to correct medical workers’ conducts. Each doctors and nurses should be reminded of patients – consumers are always right for the development of the hospitals.

Having right behaviors are not only a must but also a pride of the sector. Hospital management boards must sign the pledge and they are asked to enhance supervision and issue timely penalties to those who have improper behaviors.

Four hospitals in the north Vietnam including Bach Mai, Viet Duc Friendship, National Cancer K  and Central Pediatrics in Hanoi are the first four hospitals to sign the pledge in which they promised to change medical worekrs’ behaviors for patients’ satisfactions.

Anti-corruption initiatives to be scaled up

Ten initiatives in corruption prevention and control were introduced to be scaled up during a conference held by the Government Inspectorate in Ho Chi Minh City on July 16, including a model of “Saying no to bribery in healthcare sector.”

The model, launched by the Research and Training Centre for Community Development, was successfully implemented from 2011-2012 with the main objective to combat harassment in healthcare service provision.

According to Bui Dieu Linh, the project’s Coordinator, it is essential to call for stronger engagement in anti-corruption by expanding public communications and broadening connectivity with organisations and the media.

Another initiative recommended at the event was “Growing anti-corruption seeds in schools and the community” by Tay Bac University with the target to provide the youth with anti-corruption laws and policies as well as a sense of responsibility and honesty, thus yielding positive attitudes and actions.

Vu Thi Duc, Head of the project, said anti-corruption education has been effectively integrated into students’ daily curriculum and extracurricular programmes to increase the attraction for learners.

The programme to scale up anti-corruption initiatives and increase the involvement of the community in combating corruption and ensuring the sustainability of progress in the field is part of a project to strengthen capacity in implementing the UN Convention against Corruption as well as the role of non-State sectors in the work.

According to Deputy General Inspectorate Le Thi Thuy, the programme focuses on four topics, including community supervision and enhancing public awareness of anti-corruption in the community.

Vietnamese martyrs killed in Cambodia to be repatriated

Vietnam and Cambodia will work closely to search and repatriate the remains of about 500 Vietnamese volunteer soldiers believed to be still in Cambodia’s Military Zone 3.

The figure was revealed at a conference in Phnom Penh on July 16 to review the outcomes of collaboration between the two countries in the search efforts in six localities of Military Zone 3 – Kampong Speu, Kampot, Kep, Takeo, Koh Kong and Pres Sihanouk.

At the conference, both sides agreed that the authorities, people and soldiers of Military Zone 3 as well as the Cambodia Royal Armed Forces have effectively cooperated with the Vietnamese side in the work.

Both sides have shared information, gathered and returned remains of Vietnamese martyrs and jointly held ceremonies to send the remains home.

Representatives from the six Cambodian localities also affirmed that they will continue supporting Vietnamese search teams in the work.

In the dry season of 2014-15 alone, as many as 141 sets of Vietnamese martyrs’ remain were found while 132 other sets of remains found in Cambodia military Zone 3 were gathered and repatriated.

On July 15, the government of Cambodia’s Takeo province also handed over 18 sets of Vietnamese martyrs’ remains to the Vietnamese side for repatriation.

Currently, about 4,000 Vietnamese martyrs who died during wartime are still lying in Cambodia. The two countries have set a target to complete the majority of the search, gathering and repatriation of martyr remains by 2020.

Korean marriage support project kicks off

Korean marriage supporting project was launched in Vi Thanh city, the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang on July 16 by the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) and the Vietnamese Women’s Cultural Centre (VWCC) in the Republic of Korea (RoK).

The 390,000-USD project will be piloted over 18 months in the northern Hai Duong province and Hau Giang province, said VWCC General Director Koo Gyo Hoom at the event, adding that the project will focus on consultation, education and giving pre- and post-marriage support.

He highlighted that the project aims to raise awareness of women in the localities of cross-culture marriage in line with the two nations’ regulations, making contributions to reducing risks of illegal international marriage brokerages.

For her part, VWU Vice President Bui Thi Hoa called for further dissemination of cross culture marriage and improvements in the operations of consulting marriage centres to realise the project targets.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Public Security, some 115,600 Vietnamese nationals married foreigners from over 50 countries and territories from 2008-2014. Since 2004, over 11,000 women in Hau Giang province married foreigners, 70 percent of which are from the RoK.

Phu Yen develops protection forest along coastline

The southern central coastal province of Phu Yen has set to conserve and develop its coastal protection forests in order to cope with climate change and rising sea water as well as to preserve biological diversity.

Under the plan, the provincial People’s Committee has approved a project with total investment capital of 51.33 billion VND (2.4 million USD) in the Dong Hoa and Tuy An districts and Song Cau town through 2020.

Accordingly, 330 hectares of protection forests will be developed along the province’s coastline and another 235 hectares of existing forests are set to be recovered through 2016.

About 20 hectares of mangrove forest will also be planted in Xuan Dai gulf and Cu Mong lagoon (Song Cau town).

The province will support contracted forest farmersto protect over 80 hectares of coastal protection forest areas in An Ninh Dong commune (Tuy An district).

The project also includes the construction of a 6.5 kilometres fire line to stop fires and the construct and repair of 3,000 square meters of nurseries and forest management stations.

Forest coverage in Phu Yen has been encroached upon by up to 54.3 hectares due to local deforestation for shrimp farming. Local authorities are attempting to mobilise all possible resources to recover destroyed areas.

Vietnam builds model market at Cambodian border area

Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade has approved the construction of a model market at the border area between Cambodia’s Tbaung Khmum province and Vietnam’s southern Tay Ninh province.

Vice Chairman of Tay Ninh People’s Committee Nguyen Manh Hung said on July 16 that the project is part of the agreement signed at the 13th meeting of the mixed committee on economic, cultural, scientific and technological cooperation between the Vietnamese and Cambodian governments on February 11, 2014.

The total cost for the project is estimated at 44.8 billion VND (2.05 million USD), to be funded by the Vietnamese government’s non-refundable grant.

The construction is scheduled to begin in November and will be completed at the end of 2017.

The market will cover 20,000 square metres in the Special Economic Zone Thary Tbaung Khmum located in the Da Kandorl village, Da commune, Memot district in Tbau Khmum province and opposite the Chang Riec border gate in Tan Lap commune, Tan Bien district, Tay Ninh province.

The project aims to tap the potential and advantages of the two border provinces, increase trade activities, build distribution networks, assist in transforming economic structures and improve the living standards of citizens living in border areas.

Trial run for 500/220kV transformer station in Tra Vinh

The Electricity of Vietnam Group’s National Power Transmission Corporation (EVNNPT) put a 500/220kV transformer station at the Duyen Hai Power Centre in Duyen Hai district, the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh, into operation on July 16 on a trial basis one month ahead of schedule.

The station is expected to connect the Duyen Hai power plants No. 1, 2 and 3 to the national grid through 500 kilovolt and 220 kilovolt transmission lines once it is officially operating.

The day before, EVNNPT also commenced operations of the 220 kilovolt Duyen Hai-Mo Cay transmission line, which passes through the Duyen Hai, Tra Cu, Cau Ngang, Chau Thanh and Cang Long districts of Tra Vinh province, the Vung Liem district of Vinh Long province, and the Mo Cay Bac and Mo Cay Nam districts of Ben Tre province.

The 500/220 kV transformer station was built with 1.2 trillion VND (55.2 million USD) in total while the cost for constructing the 75.27 km-long Duyen Hai-Mo Cay transmission line was over 1 trillion VND (45.84 million USD). The two projects are managed by the Electricity Transmission Company No. 4.

On June 11, the 220 kilovolt Ben Tre-Mo Cay transmission line in Ben Tre province joined the national grid, supply electricity from the Duyen Hai 1 power plant.

Looking forward, EVNNPT will continue investing in building electricity transmission facilities in the area to provide safe and sustainable power supplies for post-2015 socio-economic development and security-defence in the south and southwest regions of the country.

Vietnam Summer Camp underway in Hanoi

Vietnamese youth abroad appreciate the opportunity to take part in the 2015 Vietnam Summer Camp and will promote their homeland overseas, shared a Vietnamese Belarusian during the camp’s official launch at the Ho Chi Minh Museum in Hanoi on July 16.

Delivering a speech to more than 160 young Vietnamese expatriates living in 21 countries worldwide at the opening ceremony, Deputy Foreign Minister Vu Hong Nam stated the Party and Government consider overseas Vietnamese an integral part of the nation, saying the country has implemented a range of policies to support the community, especially the younger generation.

He wished the Vietnamese youth abroad would learn about the late President Ho Chi Minh to enhance their patriotic deeds and solidarity.

Nguyen Long Hai, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee, expressed his hope that the youth would further their community-building roles and maintain traditional values overseas despite the geographic distance.

Held annually by the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, this year’s Vietnam Summer Camp themed “Proud of Vietnam” runs from July 13-31 and will take participants to major landmarks from the north to the south of the nation.

Details on the journey can be found at: vietnamsumercamp.vn.

New law to reform vocational training

The new Law on Occupational Education that took effect early this month can reduce the gap between workers' skills and employers' needs, experts say.

For a long time, the vocational training sector has been grappling to meet the demands of the labour market as well international integration.

At present, the national vocational training system has 190 schools offering three-year courses (cao dang), 300 schools offering two year courses (trung cap) and 991 centres providing short-term courses that last several months.

Experts said that to meet the needs of employers, vocational training schools in the country need to revamp their their curricula.

Very often the training provided by the vocational schools are out of sync with what enterprises need in a highly competitive environment, making it very difficult for students to find jobs after they compete their courses.

The new law can provide teeth to a long-standing recommendation that greater co-operation be established between vocational training institutions and enterprises, experts said. This would make the courses more practical and give students a much better chance of getting jobs.

The new law will let schools decide their curricula, which can be developed based on requirements outlined by businesses in different sectors and industries.

According to official statistics, just 2.5-3.5% of secondary school graduates typically register for vocational training courses.

The education sector has set a target of at least 30% of secondary school graduates enrolling in vocational training schools by the year 2020.

Pham Xuan Khanh, rector of Hanoi High Technology College, said he planned to open new training courses and establish strong links with businesses in order to attract students.

Caregivers need to be supervised

The army of personal freelance caregivers working in Hanoi hospitals have to be organised and managed to improve the quality of service to patients, hospital managers say.

A report in the Urban Economy Affairs newspaper cited them as saying the caregivers need better training and supervision.

The caregivers are generally untrained rural people who help look after patients before and after they receive treatment. This includes feeding, washing, showering and taking them to the toilet.

While the demand for their services is booming, taking care of patients is not a job for everyone.

Nguyen Thi Hien, a caregiver from northern Thai Binh Province, said she had to deal with many difficult requests from her clients.

"One old man asked me to take him outside for a smoke while both the doctors and his family insisted that he was not to touch a cigarette while staying in the hospital," Hien said.

She said he would scold her or refused to take his medicine and even went on hunger strikes if she didn't take him out. "He was a nice and adorable old man most of the time, but when his family learned he refused to eat or take his medicine, then I'm the one who is to blame," she said.

Inexperienced caregivers were often confused with the numerous medicines patients have to take. One caregiver at the Central Geriatric Institute reportedly gave patients anti-anxiety medicine after lunch when they were only supposed to take it after dinner.

The patients slept throughout the whole afternoon, which caused quite a bit of a panic until they realised they had taken the anti-anxiety medicine.

Caregivers generally only receive 70 to 80% of their pay. The rest goes into the pockets of service brokers found in every hospital.

When asked why they could not make an agreement directly with clients and skip the middleman, a caregiver said it was unwise as they would definitely get into trouble later.

A senior manager from Hanoi's Friendship Hospital said while the extra help caregivers provided was vital, it was time they were organised. He said some caregivers took on more patients than they could handle.

On top of this, he said caregivers put extra pressure on hospital facilities, but they were not supervised and sometimes got involved in fights.

Nguyen Xuan Ha, from Ba Dinh District, said he took days off from work to care for his ill father after failing to find a suitable caregivers.

"The service used to be acceptable. Now after so many problems, we cannot trust anyone to take care of our father anymore," he said.

He said hospitals in the city should be in charge of organising freelance caregivers, giving them training and instruction to perform their jobs to improve both the quality on care-giving and caregivers' benefits.

Forests in central Vietnamese province devastated by illegal loggers

Large areas of wild forests in the central Vietnamese province of Nghe An have been ravaged by illegal loggers, who have brought in heavy machines to fell big trees.

But local forest management agencies said they have not heard of the devastation.

The destruction has only been uncovered and stopped by PC49, the environmental police department of the province, thanks to coordination with the local Party Committee.

In late June, Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper followed a raid by local police to catch illegal loggers chopping down trees in the forest on the peak of Dong Deo Mountain in Con Cuong District.

Lieutenant Colonel Ha Quang Chung, 38, disguised himself as a logger to enter the forest on June 29.

Along the only path going deep into the forest in Dong Deo were bare hills with an abundance of timber logs by the bank of a stream.

The car of the disguised policemen continued on the path, but Chung failed to access the edge of the forest because of a ‘minefield’ of numerous sharp nails to puncture the tires of any car.

The ‘minefield’ trap was set by illegal loggers to prevent police from reaching them.

A police officer was assigned to stay with the car while the others entered the forest.

They saw two other lumber fields within 30 minutes of walking on the path to the center of the woods.

“Illegal loggers have been spreading devastation these days,” said Chung.

They passed many such loggers on the way to a big ‘timber sawing camp,’ and the men thought the ‘strangers’ were locals hired to carry wood out of the forest.

The policemen entered a wood camp and apprehended two illegal loggers sawing wood into pieces.

Other loggers in the area immediately tried to escape.

At the time, another group of policemen seized several machines, including three bulldozers owned by the illegal loggers.

A tractor driver was caught there, and hundreds of cubic meters of wood were confiscated at the scene.

Chung said there are generally two kinds of illegal loggers in Nghe An forests: one is an organizer, who supplies equipment and labor to devastate the woods, while the other is a lumber buyer.

The chairman of the People’s Committee of Con Cuong District convened an urgent meeting with the participation of local officials to draw out measures to prevent illegal logging and assign responsibilities to relevant agencies.

“This case of forest devastation is on a very large scale,” said Senior Lieutenant Colonel Chu Minh Tien, vice head of the PC49 unit.

Authorities at the commune level and forest management units are weak and were unable to discover the devastation, he added.

The Nghe An Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has failed to perform its supervisory function.

PPP focus urged as HIV/AIDS aid drops

More public-private partnerships (PPP) are needed to ensure the sustainability of HIV-prevention efforts, as the international donor fund for HIV response in Viet Nam is dropping dramatically.

Phan Thi Thu Huong, the deputy general director of the Viet Nam Authority of HIV/AIDS Control and Prevention, said that external donors had been the primary source of funding for HIV-response programmes in Viet Nam.

Speaking at a workshop held yesterday in HCM City, Huong said it was essential to find alternative sources of funds to maintain HIV-related goods and services and prevent transmission of disease.

The government of Viet Nam has a strong commitment to engage the private sector to invest in the HIV goods and services market, she said.

Linkages between the private sector and State-owned agencies for HIV/AIDS response would help create public-private partnerships (PPP), a form of funding that has been developing in the country.

Dau Anh Tuan, director of Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry's legal department, said that revenue sources for social security policies must be secured.

He said that PPP development was hindered by health regulatory agencies' lack of experience in attracting private investment.

The workshop, which was organised by Healthy Markets (HM), an initiative funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by PATH International, was an opportunity for national experts and private sector representatives to discuss obstacles faced by the private sector.

The five-year initiative aims to create a viable commercial market for HIV-related goods and services, including condoms, lubricants, needles and syringes, and HIV testing capable of meeting the needs of populations facing the greatest risks.

Waterway routes planned

The HCM City Department of Transport has submitted a proposal to the People's Committee to open two passenger waterway routes, according to Le Hoang Minh, deputy director of the department.

The city's first waterway routes with a total investment cost of VND128 billion (US$5.8 million) would be developed by Thuong Nhat Company under the Build- Operate-Own (BOO) mode, Minh said.

The first route, with a length of 10.8km, will run from Bach Dang Wharf in District 1 on the Sai Gon River to the Thanh Da-Binh Quoi Peninsula and stop at Linh Dong terminal in Thu Duc District.

The route would have seven boat terminals to receive passengers.

The second route, also with seven terminals, will run from Bach Dang Wharf to Lo Gom Canal in District 6.

With a length of 10.3km, it will run along Sai Gon River to Ben Nghe and Tau Hu canals and stop at Lo Gom Canal.

The preparation process for the construction of terminals and stations has been completed.

If the waterway routes are approved, the investor will build all terminals as well as Linh Dong and Lo Gom stations and part of the central station this year, Minh said.

The investor will also buy 10 boats with a capacity of 60 passengers by 2020.

The waterway routes are expected to open next year.

Resettled villagers left without electricity, water

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has urged people's committees in the mountain provinces of Son La, Dien Bien and Lai Chau, to finish resettling villagers evacuated three years ago to make way for Son La hydro-power plant.

Nearly three years after the completion of the plant, people who have been moved to other places are still having problems settling down.

A total of 20,340 households with 92,301 people were moved to new residential areas, but 10 per cent of infrastructure projects serving these resettlement areas have not yet been completed. Many homes are still without electricity and water.

On Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai asked the people's committees in the three provinces to complete the projects by the end of the year.

Hai said authorities in the three provinces should complete compensation payments to these people as well as provide full assistance promised, including food, money for investment in production and subsidies for buying fuel and paying household bills.

These projects involve electricity, water supply, housing, health clinics and schools for relocated people.

The Deputy PM said these projects must be completed as soon as possible so that financial reports could be approved in the first quarter of next year.

The hydropower plant opened in December, 2012, after seven years of construction. It supplies an average 10.2 billion kilowatt hours each year to the national grid.

Clean Hands project helps poor families

More than 400 disadvantaged families in rural communes today received basins for handwashing and other sanitation and hygiene equipment as part of a charity project.

The communes are located in the central provinces of Thanh Hoa, Ha Tinh and Quang Binh.

The Clean Hands-Hygienic Behaviour-Happy Families project, launched by East Meets West and Lixil Corporation, aims to improve hygiene and foster hygienic practices amongst communities in rural areas.

This is the second such project to be launched in Viet Nam this year.

In March, a School Hygiene and Sanitation project was organised in 22 schools in the Phu Tho, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and Dong Thap provinces.

PM okays highway upgrade

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved the Dai Ngai Bridge project, which will build 26 bridges on National Highway 60, linking Mekong Delta provinces of Soc Trang and Tra Vinh.

Last year, the Transport Ministry outlined the project with an estimated investment of VND13 trillion (US$596 million) for building 24 medium-sized bridges and two large bridges – Dai Ngai 1 and Dai Ngai 2 – along a 54km stretch of the highway.

Once complete, the bridges will help reduce the distance to travel from many coastal provinces of the Mekong Delta to HCM City by 70-100km and reduce the congestion on National Highway 1A.

The bridges will replace all ferries crossing Hau River in the coastal provinces from southernmost Ca Mau Province to HCM City. Some 4,000 vehicles use ferries to travel between Tra Vinh and Soc Trang daily.

The PM has asked the Transport Ministry to calculate the funding needed for the project.

The project will have two components, one of which will involve a build-operate-transfer contract with a private investor, while the other makes use of the State's budget.

The PM allowed private investors to collect toll at Dai Ngai Toll Station and Co Chien Bridge to earn back their investment.

The Transport Ministry was asked to find competent investors.

Highway 91 expansion

The Thang Long Project Management Board has proposed a VND2.24 trillion (US$100.9 million) plan for expanding a 7km section of National Highway 91.

Under the plan, the section that runs from the Hung Vuong Bus Terminal crossroads to Binh Thuy District's Tra Noc Ward in Can Tho City will have six lanes allowing vehicles to travel at 60km per hour. The width of this section will be expanded to 37m.

The Thang Long Project Management Board, which functions under the Transport Ministry, will be the project investor. It will spend about VND678 billion (US$31.1 million) on construction, over VND1.237 trillion (US$56.7 million) on land clearance and the rest of the investment for project management, consultancy services and budget reserves.

Vu Ngoc Duong, deputy managing director of the board, suggested that the Can Tho City People's Committee asked the central government to allocate funds from the 2016-20 medium-term investment plan that localities were directed by the PM to prepare last year. It should also ask for the release of funds in advance so that work on the project can begin next year, he said.

Dao Anh Dung, deputy chairman of the Can Tho People's Committee, said the city has agreed in principle with the proposal, and asked the board to include works like lighting, pavements, trees and a water drainage system in the project.

The project will affect about 1,000 households and 70 organisations, of which 150 households would have to be resettled.

Highway 91 is currently a two-lane road in the inner city that experiences a high circulation of vehicles with frequent traffic jams and accidents.

The proposal says that once the project is completed, improved traffic safety as well as traffic flow will serve socio-economic development in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta in general and Can Tho City in particular.

VIFOTEC Award generates motivation for scientists and creators

Politburo member and President of Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan has praised the Vietnam Fund for Scientific and Technological Creations (VIFOTEC) Award for generating motivation for scientists and creators.

Politburo member Nhan made the statement at the VIFOTEC Sponsorship Council meeting for the 2015 - 2020 term held in Hanoi on July 9 by the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA).

The VIFOTEC Award honours science circles and students who are studying in the field, he said.

As Vietnam has huge advantages in human resources, the VFF leader urged the VUSTA to work out solutions to encourage scientific research among people, particularly businesses.

He also pointed out the fact that Vietnamese businesses have not yet paid enough attention to conducting and applying scientific innovations in their production, thus calling on communications networks to work harder to introduce the latest technologies to them.

He suggested the fund’s secretariat not establish its own support center for creativity, rather it should set up a network of innovation labs in order to take advantage of available facilities in major groups and companies at home and abroad.

The VFF President also witnessed the signing of a co-operative agreement between the VIFOTEC and GFS Group, a well-developed investment business, in which the latter will provide the former with VND4 billion (US$183,400) to enhance its operation.

At the meeting, a 22-member Sponsorship council for the fund for the 2015 – 2020 term was introduced, with Politburo member Nhan is Honorary President and VUSTA Chairman Dang Vu Minh as President.

Since its launch in 1995, the VIFOTEC Award has received the enthusiastic support and participation of scientists and science-lovers from all walks of life. 100% of award-winning projects have been successfully brought to fruition.

National war heroes honoured with gifts

In the run-up to the 68th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs’ Day (July 27), a nationwide drive to pay tribute to war heroes and their families by giving presents, including cash, is currently underway.

In addition to gifts from the State President, almost 18,500 families of war heroes in the southern province of Dong Nai received 700,000 VND (33.3 USD) each from local budgets.

In 2013-2014, over 1,000 households accessed financial support reserved for housing repairs and construction.

In 2015, more than 18 billion VND (857,000 USD) will be spent on constructing 150 houses and repairing 600 others.

Dong Nai is home to 53,000 veteran soldiers, with over 14,000 families receiving a monthly State allowance and 14,000 individuals obtaining lump sum grants.

On July 16, a Vietnam News Agency delegation led by Deputy Director General Dinh Dang Quang visited invalids at a nursing centre in the northern midland province of Phu Tho and presented gifts.

The centre cares for 31 heavily-wounded soldiers from all over the country, with most of them having fought in the wars against the French and American forces.

Meanwhile, the central city of Da Nang aims to repair and build more than 1,000 houses for former revolutionaries and ethnic minority households this year.

Thanks to support from local authorities and philanthropists across the country, 201 new houses were constructed and 987 others were renovated at a total cost of 32.36 billion VND (1.54 million USD).

On the occasion, the municipal authorities donated gifts to families in need, each receiving donations worth 4.5 million VND (214 USD).

This year, the central province of Nghe An will process 13,000 applications to award certificates of merit to veterans for their contributions during the wars. The local Emulation and Commendation Department has so far reviewed over 7,700 dossiers which were submitted to the Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee.

Japan seeks investment approval to upgrade HCM City canal

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has asked municipal authorities in Ho Chi Minh City for permission to take part in the Xuyen Tam Canal upgrade project, worth over 5.1 trillion VND (around 234.1 million USD), in Binh Thanh and Go Vap districts, Hanoi Moi Newspaper reported on July 17.

The project involves dredging the 6.21km main section of the Xuyen Tam Canal, which runs from Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal to Vam Thuat River, as well as dredging three other subsections, developing transport infrastructure and upgrading urban residential areas along the canal in Binh Thanh and Go Vap districts.

JICA proposed to invest 3.5 trillion VND (approximately 160.5 million USD) in the project, or roughly 70 percent of total investments, in the form of a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreement.

Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Huu Tin has asked the city’s departments of Investment and Planning, and Finance, as well as a other relevant bodies, to assess the proposal and report to the People’s Committee on its feasibility.-

Quang Nam works to handle diphtheria outbreak

Health agencies in central Quang Nam province are taking drastic measures to mitigate the adverse effects of a recent diphtheria outbreak.

It is the first outbreak recorded in many decades in mountainous Phuoc Loc commune of Phuoc Son district and has claimed three lives so far this year.

The province has zoned off the area and carried out disinfection procedures. The Quang Nam Health Department is organising a vaccination programme for all locals living in the vulnerable locality.

The department’s Director Nguyen Van Hai declared Quang Nam’s determination to curb disease fatalities through maintaining regular inspections, launching intensive treatments for current patients and educating residents on diphtheria and basic hygienic practices.

Working groups from the Health Department will visit each local home to run a communication campaign. The national health sector has prepared medication and medical equipment to support disease-affected provinces as necessary.

According to the provincial department, ten others with classic diphtheria symptoms of high fever and swollen and painful throat are being treated at the district’s medical centre and their conditions are improving.

Phuoc Loc commune is home to 23,635 people, 70 percent of whom are Bh’noong ethnic minorities who still subsist on nomadic farming and have little access to health services.

Diphtheria is a dangerous respiratory disease caused by a potent toxin produced by certain strains of the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae. It is extremely contagious through coughing or sneezing. Risk factors include crowding, poor hygiene, and lack of immunisations.

The disease can be treated and cured successfully with antitoxins and antibiotics if started early enough. Diphtheria can be prevented through vaccinations.

Ca Mau takes actions to respond to disasters

The southernmost province of Cau Mau’s committee for flood and storm control stepped up its actions to effectively respond to floods and storms in 2015, which are expected to be complicated.

The committee divided the province into five geographical areas and assigned members to be in charge of tasks in each area, which include preparing shelters and evacuation schemes and search and rescue operations.

Around 18,635 households with a total of 85,399 people will be evacuated in case of serious storm.

During the remaining months of the year – the peak months of the stormy season – the province has asked districts to increase publicity communication campaigns to equip people with measures to respond to disasters and raise awareness, responsibility and preparedness of the community.

According to the provincial People’s Committee’s statistics, landslides and storms destroyed 70 houses, blew the roofs off 177 others and sunk 10 fishing boats, causing 8 billion VND (366,000 USD) in damage to the province during the first six months of the year.

In June alone, landslides and storms destroyed 21 houses and blew roofs off 35 houses, causing a loss of 1.3 billion VND (59,588 USD).

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