US Government provides aid for field hospital in Vietnam

The Prime Minister has approved a project to provide medical equipment for the second-level field hospital using non-refundable aid of the US Government.

The project will be launched at the Military Hospital 175 in Ho Chi Minh City this year with a combined fund of around 2 million USD from the US Government and 5.5 billion VND (242,317 USD) sourced from the country’s national defence budget.

It will provide training courses to improve the capacity of Vietnam’s medical forces to be served in the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions.

The project will also prepare personnel and essential health equipment of the second-level hospital to engage in missions upon the request of the UN.

Can Tho: Community-based tourism services need “quality label”

Community-based tourism service providers in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho need to be evaluated and classified by “quality label”, heard a workshop in the city on March 21.

The workshop entitled “The participatory of community on Green – Clean – Beautiful Initiative and Ecological Culture which will be linked to the urban prosperity approach towards sustainable development for Can Tho City” was held by the Can Tho People’s Committee and the United Nation Human Settlements Programme (UN Habitat).

Speaking at the event, Vice Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Committee Vo Thi Hong Anh, said Can Tho has put many efforts to develop green tourism over the past five years which resulted in an increased number of tourist arrivals and more foreign direct investment (FDI) concentrated in the field.

However, the local tourism industry has not fully tapped its potential highlighted by the native folk culture and system of canals and rivers alongside various tropical fruits, she noted, adding that the city needs a more comprehensive plan for tourism growth.

According to the city’s plan on tourism development towards 2030, Can Tho will develop tours in which visitors can experience local river life and enjoy wandering around gardens of tropical fruits or they can learn about local history from cultural and historical relics, the vice chairwoman said.

Cultural and eco- tours in Can Tho, and the Mekong Delta in general, are not every different from each other and they vary considerably in price and service quality, Prof. Lee Seung-koo from Kangwon National University stated.

He emphasised on the need for the city to evaluate their service quality and classify them by “quality label” to prevent them from providing poor services while overcharging tourists.

The assessment should be based on a transparent set of standards and authorities can study successful models of community-based tourism in Vietnam and other countries for reference to develop such standards.

Business household should also be offered soft loans to improve their tours and services, he added.

According to Prof. Kim Kwi-gon, President of the RoK-based International Urban Training Centre, authority and travel agencies should act as a bridge between tourists and the locals that provide community-based tourism services and relevant state bodies should help them get education in management, communication and foreign languages to serve tourists better and make their livelihood more sustainably.

Forum on Venezuela situation held in Hanoi

Real situation and outlook for Venezuela were provided at a forum jointly held by the Vietnam-Venezuela Friendship Association and Venezuelan Embassy in Hanoi on March 21.

Associate Professor PhD Nguyen Viet Thao, Vice Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and Public Administration, said that the forum creates opportunities for participants, including lecturers from the academy, to update information about the South American country.

Strong decline in global oil prices in recent years have impacted on the country’s socio-economic development, Venezuelan Ambassador Jorge Rondon Uzcategui said, highlighting that 2016 was a tough year for Venezuela as foreign currency collection tapered off by 87 percent as an impact from the low oil price.

He added that despite difficulties, the country still focuses on social investments. Recovery signs in oil price are expected to lever up the economy and create a turning point for Venezuela, he stressed.

Expressing his thanks to the Vietnam-Venezuela Friendship Association for joining hands with the Venezuelan Embassy to organise such event, the ambassador believed that Vietnam and Venezuela will enjoy further sound relations.

At the forum, many participants raised questions on the social life in Venezuela and expressed their love for the country.

HCMC to open two new bus lanes in April

HCMC Public Passenger Transport Management Center has proposed the Department of Transport to pilot two bus priority lanes in Dien Bien Phu and Vo Thi Sau streets from April. 

The plan was announced by the center’s director of Tran Chi Trung on Tuesday.

According to the proposal, bus lane will start from Ly Thai To roundabout to Sai Gon Bridge in Dien Bien Phu street and from Dinh Tien Hoang street to Dan Chu roundabout in Vo Thi Sau street.

The center suggested three measures to implement the pilot project. First, buses will travel in the same lane with automobiles and move into two wheel vehicle lanes to pick up and drop off passengers. However this solution is inconvenient and time consuming.

The second measure will use an auto lane for buses only and the third solution will permit buses to travel and catch passengers in the left lane of the two streets. The HCMC Department of Transport is now considering the three measures.

Talking to Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper, Mr. Tran Chi Trung said that the center needed relevant agencies’ assistance to study and estimate traffic flow organization in Dien Bien Phu, Vo Thi Sau and neighboring streets to successfully implement the pilot project. Vehicle volume in the two streets must be reduced to make them clearer for the project.

Last year, bus passengers in HCMC reduced 3.4 million equivalent to 84,000 bus trips. The center attributed the fall to many reasons including traffic jam which has caused passengers late for work.

Urban traffic experts said that organizing priority lanes for buses in wide roads such as Vo Van Kiet, Pham Van Dong, Dien Bien Phu and Hanoi Highway is reasonable. 

However it is unreasonable for smaller streets inner the city such as Vo Thi Sau, requiring authorized agencies’ careful calculation and citizens’ support.

Sawaco submits funding proposal for new water tanks

Sài Gòn Water Corporation (Sawaco) has submitted a funding proposal to build underground water tanks that will replace seven unused water towers in HCM City.

Sawaco would contribute 5 per cent of the funds; the Việt Nam Investment JSC, 70 per cent; and Nguyên Ngọc Construction-Trading Co, 25 per cent.

The underground water tanks will be built at the sites of the old water towers, which have been removed.

The aim of the construction is to ensure water supply, including tap water, and water for firefighting.

The seven water towers, located in the districts of Bình Thạnh, 5, 11, 6, 4, Phú Nhuận and Gò Vấp, were taken down last year.

One water tower located at Sawaco headquarters was preserved for historic purposes.

The eight water towers, which were built between 1965 and 1969, were leaking water and no longer usable.

PM recognises six island communes of Tien Giang

The Prime Minister has issued a decision recognising six communes of the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang as island communes.

Accordingly, the newly-recognised island communes include Tan Thoi, Tan Phu, Phu Thanh, Phu Dong, Phu Tan and Tan Thanh, of Tan Phu Dong district.

The island communes will be entitled to preferential policies designed for island communes as regulated by law.    

Tien Giang has rich aquatic supply, including freshwater and saltwater fish. The province is home to 70,000 ha of orchards with numerous special fruits and dense river and canal networks which benefit ecotourism development. Many fruits, vegetables, and other products are sold on Cai Be Floating Market. 

According to the Prime Minister’s decision, an island commune must satisfy two criteria on natural land and settlement of citizens or armed forces.

Relevant authorities need to base on Decision 568/QD-TTg dated on April 28, 2010 approving the development planning on Vietnamese island economy to 2020 to draw up socio-economic development plans for the recognised communes while carrying out other preferential policies for island communes issued by the Government.

Police arrest four in online arms trafficking case

The city police have busted a weapon trading ring in HCM City.

The ring was involved in importing electric guns, scimitars, Japanese-style swords, and grenades from China and sold them online in Việt Nam.

According to the police, it was a large-scale arms trafficking racket in Việt Nam.

Earlier this year, the police had found some accounts on Facebook and other social networking websites selling these types of weapons.

The prices of these weapons ranged from hundreds of đồng to millions.

Following investigations, the police said the head of the ring was Tô Hoàng Vũ, 29, who had three assistants.

They imported the arms from China and stored them in a house in District 8. They then posted advertisements on social networking websites.

Vũ rarely delivered the goods to the customers. He stayed home to get the online orders, the police said.

At 3pm on Monday, the police conducted a raid at Vũ’s house. At the time of arrest, Vũ and his three assistants were found to have consumed drugs. Therefore, they did not resist arrest.

After conducting a search of the house, the police recovered 250 scimitars, 37 bayonets, 17 electric guns, and 50 Japanese-style swords and many electric robes.

The police are investigating the case further.

Microsoft sparks change for disadvantaged youth

More than 600 disadvantaged young people will benefit from a new venture between Microsoft and vocational training charity REACH providing coding and ICT training.

The project was announced at an event at REACH’s Hanoi center on March 21 and is part of Microsoft’s YouthSpark Programs, a global initiative that aims to empower young people by equipping them with computer science skills.

“As technology has become an integral part of people’s daily lives around the world, we’re seeing a growing demand - from students, parents, teachers, governments, and nonprofits - to teach youth not only how to use technology but also how to create technology, to help them become the innovators and drivers of growth and opportunity in their communities,” said Ms. Yvonne Thomas, Global Director of YouthSpark Programs.

Microsoft will provide financial, curriculum, and technical support to roll out coding training to 240 disadvantaged students currently enrolled in REACH’s web and graphic design course in northern and central Vietnam and a 3D modelling class in Hanoi.

Around 460 other students undergoing training in REACH’s food and beverage, sales and marketing, and housekeeping courses will also be provided with ICT training, including skills using the Microsoft Office suite, to enhance their employability.

Asia Regional Director of Microsoft Philanthropies, Dr. Daiana Beitler, added that students will also be participating in Hour of Code, a free online tutorial for students and educators that teaches coding using a wide range of games and exercises.

REACH Executive Director Pham Thi Thanh Tam said that the partnership will play an important role in helping Vietnam’s most disadvantaged youth get their foot in the door in the country’s increasingly competitive job market.

Lao Cai readies for its colourful flower festival

The Lao Cai flower festival may be the province’s most famous floral extravaganza and a great place to get sage advice from gardening gurus and how-to demos along with tons of fun, food, music and games for all.

From March 31-April 9, thousands of visitors will join the celebration that has earned the title of being one of the top flower festivals anywhere in Vietnam, says the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Students nationwide invited to enter French poetry contest

The French Culture Centre L’Espace has extended an invitation to all Vietnamese students nationwide to enter its first-ever poetry recital competition at its auditorium in Hanoi on March 25.

The slam competition has been created with the aim of inspiring young students studying the French language to be creative and the opportunity to show their passion for language and self-expression.

The oral competition involves an initial round audition whereby students recite a French poem by heart in front of an assessor. Students that achieve a perfect score will than advance to the finals round.

A jury of judges then has the difficult task of choosing from the ‘crème de la crème’ the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners of each year level. Finalists will be honoured at a ceremony and there will be numerous prizes and awards.

The overall grand winner will have a chance at an all-expense paid trip to Paris to compete at the French World Cup of Slam 2017 later this year. To enter and for complete competition guidelines visit http://www.institutfrancais-vietnam.com/category/hanoi/.

Death sentences handed down to nine heroin smugglers in Hoa Binh

A court in Vietnam sentenced nine drug smugglers to death on March 21 after they were caught trying to traffic nearly half a ton of heroin between Laos, Vietnam and China back in 2015.

In total, 23 people were found guilty of drug trafficking at the trial, which was held in the northern province of Hoa Binh. Nine received the maximum penalty, a further nine were given life sentences, four received 17-20 years in prison and a woman was given 18 months for failure to denounce the crimes.

The defendants were also accused of illegal possession of military weapons and harboring criminals.

The case centered on Tran Duc Duy, 33, the leader of the network that trafficked more than 1,400 packs of heroin weighing nearly half a ton. Duy was arrested in 2015 while driving a truck carrying 33 kilograms of heroin. An investigation led to the arrests of a further 22 members of the ring.

Vietnam has some of the world’s toughest drug laws. Those convicted of possessing or smuggling more than 600 grams of heroin or more than 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine face the death penalty.

The production or sale of 100 grams of heroin or 300 grams of other illegal narcotics is also punishable by death.

Midfielder Toàn to sideline for one month

Midfielder Võ Ngọc Toàn of Sông Lam Nghệ An will be sidelined for one month by a knee injury.

Toàn was hurt during a match with Hoàng Anh Gia Lai in the 10th round of the national premier league over the weekend.

According to doctor Nguyễn Trọng Hiền of Việt Nam Sports Hospital, Toàn will need at least one month to recover his strength.

Toàn will not compete in key upcoming matches against Sông Lam Nghệ An, Hải Phòng, HCM City or Hà Nội.

It is the second time Toàn has played in the V.League 1.

At present, Sông Lam Nghệ An rank 10th in the rankings with 12 points. Thanh Hóa and Quảng Nam are in the lead with 19 points.

Northern Vietnam braces for hailstorms as cold snap bites

Hanoi and northern parts of the country can expect whirlwinds and hailstorms.

A cold spell is forecast to descend on northern Vietnam early on March 21, replacing the current humid weather and dropping temperatures in the capital and northern provinces by 2-3 degrees Celsius.

Maximum daytime temperatures will be 26-27 degrees Celsius, reported Vietnam's National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

Forecasters also warned that the cold front could combine with westerly winds and form extreme weather patterns such as whirlwinds and hailstorms. Northern mountainous provinces, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Ha Giang, Cao Bang, Tuyen Quang and Bac Kan, are likely to be the most affected areas. At night, temperatures there are projected to drop to under 18 degrees Celsius.

Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and Ha Tinh will also be affected, but to a lesser extent, with hailstorms, whirlwinds and strong winds forecast for tonight. 

The cold front will stretch down as far as the central coast, where rain and strong winds are expected.

The westerly wind is forecast to move out to sea on March 23, returning northern provinces to moist and humid weather conditions.

Lai Chau head-on collision leaves 4 in critical condition

A head-on collision between two semis in the province of Lai Chau today (Mar. 21) sent both drivers and two passengers to the hospital, all in critical condition.

According to police officials, a semi travelling on the Sa Pa-Lai Chau highway lost its brakes crossed the centre line just before 6am and slammed into another one driving in the opposite direction near the Chu Va 12 bridge.

It's unknown if any of the drivers or passengers were wearing a seat belt.

Both trucks were totalled, sustaining extensive damage. The highway was closed in either direction for some time as crews cleared the scene.

Central city to develop e-health

The Information System (IS), a company of the FPT Group, will supply information technology infrastructure (IT) for 16 hospitals in Đà Nẵng this year.

The move is part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the company and the city last week.

As planned, FPT’s IS company will help build up databases and software for patients’ medical files at five hospitals in the first stage in 2017.

The company also provides IT solutions for urban traffic as well as digital maps in management of buses and GPS car tracking.

Following the agreement, FPT’s IS will help the city become a beacon for advanced IT applications in e-heath, human resource training in IT, as well as information technology transfer.

According to the Department of Transport, 1,300 buses and 879 trucks have already been fitted with GPS tracking equipment.

Đà Nẵng launched its e-Government initiative in 2014 and offered free wireless internet services, with a maximum of 20,000 connections for local residents and tourists at major public spaces and streets across the city.

The central city had provided 1,196 on-line administration procedures, including one-stop shops, residential management, public transport and water supervision through the E-Government system.

Last year, the city and the military-owned telecommunications group Viettel signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for developing Đà Nẵng into a ‘smart city’ in 2020.

Seminar discusses lifting Vietnam-India ties to greater height

An international scientific seminar “Vietnam-India: 45 years of diplomatic ties and 10 years of strategic partnership” took place in Hanoi on March 21, as part of a bilateral external activity programme approved by the Vietnamese Prime Minister. 

With nearly 100 Vietnamese and Indian scholars taking part, the event aimed to boost Vietnam-India ties across the fields of politics, diplomacy, economy-trade, national defenec-security, energy, culture, education, science-technology, and people-to-people diplomacy. 

Speaking at the event, Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh lauded the time-honoured bilateral ties dating back to thousands of years ago when Buddhism and Hinduism entered Vietnam. 

Over the past 45 years, the bilateral friendship, peace, cooperation and development have been increasingly strengthened, she said, adding that the achievements have yet to match each country’s potential. 

She asked both countries to utilise similarities and remove subjective and objective barriers that slow cooperation progress, based on which, identify each side’s priorities and strengths in bilateral links. 

The Vietnamese leader suggested further clarifying Vietnam’s role in India’s Act East policy as well as its role as a bridge connecting India and ASEAN so that the two nations could develop relationship on par with their potential. 

She said Vietnam wants the Indian government to provide annual scholarships for Vietnamese students and invest in building capacity of information technology workforce; English training; electrical energy calculation and other fields such as nuclear technology; remote sensing; outer space exploration for peaceful purposes; aviation, road and waterway connectivity; and the effective organisation of the Vietnam-India friendship festival. 

Neeklakanta Ravi, former Indian Ambassador to Vietnam and former deputy head of the Indian Foreign Service in charge of Oriental Affairs, described Vietnam as one of the special diplomatic priorities of India thanks to its significant role in India’s strategic economic interests. 

Participants discussed theoretical and practical issues such as the history and status of bilateral ties, past achievements, barriers and limitations in regional and global context, and suggestions. 

Several opinions shared the view that the two countries need to shape a new vision and mindset in order to lift bilateral ties to a greater height amid the current world development trend.

The event was co-organised by the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and the Indian Embassy in Vietnam.

National sepak takraw event ends in Cần Thơ

The National Sepak Takraw Tournament concluded in Lưu Hữu Phước Park in the southern city of Cần Thơ on March 20.

In women’s doubles, Bắc Giang defeated Thanh Hóa 21-15 and 21-11 in the final match to take the gold medal.

In men’s doubles, Vĩnh Long took the gold after beating HCM City 21-15, 18-21 and 21-16.

Earlier, Hà Nội took the lead in the men’s team of four, while Nghệ An triumphed in the women’s side.

Hà Nội won gold medals in both men’s and women’s teams of three.

After seven day of competition, Hà Nội team topped the medal tally with three golds, followed by Bắc Giang with one gold and one silver.

The tournament attracted the participation of 150 players from 16 teams across the country.

Major 2017 Cần Thơ Fair to be one for the books

The 2017 Cần Thơ Book Fair will take place at the city’s Lưu Hữu Phước Park from March 25 to 31.

The second biennial fair will be divided into six areas and have 350 booths set up by 100 publishers.

The HCM City Book Distribution Corporation (Fahasa)’s 20 booths will feature 10,000 books besides thousands of stationery items, toys and souvenirs.

Since readers’ needs are slightly different in Cần Thơ compared to HCM City or Hà Nội, a number of agriculture- and forestry-related titles will be on display.

Besides domestic publishers, Oxford, Cengage, Cambridge, Macmillan, Efuture, Pearson, and other international distributors will also take part with children’s and language books.

There will be exhibitions on the formation and development of Việt Nam, President Hồ Chí Minh’s contributions and stories and images of Cần Thơ among others.

Other highlights will include book signing sessions and seminars featuring popular authors and music shows.

Visitors will enjoy 10-50 per cent discounts on books and stationery on the last three days.

The Cần Thơ Book Fair is the second largest in southern Việt Nam after the HCM City Book Fair.

The annual fair provides local publishers with opportunities to network with and learn from larger publishers from around the country.

To avoid clashing with the established HCM City Book Fair, the Cần Thơ fair is only held on odd years.

Saigon to ban vehicles from Bui Vien backpacker street

Shops and restaurants will be allowed to retake the sidewalks on weekends from 7 p.m. until 2 a.m. from April 30.

For those worried about the fate of Bui Vien in the middle of the sidewalk cleanup frenzy, the city has announced a plan to pedestrianize the backpacker street on weekend nights from the end of April.

District 1 officials at a meeting on March 20 said the 850-meter street will be saved for pedestrians from 7 p.m. until 2 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

During this time, vendors will be allowed to display their merchandise on the sidewalks, but not the road.

The city will install CCTV cameras and deploy security guards to monitor the area.

Tran Vinh Tuyen, the city’s vice chairman, said at the meeting that the street should add more cultural highlights like live music. “The area should stay vibrant,” he said.

It’s still not clear what will become of Bui Vien during the week.

Earlier this month the city asked shops and restaurants on the street to keep their business off the sidewalks. It has revealed a new plan to turn Pham Ngu Lao, De Tham and Do Quang Dau, other streets that make up the tourist center, into a pedestrian-only area after 6 p.m., but no timeframe has been set.

The famous backpacker precinct, where all the lines blur between private and public spaces, between grill bars and sidewalks, between streets and dance floors, is posing a big puzzle for the city’s sidewalk revolution.

District 1 officials have said the mission to clean up the city’s sidewalks will allow no exceptions. Anyone and anything standing in the way of city’s bid to become a Singapore-esque metropolis has been either reprimanded, pulled down or towed away.

But many have expressed concerns that if the Bui Vien neighborhood is tidied up and all the fun has to be taken inside, the area's appeal will die. Then the tourists will leave, taking their money with them.

Official figures show that the area draws 500 tourists every day, and 2,000 at its peak, pulling in more than VND37 billion (US$1.62 million) a year.

Painting exhibition to mark Đà Nẵng's Liberation Day

A painting exhibition, the Meet of March, will feature 50 paintings by 10 local artists in celebration of the 42nd anniversary of the central city’s Liberation Day (March 29th).

The event’s organising committee said the exhibition would officially open at the Đà Nẵng Fine Arts Museum at 78 Lê Duẩn street on March 28th.

The exhibition will focus on scenes of Đà Nẵng – its mountains, river, beach and people – from past to present.

The Fine Arts Museum, the only one of its kind in the central and Central Highlands region, has a permanent display of 413 works by artists from the city and provinces in the region.

Also in celebration of Liberation Day, on March 29 the Đà Nẵng’s Museum is launching a display of the culture, costume, wood sculpture, photos and lifestyle of the Cơ Tu ethnic group living in the central region.

The Cơ Tu people, Việt Nam’s smallest ethnic minority, number some 70,000 people. They live in the Trường Sơn Mountain range in the provinces of Quảng Nam and Thừa Thiên-Huế, and in Đà Nẵng City.

Đà Nẵng’s Museum also preserves a collection of 11 ancient, cast-iron cannons (made during the Nguyễn Dynasty, between 1802-1860) that were unearthed at the Điện Hải Citadel from 1979 to 2008. — VNS

Hoang Sa, Truong Sa exhibition opens in Kon Tum

An exhibition featuring maps and documents affirming Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes kicked off on March 21 in Dak Ha district of the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum.

Themed “Hoang Sa, Truong Sa of Vietnam – Historical and legal evidence”, the exhibition aims to raise awareness of protecting Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa among the public, especially young generations.

It also displays many documents and photos on sea, island and border construction and safeguarding activities of the Party committee, authorities, army and people of Kon Tum.

The exhibition is one of the series planned to be held in nine districts and one army unit across the province during 2017-2018.

Following Dak Ha, this year the exhibition will come to Dak To, Dak Glei, Kon Ray and Ngoc Hoi districts.

It will be held in Kon Plong, Tu Mo Rong, Ia H’Drai and Sa Thay districts and Regiment 990 in Dak To district next year.

Japan provides nearly 2 mln USD for 18 projects in Vietnam

Japan has provided nearly 2 million USD for 18 projects in 15 localities in Vietnam as part of the Japanese Government’s grassroots non-refundable aid programme.

A signing ceremony for the assistance took place in Hanoi on March 21.

Addressing the signing ceremony, Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Umeda Kunio said despite rapid economic growth and urbanisation, many people in Vietnam have been left behind with limited access to education and health care. In addition to that, unexploded ordnance left from the war 40 years ago has still been affecting many lives, he noted.

The 18 projects cover the fields of healthcare, primary and kindergarten education, agricultural production, post-war bomb clearance, vocational training, elderly care, and local infrastructure development, the ambassador added.

He hoped that the projects would contribute to the sustainable development of Vietnam.

Chairman of the People’s Committee of Tan Son district, northern Phu Tho province Nguyen Ba Khuyen, on behalf of aid recipients, said the local authorities will coordinate with relevant agencies to carry out the projects on schedule and once completed, they will be used effectively in the long-term.

Tan Son district is a beneficiary from the Japanese-funded project on improving primary educational environment.

Can Tho applies City Prosperity Index to promote sustainable growth

The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho is aiming for sustainable growth between 2017 and 2025 through the application of the City Prosperity Index (CPI).

The CPI is a global initiative designed by UN-Habitat to measure the overall achievements in a city that are related to how cities create and distribute socio-economic benefits or prosperity. It measures in six dimensions, namely productivity, infrastructure development, quality of life, environmental sustainability, equity and social inclusion, and urban governance and legislation. 

The municipal People’s Committee launched on March 21 a cooperation programme with the UN-Habitat Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) to apply the CPI.

More than 200 cities around the world applied the CPI as of 2016. Can Tho is the only Mekong Delta city in Vietnam that ROAP assists to pilot the index.

Nguyen Trong Cuong, Director of the Can Tho Institute for Socio-Economic Development Studies (CIDS), said statistics show that as of 2016, the city was one of the localities with the fastest urbanisation rate in Vietnam and has had to face an array of development challenges such as water treatment, energy consumption, infrastructure development, social housing and public space, the gap between urban and rural areas, traffic congestion, and environmental pollution.

That fact requests the municipal administration to precisely assess urban growth to improve the urban governance, he noted, adding that the CPI is the best choice.

Vice Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Committee Vo Thi Hong Anh said the CPI will help Can Tho to pinpoint its strengths and weaknesses, thus making appropriate development policies. It will also help persuade investors to do business in the city and update residents about the use of the tax they paid and the policy implementation.

Pham Thi Ngoc Bich from UN-Habitat in Vietnam said the basic and expanded CPIs for Can Tho were basically completed, basing on data from local reports, the city’s statistical yearbook, and information from the UN and the World Bank. However, some important information is still needed.

In 2017, UN-Habitat will open training courses on CPI for local relevant agencies and work with the CIDS to remove bottlenecks in the CPI application, she added.

Central Highlands ensures sufficient water for coffee trees

Water resources in the Central Highlands will supply enough water to irrigate coffee tree areas in the region until the end of the dry season, according to the Steering Committee for Central Highlands.

The Central Highland provinces have entered the dry season but irrigation projects, rivers, streams and wells are holding sufficient water for irrigating coffee trees, the committee said.

Thanks to rains even prolonged downpours, appearing in the region in late last year and early this year, local coffee farmers have just watered coffee trees two times, instead of three or four times like in the previous years, helping them save more water.

The use of water-efficient irrigation system also helps the farmers reduce the amount of water needed to irrigate coffee areas.

Though, the region still lacks a lot of irrigation projects. The fact could cause great damage to farmers if there would be similar prolonged droughts in recent years.

In 2016, almost 134,600 hectares of coffee trees in the region saw reduced outputs due to water shortage, of which nearly 7,900 hectares died or did not produce any coffee beans.

The whole region currently has over 2,350 irrigation projects, which ensure water for nearly 19.5 percent of its total coffee areas. The remaining coffee areas are irrigated by water resources from rivers, streams, and wells.

Dak Lak province, which has the largest area of coffee trees, has just 770 irrigation works capable of providing water for 52,000 hectares while 152,000 hectares are irrigated with water from rivers, streams, and wells.

The Central Highlands region now has 576,800 hectares of coffee trees, accounting for 89 percent of the country’s total coffee areas.-

Humid, unstable weather makes kids sick

Fluctuating temperatures, combined with drizzle and high humidity, have created conditions for an unseasonal influx of pediatric diseases, doctors say.

The number of children in many localities being hospitalised has increased over recent days due to unusual changes of the weather, especially in the north.

Most of the children have been hospitalised for diseases relating to respiratory problems like bronchitis and pneumonia, digestive ailments or dengue fever.

The Central Hospital of Pediatrics has received around 2,500 children for health check-ups and treatment each day over the past week, according to hospital statistics.

According to doctors, the number of children being hospitalised will keep increasing if the humidity remains high.

The Health Check-up Department is overloaded, especially during mornings. Long queues of parents and family members stand at department doors waiting for check-ups.

“It’s hard to find a space in a queue. I’ve been waiting here for nearly an hour for my turn,” Lê Mai Lan, a woman living in Giảng Võ Street with her six-month-old daughter said.

“I see most parents take their children here with the disease relating to respiratory problems, and my daughter is also the same,” she said.

Hospital staff have been working at full capacity to quickly deal with the situation, but people have still have to wait for long periods of time.

Every time the weather changes, clinics see an increase of 500-1,000 children patients compared to an average day.

About 60-70 per cent of checked children had respiratory diseases, a doctor said.

The departments of respiratory, digestive, dermatology have received the largest number of patients in recent days. The disease ranges from infancy to children in kindergarten and primary school.

Prof Trần Minh Điền, the hospital’s deputy director, said when the weather changed, children, especially those with weak immune systems, are more likely to catch respiratory diseases.

“The high humidity and unusual change of temperature are the reason for the spread of diseases relating to respiratory and digestion,” he said.

At the Pediatrics Department of Bạch Mai Hospital, the number of children being hospitalised with respiratory disease increased 20 per cent.

Each day, the hospital received over 200 children for health check-ups and treatment over the past days.

Most of them had cough, hard respiration, wheezing, fever or high fever, Prof Nguyễn Tiến Dũng said.

"Many children have allergic rhinitis, bronchitis and many cases are identified as catching disease due to affected moldy and moist environment," he said.

In northern Hà Nam Province, the health sector said that the number of people coming to the general, obstetrics and pediatrics hospitals as well as districts’ health centres increased by 5-10 per cent compared to last month.

Patients mainly are elderly and children who suffer from chronic diseases, with some directly related to humidity of weather, such as arthritis, cardiovascular disease, especially respiratory.

It is forecast that there will be a high level of humidity in the next few days.

Doctors recommend people keep the environment clean to prevent diseases related to weather.

They also suggest people should close the door all day to limit the moisture blowing in the house and use dehumidifiers.

Nutrition also should be strengthened, especially for children, doctors said.

Prof Dũng also warned people should not arbitrarily use drugs, especially antibiotics, without doctor’s prescription after a health check-up.

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