Vietnam’s hosting of APEC Food Security Week hailed

The APEC 2017 Food Security Week kicked off in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on August 18 (Photo: VNA)

APEC officials have applauded Vietnam’s hosting of the Food Security Week, which took place in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho from August 18-25, as well as initiatives the country raised at different discussions during the week. 

Pavel Krasilnikov, Deputy Director of the Eurasian Centre for Food Security of Moscow State University, said Vietnam’s organisation of the Food Security Week is very good in all stages, from accommodations for delegates to transportation and especially security. 

“I was impressed when attending the sessions because all of them were very well arranged, signaling professional preparations,” he said. 

Vietnam’s proposals during the Food Security Week are very timely, he said, noting that globally, there are certain concerns about impacts of agriculture on the environment. That’s why developing green agriculture, as suggested by Vietnam, is very important.  

Pavel Krasilnikov said he also had interesting experiences when travelling several local destinations.

“It is important to understand about the life of normal people before speaking about food security,” he added.

Patrick Moran, Lead Shepherd of the APEC Oceans and Fisheries Working Group (OFWG), stressed that Vietnam has done a great job in 2017, saying it has been a productive and effective year. 

“In terms of content, we have addressed agriculture, fishery, aquaculture and other issues such as food security. I am very pleased with the progresses made this week,” he said.

There is a tendency in food security discussions to talk mostly about agriculture, and sometimes, fisheries and aquaculture. But actually, fisheries and aquaculture are very important in the region for food security, Patrick Moran said.

He suggested Vietnam continue its international cooperation and participate in more international dialogues to gather and share knowledge about food security and climate change.

A delegate from New Zealand said Vietnam’s initiatives relating to climate change are very good, commenting on beautiful Can Tho city and great logistics services offered by Vietnam.  

Suryana Sastradiredja, Minister Counsellor at the Embassy of Indonesia, highlighted Vietnamese people’s hospitality and the country’s excellent organisation of the first, second and third APEC Senior Officials Meetings. 

John Paul Kendiga, Director of the Economic Research, Policy Planning, Programming and Coordination Branch under the Department of Agriculture and Livestock of Papua New Guinea, said the Food Security Week is very useful as his country is facing climate change impacts similar to Vietnam’s.

VFF cements ties with Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference

The Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) will do its utmost to maintain and nurture the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and China.

President of the VFF Central Committee Tran Thanh Man made the pledge at his reception in Hanoi on August 25 for Yuan Guiren, visiting Vice Chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

The Vietnamese Party, State, Government, VFF and people attach importance to the cooperation and friendship with the Chinese sides, considering it a top priority in Vietnam’s foreign policy, Man affirmed.

He expressed his hope that the two sides will intensify delegation exchanges, the sharing of information and experience in fighting corruption and protecting the environment, and coordinate closely in implementing collaboration programmes.

Yuan Guiren confirmed that the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference treasures and is willing to cooperate and exchange experience with the VFF in the fields of politics and people-to-people diplomacy, thus helping deepen the two countries’ friendship.

China is willing to support Vietnam to successfully organise Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) events in 2017, he added.

Soc Trang hosts exhibition on Hoang Sa, Truong Sa

Visitors to the exhibition 

An exhibition entitled “Hoang Sa, Truong Sa of Vietnam – Historical and legal evidence” opened in the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang on August 25.

On display are more than 200 maps, photos and documents published from the 17th century to the 20th century, proving Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos as well as the country’s exercise of sovereignty over the islands.

In addition, the exhibition also showcases four atlases published by China’s Qing Dynasty and the Chinese Government in 1908, 1917, 1919 and 1933, defining Hainan island as China’s southernmost point.

The event is designed to raise awareness and enhance solidarity and responsibility of local people and overseas Vietnamese, especially youths, in protecting Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos.

The exhibition runs until August 29.

Typhoon Hato: Strong winds damage houses, uproot trees

Lào Cai is the first northern province to claim damages caused by strong winds and heavy rains due to typhoon Hato, after it made landfall China on Wednesday noon and kept moving north-westward.

By 5pm Wednesday, strong winds blew away the roofs of  more than 750 houses, including 128 in Lào Cai City, 103 in Sapa District, 255 in Mường Khương District, 190 in Bảo Thắng District and 59 in Văn Bàn District.

Heavy rainfall and strong winds also damaged 40ha of rice and vegetables and 37ha of corn.

The provincial People’s Committee has estimated damages at some VNĐ7 billion (US$308,000)

As soon as storm damages were reported, chairman of the People’s Committee Đặng Xuân Phong asked local agencies to cancel all meetings and focus on resolving the storm aftermaths.

People living in areas prone to flashfloods and landslides were evacuated, while those whose roofs were blown away were provided safe accommodation.

In Hà Giang Province, heavy rain from Wednesday afternoon affected the transportation of goods and products to Thanh Thủy Border Gate, said Đỗ Viết Hợp, vice head of the province’s Economic Zone Management Department.

On Thursday morning, coastal northern Quảng Ninh Province reported light showers in almost all localities in the province, with typhoon Hato not having a significant impact on the area.

Chairman of Cô Tô Island District People’s Committee Hoàng Bá Nam said on Wednesday, the island district was forecast to get heavy rainfall and strong winds of levels 7 to 10, but currently, it was experiencing light showers and winds of level 6.

All boats were banned from sailing from Cái Rồng Port to the island and vice versa from Wednesday afternoon. The boats would be allowed to resume work on Thursday afternoon if the weather improved, director of Quảng Ninh Province’s Inland Waterway Authority Lê Hồng Thắng said.

In Hà Nội, on Wednesday afternoon, strong winds uprooted a large tree on Phạm Văn Đồng Street, resulting in a traffic jam on the road leading to Mỹ Đình coach station – a major station in the city.

According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, typhoon Hato will become a low pressure system over the border area between Việt Nam and China on Thursday evening. Its influence may result in heavy rainfall in the northern provinces.

At a meeting of National Steering Committee for Natural Disasters Prevention and Control on Thursday morning, the committee asked northern mountainous provinces to be on alert to flash flood and landslide.

Hydro power plants must update the rainfall to release water from their reservoirs if needed. 

Seminar focuses on Vietnam-India joint civilisation heritage

The Indian Embassy in Vietnam and the Vietnam-India Friendship Association’s Da Nang city chapter jointly held a seminar on the joint civilisation heritage of Vietnam and India in the central city on August 25.

Speeches delivered at the seminar focused on clarifying culture-related connection in the past between Vietnam and India, exploring each country’s efforts to preserve their cultural heritage, and improving public awareness of and responsibility for conserving and promoting the two countries’ joint civilization heritage.

Director General of India’s National Museum B.R. Mani provided participants with an insight into the bilateral cultural relations reflected in architecture, sculpture and handwritings in India and the ancient kingdom of Champa of Vietnam.

Venerable Thich Duc Thien, General Secretary of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, emphasised that typical Buddhist sites in the three regions of Vietnam, including Phat Tich pagoda in the north, the Dong Duong Buddhist Institute in the central region, and Buddhist objects found at Oc Eo cultural relic sites in the south, show connection with India’s culture.

Associate Professor and Doctor Thanh Phan from the Vietnam National University - Ho Chi Minh City stressed the need to have a specific research programme and conservation project to promote the value of India’s civilisation heritage in the life of the Cham ethnic group in Vietnam.

Motorbike and truck collide, killing 32-year-old woman

A young woman is dead following a collision between a motorbike and a truck in Danang, reports the Zing online newspaper.

The collision was reported around a quarter past 6pm Wednesday, August 23, on Hoang Van Thai Street in the district of Lien Chieu in Danang,

Police said the young woman driving the motorbike, Tran Thi Hue, 32, was killed instantly when the truck drove over her vehicle.

The driver of the truck, Tran Cong Tan, 33, was not hurt.

Speed and alcohol have not been ruled out as contributing factors, said police, noting they are continuing to investigate the accident.

Indian Cultural Centre to host free yoga workshop for healthy living

People above 18 years old can bring their yoga mats and join a free workshop on "Yoga for healthy living" at the Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) on September 7.

The workshop helps yogis discover two themes: Hatha Yoga (steadiness, health and lightness of body and mind) and Patanjali Yoga (freedom from tension). Those interested are asked to register in advance at www.facebook.com/IndiaInVietnam.

The workshop will take place at the Indian Cultural Centre, 63 Trần Hưng Đạo Street, Hà Nội. 

Two fishermen rescued from central sea

Two fishermen were rescued at sea by customs officials of Quảng Trị central province on Wednesday.

Nguyễn Quang Hào, 50, and Nguyễn Xuân Quý, 67, from the province’s Gio Hải Commune were fishing on their boat when their engine broke at about 7pm on Tuesday.

Upon receiving notification from the commune’s authorities at 6am on Wednesday, the border guard station of the Cửa Việt Port immediately deployed human resources and a boat belonging to resident Trần Đình Phước of Cửa Việt Town to rescue the fishermen.

Huge waves and strong winds from Typhoon Hato, the sixth storm to hit the East Sea this year, constantly changed the position of the fishing vessel.

At 10.30am on Wednesday, the rescue team was able to reach the vessel at 20NM to the southeast of the Cồn Cỏ island district.

By 12.30am of the same day, the vessel was led back to the shore safely.

Health insurance policy backfires

Several commune-level clinics in the southern province of Bình Thuận’s Đức Linh District have not found favour with patients despite being equipped with modern facilities and qualified health workers.

Under a health insurance policy that came into effect at the beginning of last year, people with health insurance cards at the district level can get health check-ups or treatment at any health facility they want within their own district without requirements of referral papers as before.

As a result of the policy, most patients with health insurance in Đức Linh District went to the Bình Thuận General Hospital located in Đức Chính Commune, for check-ups and treatment instead of the clinics in their communes.

The five clinics in the Đức Tín, Đức Hạnh, Đức Tài, Đức Chính and Nam Chính communes have not received a single patient with health insurance since the end of last year, according to statistics from the district’s medical centre.

The number of patients with health insurance that the Đức Hạnh Commune’s clinic received decreased drastically from 780 in 2015 to 8 in 2016, and none from the beginning of this year.

The Đức Tài Commune’s clinic has also not received any patients with health insurance from June last year despite having begun operations at the beginning of the year at the total investment of VNĐ1.5 billion (US$66,000) and fully equipped with modern facilities such as ultrasound, electrocardiography (ECG) machines and blood glucose meters.

Not receiving patients with health insurance and severe illnesses hinder professional development of doctors and medical staff, doctors at these clinics said.

Nguyễn Ninh, deputy director of Đức Linh District’s medical centre said that locals preferred visiting the Bình Thuận General Hospital for check-ups “partly because of the proximity between the hospital and their communes’ clinics.”

“Some of them are wary about the capability of doctors at the commune clinics, their facilities and service quality,” he said.

The centre has requested the local clinics to improve their service quality and behavioural skills of health workers towards patients, reducing troublesome administrative procedures and maximising favourable conditions for patients to get access to medical services, he added.

It will also reach out to locals and ensure them about the capability of commune-level clinics in curing common and chronic diseases, he said.

Workshop seeks to conserve biodiversity of Ha Long Bay, Cat Ba archipelago

A scientific workshop on conserving biodiversity in Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Archipelago was held in the northern port city of Hai Phong on August 24.

The event was organised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as part of the Ha Long – Cat Ba Alliance initiative financed by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

The workshop created an opportunity for scientists to define the values of Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Archipelago, update information on biodiversity and discuss measures to protect biological diversity.

In June 2017, a group of scientists made a fact-finding tour to Cat Ba to evaluate its outstanding values, focusing on geological and biodiversity values. This is an important part in preparing dossiers to propose the expansion of Ha Long Bay, including Cat Ba Archipelago.

Domestic scientists revealed research works on the biodiversity of underground caves and saltwater lakes, special features of Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Archipelago.

With financial support from USAID, the Ha Long – Cat Ba Alliance initiative was launched in 2014 aiming to build cooperation between local government, businesses and the community, through which promoting activities for environmental protection and conservation in Ha Long – Cat Ba.

In 2015, the alliance formed a management board to engage enterprises in tackling environmental issues related to firms providing cruise services, while giving technical support to UNESCO in managing Ha Long Bay and proposing the expansion of the already recognised World Natural Heritage Site that includes Cat Ba archipelago.

In the first phrase of the project, through USAID, the US Government supplied financial assistance for the IUCN and the Centre For Marinelife Conservation and Community Development.

In the second phase, USAID will continue providing financial assistance to the IUCN to encourage the involvement of enterprises in preserving and protecting the site and assist the State in designing policies to promote such activities.

It will also help Vietnam re-apply for Ha Long Bay’s World Natural Heritage Site for the third time, aiming to improve the management of the environment in the site.

Located 45 kilometres east of Hai Phong, Cat Ba boasts a typical ecological system in Vietnam, including tropical rain forests on limestone islands, mangrove forests, coral reefs, sea grass, sand beaches and cave networks. 

Meanwhile, Ha Long Bay in the northern province of Quang Ninh is one of Vietnam’s most popular destinations. UNESCO describes the bay as a "spectacular seascape of limestone pillars" and an "ideal model of a mature karst landscape developed in a warm and wet tropical climate."

PM hails Quang Binh’s commune for new rural development efforts

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has hailed coastal Duc Trach commune in the central province of Quang Binh for its achievements in new rural development and recovery from the marine pollution incident last year. 

More than two thirds of population in Duc Trach commune are in working age, mostly living on fishery, seafood processing and labour export. 

The commune is one of the leading localities in terms of compensation supply for victims of the marine incident caused by Taiwan’s Hung Nghiep Formosa steel plant.

During a local working session on August 25, the PM suggested the commune considering a plan to switch to potential areas, especially tourism and fishery logistics. 

He called further attention to compensation for victims of the marine incident in the central region in line with legal regulations and the government’s policy. 

According to him, the government is interested in building a coastal road in the locality and connecting coastal localities together to facilitate socio-economic development and ensure national defence-security. 

The leader asked the provincial Party Committee, People’s Committee and political system to continue upgrading infrastructure and fully tapping fishery processing. 

In the first half this year, the commune collected nearly 4.7 billion VND (204,000 USD) for the local budget, or nearly 73 percent of the estimate. It has only 42 poor households, accounting for 2.26 percent of the total, and 453 fishing vessels with a total capacity of 155,300 CV, including 229 ones of more than 90 CV. 

It also pushed forward new rural construction at a total cost of over 34.2 billion VND, 59 percent of which was sourced from the local budget. Though being recognised as new-style rural area last year, it is working to continue meeting more criteria on cultural and school infrastructure, among others. 

The commune has so far spent more than 171.3 billion USD on compensation for victims of the incident. As many as 182 fishing vessels are expected to receive nearly 21 billion VND in aid. 

Earlier the same day, PM Phuc attended a ceremony to open Nhat Le 2 bridge to traffic. With a total length of 2,298m, the bridge was built at a total cost of more than 936 billion VND. 

On the occasion of the 72nd anniversary of August Revolution (August 19) and National Day (September 2), he also visited and presented gifts to heroic Vietnamese mothers.

Vietnamese, Lao provinces implement hi-tech agriculture project

Vietnam’s north-central province of Thanh Hoa and Laos’ eastern province of Houaphanh are implementing a project using modern science and technology to grow mushrooms.

The project is being carried out by the centre for applied research and development of biotechnology of Thanh Hoa’s Department of Science and Technology and Houaphanh’s mushroom production centre.

The project built a model producing 12 tonnes of mushroom spawn per year and two others on commercial mushroom cultivation, each with designed capacity of 30 tonnes of material per year.

The Vietnamese centre has handed over the infrastructure and equipment of the project to its Lao counterpart.

Director of the Thanh Hoa Department of Science and Technology Le Minh Thong said the two provinces have cooperated in various fields, including science-technology.

While implementing the project in Houaphanh, the Vietnamese centre conducted fact-finding tours to the province to study its natural, social and economic conditions to build a development plan for its mushroom cultivation industry, he said.

The centre also arranged for Lao technicians to visit mushroom production facilities in Vietnam, he added.

Thanks to the project, Houaphanh farmers are now able to grow mushrooms using locally-made spawn.

The project is expected to create a foundation for the development of hi-tech agriculture in the Lao province, thus increasing cooperation between Thanh Hoa and Houaphanh.

Thanh Hoa intensifies cooperation with Laos’ Houaphan

The central province of Thanh Hoa held a meeting on August 24 to mark 50 years since it inked a friendship cooperation agreement with Laos’ Houaphan province. 

The event also celebrated the 55th anniversary of Vietnam-Laos diplomatic ties and 40 years since the two countries signed their Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, and is part of the Thanh Hoa-Houaphan Friendship Culture Week, held in the central province from August 21-25.

Chairman of the local People’s Committee Nguyen Dinh Xung said that over the past five decades, the relationship between the two provinces has grown remarkably.

Cooperation activities in culture, education and health and delegation exchanges have been held regularly. Thanh Hoa has to date helped train 538 Lao students at its universities.

The two sides have also coordinated in joint patrols and border marker planting.

In 2016, they signed a new cooperation deal, with Thanh Hoa pledging to provide 8 million USD to build several infrastructure facilities in the Lao province from 2016-2020.

Thanh Hoa  and Houaphan provinces share a 192km border.

Project enhances equality in reproductive health in Vietnam

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc recently approved a project on enhancing equality in sexual and reproductive health, family planning and medical response in Vietnam.

The project, sponsored by the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) with official development assistance worth over 5.5 million USD, will run from 2017 to 2021 in Hanoi.

It is designed to enhance access to and the quality of sexual and reproductive health care and family planning services, including contraceptive methods for youngsters, particularly disadvantaged youth and single migrants.

It will also improve the accessibility and use of human papilliomavirus (HPV) vaccines as well as cervical cancer treatment.

In addition, the project will help the Ministry of Health build and monitor policies and programmes tackling inequality in maternal healthcare in minority communities, gender violence and gender imbalance while strengthening medical response to emerging issues like climate change and natural disasters.

Residents fear company’s waste water pipe plan

The Vinatex International Toms Textile Garment Co Ltd plans to set up a waste water pipe in Hải Thọ Commune, but local residents aren’t happy. 

As the harvest season is coming, Phan Minh, chairman of the Hải Thọ Commune People’s Committee in Hải Lăng District, the central province of Quảng Trị, is already worried about rice fields in the commune becoming waterlogged. If the VIT Company discharged water here, the situation would be even worse. In response to concerns, the commune authorities sent a letter to the Quảng Trị Province People’s Committee to remove the pipes.

“Rice fields here are 0.75m lower than the sea level, so water is abundant. In the beginning and by the end of the season, residents must pay expenses to suck water out of the fields,” he said.

The company’s planned pipeline would discharger water in the amount of 300cu.m per day.

“Residents worry that the waste water pipes could break, affecting their lives and work,” he said.

Phan Khắc Tân, a resident and a member of the Thọ Nam Co-operative, said that the co-operative’s fields abound with water despite their constant efforts to pump it out.

“If the VIT Company’s waste water is discharged here, who will pay for the fees to pump out the water?” he said.

“Not mention, the waste water could be poisonous,” he added. “It is sure to affect our lives.”

The VIT Company has two waste water pipes. One discharges water into the Khe Chè River in Hải Lăng District whereas another discharges water into the Hải Thọ Commune.

Earlier, local residents discovered that the company discharged waste water without asking for permission of the Quảng Trị Province People’s Committee.

On August 15, the provincial People’s Committee issued a document asking the VIT Company to complete its waste water treatment system and continuously send activity reports to the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

The provincial People’s Committee also asked the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment to take water samples from the Khe Chè River and the Hải Thọ Commune’s channel before and after the company discharges its waste water for tests. The test results must be announced to local residents.

A spokesman from the Quảng Trị Province People’s Committee told the Lao động (Labour) newspaper that the province would allow the company to discharge its waste water if it completes all the above duty.

Local residents disagree with the plan to set up waste water pipe in Hải Thọ Commune, so the committee could consider requiring the company to pump its waste water into the sea, he said.

HCM City proposes ban on groundwater exploitation

Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City have proposed a prohibition on underground water exploitation in certain metropolitan locations to ensure public health and prevent potential subsidence.

The municipal People’s Committee has ordered the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to establish a map indicating locations where underground water exploitation could pose a danger to local residents.

The proposal will be submitted to the central government for approval.

At a meeting to discuss the issue on August 23, Nguyen Thi Thanh My, director of the city’s environmental department, stated that more than 681,000 cubic meters of groundwater is exploited in the southern metropolis every day.

Accordingly, local residents consume up to 356,000 cubic meters per day, while an additional 172,000 cubic meters is used for industrial activities.

The city is striving to reduce its consumption volume to 100,000 cubic meters a day, My said.

In accordance with current laws, citizens can dig wells without permission from local authorities provided the capacity is less than 10 cubic meters per day.

“During recent adjustments to the regulation, the Ho Chi Minh City administration failed to add a ban on groundwater usage,” the official elaborated.

Speaking at the gathering, Tran Vinh Tuyen, vice-chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, asserted that consuming underground water contaminated with chemicals or wastewater is a serious concern.

The excessive exploitation of water can also cause subsidence, flooding, and other consequences, Tuyen added.

As the city has been able to supply clean water to its residents, the use of groundwater should be ceased, the official stated.

Kon Tum helps Cambodian province build health, education projects

Vietnam’s Central Highlands Province of Kon Tum has provided VND4 billion to the Cambodian province of Rattanakiri to build two social welfare projects.

Rattanakiri province will use VND3 billion to build a health or an education facility and VND1 billion to build two classrooms to teach the Vietnamese language to overseas Vietnamese children. 

Currently, 41 children from grade 1 to grade 4 in Ban Lung City are learning Vietnamese in four classes. Teachers of these classes come from Kon Tum province.

Since 2012, Kon Tum has donated more than VND8 billion to Rattanakiri to build a Vietnam-Cambodia friendship monument and a job training school, and offer gifts and free medical check-ups to people along border areas.

On the occasion, Kon Tum and Rattanakiri have jointly organized an art performance to mark the 50th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties and the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Year 2017.

APEC looks to new strategies to finance health care services

More effective strategies for health financing are needed to improve community health and promote sustainable development in APEC economies, said senior officials at the 7th APEC High-Level Meeting on Health & the Economy held yesterday in HCM City.

The meeting, held within the framework of APEC’s Senior Officials Meeting (SOM 3), discussed the challenges faced by APEC economies in raising sufficient public revenue for health care and achieving a good rate of return on public investment in health care.  

Harnessing public and private innovations to expand access to health care services, and reaching the goals of the Healthy Asia-Pacific 2020 plan, were also part of the meeting’s agenda.

Dr Lokky Wai, representative of the World Health Organisation’s Western Pacific Region, said that finding sufficient resources to support the health sector particularly in human resources was a major challenge, especially in many of APEC’s middle-income economies.

Việt Nam’s Minister of Health Nguyễn Thị Kim Tiến agreed, saying that securing sufficient funds for health was crucial but that it was not the single prerequisite needed for universal health coverage.

“Using available funds efficiently and strategically, arranging appropriate service delivery models, regulating health service quality and safety, and empowering people and communities about health awareness are all needed on the pathway to universal health coverage,” Tiến said.

Also speaking at the meeting, Vũ Đức Đam, Việt Nam’s deputy prime minister, said that occupational diseases as well as non-communicable diseases were “silently affecting society’s health”.

Eighty-two per cent of Việt Nam’s citizens are covered by state health insurance, with 16 million contracts from 40 private insurance companies, Đam said, adding that the government aims to have all citizens covered by health insurance in the near future. 

“The government has allocated a large budget to buy health insurance cards for the poor, children and the elderly,” Đam said.

Việt Nam devotes 6.6 per cent of its gross domestic product to health care, according to Đam.

Over the last 20 years, the country has increased public investment in the health sector, reducing individuals’ out-of-pocket spending on health care to 40 per cent from 60 per cent in the past, according to Deputy Minister of Health Phạm Lê Tuấn.

The Ministry of Health aims to reduce the out-of-pocket spending for health care to 30 per cent by raising the number of people covered by health insurance, he added.

Matilde Maddaleno, head of Chile’s Ministry of Health’s International Co-operation and Affairs Office, said: “We need to develop better universal health coverage and expand the number of people covered by health care.”

In Chile, 80 per cent of people are covered by public health insurance and the rest by private insurance, she said.

Malaysia’s Deputy Minister of Health Dr. Hilmi Bin Haji Yahaya told Việt Nam News Agency’s television, Vnews, that 23 per cent of the population of Malaysia had health insurance, but that premiums were becoming more expensive. 

Malaysia plans to set up a voluntary, nonprofit health insurance scheme managed by the Ministry of Health, he said, adding that payments would be lower and coverage would be more comprehensive.

Professor Ian Wronski of the Division of Tropical Health and Medicine at James Cook University in Australia said that Asia-Pacific countries had done a good job of controlling infectious diseases, but more needed to be done.   

“At the same time, the population is getting older and we have to think about how we can provide health services for them,” he said.

Việt Nam’s Deputy Minister of Health Phạm Lê Tuấn told Việt Nam News on the sidelines of the meeting that insurance coverage and access to quality health care services were vitally important.

Late last year, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc approved a new effort to improve grassroots health care by integrating preventive health care and comprehensive primary health care services, thereby reducing costs, especially for people who must travel from their hometowns for care, Tuấn said.

Many people in rural areas in Việt Nam choose to travel to central and city-level hospitals for treatment, adding to their out-of-pocket expenses, he added. 

Three workers suffer electrical burns

Three workers sustained injuries when they were installing an advertising board on the fourth floor of a house on Ngũ Hành Sơn Street in the central city on Tuesday.

The city’s fire-fighting police force said the three men were installing scaffolding under high-voltage power lines when a steel bar touched the cabling.

The short circuit caused burns over the body of Võ Tân Vương, 22, while Huy, 27, and Hoàng, 26, suffered burns on their legs and hands, respectively.

Police and medical teams were called to rescue the wounded workers before taking them to hospital.

The police said the house was designed for the breeding of swifts, so no staircases had been fitted on the third and fourth floors.

The team spent a lot of time carrying the most seriously injured victim from the fourth floor.

Nearby houses or people managed to escape harm.

The police are investigating the case.

In April this year, a fire at a house in Ngũ Hành Sơn District killed the residents living there.

In 2015, a short-circuit on the high-voltage grid killed one man and damaged electrical equipment in 300 households in Liên Chiểu District.

A worker was killed when he suffered an electric shock on touching exposed power lines near a construction site in Sơn Trà District in 2014.

According to fire-fighting police force, at least six fires have occurred in the city since early 2017. 

Ô Loan Lagoon illegally encroached upon

The People’s Committee of Phú Yên Province, southern Việt Nam, has ordered local authorities to supervise and impose penalties on violations related to encroachment of Ô Loan Lagoon.

Earlier, Vietnam News Agency reported that Ô Loan Lagoon, a national beauty spot covering an area of 1,570ha, had been illegally encroached upon to construct houses, shrimp ponds and food stores despite efforts by local authorities.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Phan Đình Phùng said provincial authorities would hold a meeting with Tuy An District’s authorities and relevant agencies to deal with violations and identify responsibilities to manage and preserve the tourism area.

The provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism proposed assigning lagoon planning and landmark points to districts to identify safeguarding measures.

According to Tuy An District’s People’s Committee, some 577 households are breeding shrimps in 388ha of water, of which only 77ha is licensed. Other areas have been illegally encroached upon by locals.

Hoàng Ngọc Mùi, head of the natural resources and environment department of Tuy An District, said due to lax measures by local authorities, some households secretly upgraded their houses on the land belonging to the lagoon.

Ô Loan is a brackish water lagoon located at the end of Quán Cau pass, in proximity to the National Highway 1A. It is famous for its natural beauty and many kinds of special seafood, such as bloody shells, crabs, shrimps and jelly fish, as well as oysters, edible seaweed.

Ô Loan lagoon was recognised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a National Level Landscape Vestiges in 1996.

Two passengers banned from flights for threat, assault

 The Civil Aviation Administration of Việt Nam has banned two passengers from flying for nine to 12 months after they threatened airline staff and violated security regulations.

Nguyễn Văn Sơn, 42, a resident of the northern port city of Hải Phòng, has been banned for nine months – August 19, 2017 to May, 18, 2018 – after he shouted at and threatened a flight attendant on the VJ282 flight from HCM City-Hải Phòng in June. After the ban is lifted, for another six months, Sơn will have to undergo compulsory checks to travel by air.

Another passenger, Lê Thị Kim Ngân, has been banned for 12 months, starting August 21, 2017, after she allegedly assaulted an airline officer at Tân Sơn Nhất Airport. She will have to undergo compulsory checks from August 21, 2018, to February 20, 2019, to board a flight.

Currently, regulations ban passengers from flights for three to 12 months if they cause public disorder, refuse to pay fines, use fake personal documents to travel, or make bomb threats on board. A ban of 12-24 months or a permanent ban is applied on those repeating the offence and on those who cause rioting.