Da Nang reviews house assistance for revolutionary contributors

Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Truong Quang Nghia posthumously transferred the title of Vietnamese Heroic Mother from President Tran Dai Quang to relatives of five mothers 

A ceremony was organised in the central city of Da Nang on July 26 to celebrate the 71st anniversary of the Vietnam War Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27 ) and review the 5-year housing support programme for contributors to the country's revolution in the locality. 

Phan Thi Thuy Linh, Director of the municipal Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said over the past five years, the city has supported the repair and building of more than 7,400 houses for revolutionary contributors. The spending for the work topped 223 billion VND (9.57 million USD). 

So far this year, the city has spent 79 billion VND (3.39 million USD) on building and repairing 2,471 houses, 152 more than the set plan. 

During the reviewed period, the department has spent 59 billion USD (2.53 million USD) for taking care of and giving 93,000 health insurance cards to those who made contributions to the revolution.

At present, the city has over 21,000 beneficiaries receiving the regular allowance, with the total annual budget of over 340 billion (14.6 million USD). 

As scheduled, the work will be continued in 2019 even in the absence of support from the central budget, towards ensuring stable provision of houses for the local revolutionary contributors.

At the ceremony, Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Truong Quang Nghia posthumously transferred the title of Vietnamese Heroic Mother from President Tran Dai Quang to relatives of five mothers. 

Certificates of merit of Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee were also presented to 19 organisations and 26 individuals in recognition of their contributions to implementing the housing support programme.

Vietnam Red Cross camp to take place this August

Scene at the press conference on the Red Cross camp (Photo: baonhandao.vn)

The fifth nationwide Red Cross camp, which runs every five years, will gather 511 members and volunteers during its three-day course starting August 2 in the Mekong Delta province of Can Tho.

The camp will also see the participation of visiting delegations from the national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies of China, Japan, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Malaysia.  

Themed “Red Cross Members and Youths: Act for Community”, the event will be organised by the Vietnam Red Cross Society (VNRC) in collaboration with the Vietnam Youth Union and the Ministry of Education and Training.

It will feature communal activities and a skills competition in first aid, public communications, and folk dancing. Seminars on voluntary activities in climate change response and clean water provision will also take place as part of the event.  

The camp aims to honour the outstanding volunteers, many of whom are young, who are working in humanitarian fields nationwide, and to strengthen community awareness of humanitarian values and the contribution of Red Cross members and volunteers, said the VNRC Vice President Tran Thi Hong An at a press conference on July 25.

As such, the camp will see 180 VNRC members and volunteers honoured for their contributions to humanitarian activities.

The VNRC will introduce a national network called Red Volunteer at the event.

The initial 50 Red Volunteer members will be trained in first aid and humanitarian support skills during disaster and emergency situations. Working as a quick response team, they will join in first aid and rescue teams during emergencies.

The VNRC on July 24 released an emergency appeal nationwide to help storm and flood victims in the north and north-central provinces during the past two months.

As of June 2018, the country had 36,224 Red Cross volunteers, the majority of whom are from Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Binh Dinh, and Phu Yen.

HCM City recognises 44 heroic mothers

The title of Vietnamese Heroic Mother was presented to 44 women in Ho Chi Minh City on July 25 

The title of Vietnamese Heroic Mother was presented to 44 women in Ho Chi Minh City for their sacrifice for national independence and reunification in celebration of the 71st anniversary of the War Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27).

The award ceremony was held in the city on July 25 by the municipal Party Committee, People’s Council, People’s Committee, and the Vietnam Fatherland Front’s chapter in the city.

Of the 44 mothers, only Nguyen Thi Cam, born in 1930 is alive. Fourty-three were posthumously awarded the title.

Deputy Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Vo Thi Dung expressed her deep toward gratitude heroic mothers who lost their husbands and children on the battlefield for national freedom.

She stressed that the Vietnamese Heroic Mother title is the recognition from the Party, State and people for their contributions to the national revolutionary cause.

At the event, Dung asked local authorities to pay more attention to taking care of Vietnamese mothers, and reviewing supporting policies for families of war martyrs and invalids, and those who served the nation in compensation for the losses they have suffered.

Ho Chi Minh City has about 5,500 Vietnamese heroic mothers.

First-ever video dedicated to Dong Loc T-junction volunteers

A scene in the music video Cuc Oi. 

A music video dedicated to 10 young female volunteers who sacrificed their lives for the Dong Loc Victory touched the audience’s hearts during its debut on July 25 in Hanoi.

The video, entitled Cuc Oi, is based on a song of the same name composed by Hang Ry, adopted from the poem written by Yen Thanh.

Excellent Artist To Nga has had the idea to make the video for 12 years, but for a number of reasons was unable to release it until now. 

Nga said it’s the biggest project in her 25-year-long career.

She invested a lot of time and effort to make the music video like a short movie, with professional audio, beautiful scenes and impressive special effects. Two hundred actors and actresses were involved in filming.

In the video, Nga performs the song Cuc Oi and narrates the story of Ho Thi Cuc, one of ten female volunteers at the Dong Loc T-junction.

Located in Dong Loc commune, Can Loc district in the central province of Ha Tinh, Dong Loc T-junction is a part of the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

From 1965 to 1968, the US army dropped nearly 50,000 bombs and fired tens of thousands of missiles on the Dong Loc T-junction to cut off the transport route to the southern front.

At that time, in order to keep traffic flowing, all human resources were mobilised to clear the road.

Ten girls volunteered to work at the Dong Loc T-junction to ensure the safe operation of the transport route sending supplies to the southern front.

At noon on the 15th day of bombing, a bomb fell very close to the mouth of the cave where the 10 volunteers, aged from 17 to 24, were sheltering while they worked to fill in bomb craters to reopen the intersection. The bomb killed them all on July 24, 1968.

The bodies of most of the young girls were soon found. However, Cuc was found many days later. It was said that Cuc was an innocent, kind-hearted and energetic girl. She and other girls at the Dong Loc T-junction become an inspiration for many works of art.

There are many songs and poems about them but Nga chose the one composed by poet Yen Thanh and musician Hang Ry because she felt a connection with it. Thanh was also a comrade of her father during the war.

“My team felt emotional during their time making the music video in Ha Tinh province,” said Nga.

“We want to dedicate this work to the brave girls at Dong Loc T-junction.”

For director Lam Ha, making this video was a big challenge because war is a difficult subject for any director.

“I tried to make something different from other films of this genre. The fierce scenes of the war just highlight the beauty of the people’s souls.”

“Though the story is about war, it’s a music video, not a historical film, so it’s still made in a very artistic way.”

The debut is one among many activities to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of 10 girls at Dong Loc T-junction.

Thua Thien-Hue, Japanese locality cooperate on healthcare

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of healthcare was signed between the central province of Thua Thien-Hue and the Japanese city of Yokohama on July 26. 

The signatories were the municipal Department of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs; the Hue College of Medicine and Pharmacy; the Hue Medical College; and Yokohama’s Department of Medicine and Social Welfare. 

Under the MoU, Thua Thien-Hue province will support the sending of workers and students from health-specialised and medical care universities and colleges and vocational training schools in the locality to Yokohama to pursue study, join training courses, and work in the field of healthcare. 

Those coming to Yokohama will also be supported by the host city’s authorities. They will be trained within two years, then receiving certificates of welfare workers and long-term working visas in Yokohama. 

Thua Thien-Hue and Yokohama hold friendship and cooperation in many spheres such as human resources training, science and technology transfer, and sustainable water management. 

Notably, with the support of Yokohama authorities and the funding of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the two localities jointly implemented five cooperation projects, bringing practical benefits to the water supply industry of the Vietnamese’s locality. Many staff working in the water supply sector of Thua Thien-Hue have been trained in Japan.

Da Nang, Japan seek ways to boost tourism cooperation

At the conference to promote tourism cooperation between the central city of Da Nang and Japan 

A conference to promote tourism cooperation between the central city of Da Nang and Japan was held in the city on July 26 as part of the 2018 Vietnam-Japan Cultural Exchange Festival.

The event, co-organised by Da Nang’s Department of Foreign Affairs and the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO), drew the participation of about 50 delegates from travel companies. 

It was viewed as an occasion for Vietnamese and Japanese businesses to connect together and explore tourism promotion activities, thereby deepening bilateral relations.

At the conference, Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Kunio Umeda affirmed that as Vietnam and Japan are celebrating the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year, it is an optimal time for the two nations to foster cooperation in the fields of politics, economy, culture, social affairs and tourism.

Da Nang has already established relations with 20 Japanese localities and held many exchange activities with them over the past years, said Director of the municipal Department of Foreign Affairs Lam Quang Minh. 

He noted that the launching of two direct flights from the city to Japan’s Narita and Osaka has created favourable travel conditions for businesses and citizens of Da Nang. After four years, the annual Vietnam-Japan Cultural Exchange Festival attracted more than 60,000 visitors. 

Minh expressed his hope that Vietnamese firms will receive counselling on Japan’s tourism market, helping them expand business activities and provide qualified tourism services which attract more Japanese tourists to the city and vice versa.

At the event, JNTO representatives also introduced famous tourism destinations, festivals, cultural traits, and shopping malls in Japan.

JNTO statistics showed that the number of Vietnamese tourists to Japan hit 300,000 for the first time in 2017. Meanwhile, Japan ranked third in the number of tourists to Vietnam. The Vietnamese Cultural Festival in Japan and the Cherry Blossom Festival in Vietnam have become annual much-awaited events for people of the two nations.

Deputy PM highlights Vietnam’s efforts in reducing TB

TB patients at hospital 

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam on July 26 hosted a reception for Tereza Kasaeva, Director of the the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s Global Tuberculosis (TB) Programme.

The Deputy PM recognised the success of the Global TB Programme in activities to erase TB globally. With the support of the programme, the prevention and control of TB in Vietnam has seen progress in terms of technique, technology and implementation, he said.

Each year, Vietnam gives treatment to over 100,000 TB patients. The diagnosis ratio of new TB cases has reached 81 percent, higher than the average ratio of 61 percent across the world, he noted.

As many as 90 percent of TB patients who were diagnosed for the first time were able to completely get rid of the disease, while over 75 percent of the 12,019 multi-drug-resistant TB patients have been treated successfully, far above the world’s average of 52 percent.

Currently, the national programme against TB in Vietnam has succeeded in dealing with all drug-resistant TB types, Deputy PM Dam said, adding that research and experiment activities have targeted the settlement of TB risks in affected communities, which is expected to sharply reduce new TB cases.

According to the Deputy PM, although Vietnam is seen as a model in TB combat, the country still faces many challenges in the work.

Vietnam still ranks 16th in the world in terms of TB patients, and 13th in drug-resistant TB cases.

It is estimated that globally in 2017, there were 126,000 new cases diagnosed, with 13,000 people dying from the disease.

The Vietnamese Government’s national strategy on TB prevention and control underlined the intersectional responsibilities of several sectors and the whole of society, with many resources having been given to the work.

Vietnam has supported and engaged in the WHO initiative of “Find, Treat, Cure TB”, launched by the WHO and the TB Alliance, with the aim of screening and treating as many TB patients as possible in order to end the transmission sources, and thus eliminate the disease.

Hailing Vietnam’s achievements in fighting TB, Kasaeva said that Vietnam is one of the leading countries in implementing strategies to end TB, paving the way for other countries in West Pacific region, and the world, in the field.

The Global TB Programme commits to strongly supporting and cooperating with Vietnam in efforts to erase TB as a preventable and curable disease, she stated. 

Hanoi strives to increase clean water supply for locals

About three million people in Phu Dong and Trung Mau villages in Hanoi’s Gia Lam district will have access to the first drinkable tap water in Vietnam when a factory comes into operation on October 10.

The factory will take water from the bottom of the Duong River that runs next to the villages.

In the first phase of the factory’s operation, clean water will be supplied to about three million people with the capacity of 150,000cu.m per day and then increase to 300,000cu.m per day. In the second phase, the capacity will hit 400,000cu.m per day. Do Van Dinh, project manager, said that this factory can replace other water supply units if necessary.

The clean water supply situation in Hanoi has improved a lot. Almost 3.26 million people living in 12 inner districts have access to clean water from the city’s water factories, said Le Van Duc, Director of the Department of Construction.

He also said in rural areas, the rate of people who have access to clean water increased from 37 percent to almost 52 percent in less than two years, from 2016 to May 2018. This number will continue to rise as by the end of 2018, the city will finish building water supply to 61,000 households with 244,000 people, raising the rate to 55 percent.

About ten years ago, people in Hanoi still feared prolonged water cuts during summer, especially those at the end of water channels or on higher terrains. To those living on the outskirts such as Gia Lam, Soc Son, Dong Anh districts, the term ‘tap water’ seemed out of reach.

Hanoi is determined to give all people in rural areas access to clean water. The city plans to finish four water supply projects in 2018 that will increase water capacity by 335,000cu.m per day. Seven other projects are expected to finish from 2019 to 2020, increasing the capacity by 1 million cu.m per day.

Currently, total water supply of all factories in Hanoi reaches 900,000cu.m per day, while in peak periods during summer last year, people’s consumption exceeds one million cu.m per day.

Da Nang hosts Vietnam - Japan cultural exchange festival

At the opening ceremony of Vietnam - Japan cultural exchange festival 2018 

The Vietnam - Japan cultural exchange festival 2018 officially kicked off in the central city of Da Nang on July 26 as part of activities to mark the 45th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between the two countries. 

In his opening remark, Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son highlighted the fruitful development of the Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties in all spheres over the past 45 years, affirming that the two countries have created mutual trust among their senior leaders, ministries, sectors and peoples.

The recent State-level visit to Japan by President Tran Dai Quang has contributed to the ushering in a new development period for the friendship and cooperation between the two nations.

Son stressed that Japan is now the largest provider of official development assistance (ODA), and a top partner of Vietnam in accelerating industrialization and modernization. 

Japan is also the second largest investment, third biggest tourism and fourth trade partner of Vietnam now, he added, noting that Vietnam is an attractive destination for Japanese investors. 

People-to-people exchanges between the two countries have been constantly expanded with 260,000 Vietnamese now living, studying and working in Japan, up nearly 4 times compared to the figure of 2013. The number of Japanese people in Vietnam topped over 16,000. 

Son said the Vietnam - Japan cultural exchange festival 2018 offers a good chance for Vietnamese people to not only get insights into Japan’s culture and people’s life, but also learn from Japan’s experience in urban development and tourism, thus promoting cooperation between the two sides. 

He said he believed that the event will help strengthen mutual trust and understanding, contributing to deepening the Vietnam-Japan extensive strategic partnership. 

Deputy Secretary of the Da Nang Party Committee Vo Cong Tri said the city has so far established friendship and cooperation with over 30 prefectures and cities of Japan, with many cooperation programs bringing practical benefits to the two countries’ localities. 

The effective use of ODA provided by the Japanese Government for transport and industrial infrastructure development, along with flexible policies of the locality, has created an attractive investment environment for Japanese businesses. 

Da Nang is home to 150 Japanese -invested projects with a total capital of 530 million USD, mostly on electronic and electrical equipment production, and information technology. It is also a favorite destination for visitors from Japan. 

For his part, Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Kunio Umeda affirmed the 45th anniversary of the Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties will be an important milestone for promoting the bilateral relations across the fields.

Within the framework of the event, many exchange activities will be arranged to introduce cultural identities and arts of both countries to visitors. 

The festival will last until July 29.

Winners of Alexandre Yersin Award honoured

At the awarding ceremony 

The Swiss - Vietnamese Medical Association (HELVIETMED) on July 26 presented the prestigious Alexandre Yersin Award  to the four best medicine research works of Vietnamese scientists.

The award aims to honour outstanding medicine publications by Vietnamese scientists for their international medicine research. 

The award was given to "In Vitro Fertilization: Transfer of fresh embryos and frozen embryos is equally effective" by Dr. Vuong Ngoc Lan and colleagues from Ho Chi Minh City Medicine and Pharmacy University; "Building the model of fatality prognosis in emergency patients" by Dr. Ha Tan Duc from Can Tho  Central General Hospital; "Effects of lean mass and fat mass to osteoporosis" by Dr. Ho Pham Thuc Lan and colleagues from Ton Duc Thang University in HCM City; and “Optimisation of Polymerase chain reaction (PRC) method for septicemia diagnosis” by Dr. Ngo Tat Trung and colleagues from the Military Central Hospital 108 in Hanoi. 

The winning studies were selected from more than 80 entries, which were appraised by professors and doctors from Switzerland, France and Australia, based on scientific quality, clinical and scientific influence, innovation and the prestige of the scientific magazines the work was published in. 

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Othmar Hardegger, Swiss Consul General in HCM City, highlighted the significance of the award named after the Swiss-born physician and bacteriologist who made great contributions to Vietnam’s and the world’s medicine.

Alexandre Yersin is a symbol of the cooperation and friendship between Vietnam and Switzerland over the last 47 years, he said. 

He expressed his hope the award is not just an honour for current Vietnamese scientists but also drives others in the future.

The prize is named in honor of Dr. Alexandre Yersin (1863 – 1943) who was a pioneer in medical research in Vietnam and discovered the bubonic plague bacillus and Yersinia pestis. His research helped eliminate the epidemic disease that killed millions of people over the century.

Yersin was the founder and first head of Indochina Medical College, which is known as Hanoi Medical University today.

Art performance pays tribute to martyrs, invalids

A special musical programme titled Ky Uc Thoi Hoa Lua to celebrate the 71st Vietnam War Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27, 1947) takes place in Hanoi on July 25 night. 

A special musical programme titled Ky Uc Thoi Hoa Lua to celebrate the 71st Vietnam War Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27, 1947) took place on July 25 night at the Friendship Cultural Palace in Hanoi.

Jointly organised by Nhan dan (People) newspaper, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and Vietnam Television, the event was attended by Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, permanent member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Tran Quoc Vuong, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, other leaders and former leaders of the Party and State, Vietnamese heroic mothers, as well as representatives of the martyrs’ and invalids’ families.

Addressing the event, Thuan Huu, member of the Party Central Committee and Editor-in-Chief of Nhan dan newspaper, highlighted that paying tribute to the ancestors is a thousand-year tradition in Vietnam.

This special art performance is to pay tribute to those who contributed to the revolution, demonstrating the gratitude of the Vietnamese people, Thuan Huu said. 

It will also contribute to educating the youth of today about tradition, patriotism, national pride and responsibility, he added.

Ky Uc Thoi Hoa Lua was divided into two parts – the miraculous resistance wars of the nation, and ’Gratitude’, with various song and dance performances.

The organising board also presented gifts to three heroic mothers and 20 martyrs’ and invalids’ families.

HCM City, Yokohama to cooperate in training nurses

Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs will send students of local universities, colleges and vocational schools to the Japanese city of Yokohama for training in nursing skills.

This is part of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in HCM City on July 25 between the municipal Department of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs and the Health and Social Welfare Bureau of Yokohama.

Under the terms of the MoU, the Health and Social Welfare Bureau of Yokohama will help the selected Vietnamese students with training in nursing skills and working in the city.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Director of the Department of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs Le Minh Tan said HCM City has in recent years sent many students and apprentices to Japan for further training in different sectors, including nursing.

HCM City currently has 517 vocational schools, including 29 establishments that train nurses, thus ensuring the sufficient supply of skilled trainees for Yokohama, he added.

Both Hiroaki Tanaka, Director of the Health and Social Welfare Bureau, and Ken Akaoka, Director of the International Affairs Bureau of Yokohama, said the signing of the MoU on cooperation in training nurses will open up a new partnership direction between the two cities.

Having spoke highly of the industriousness and creativeness of Vietnamese labourers, the officials hoped that, while studying in Yokohama, Vietnamese students and apprentices will help enhance mutual understanding, solidarity and friendship between the two cities’ people.

CMVietnam ready to help Laos overcome dam collapse

Local firm CMVietnam has expressed its readiness to partner with its major contractor, Korean SK Engineering & Construction, and Lao authorities in the search and rescue efforts following the collapse of the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam in the Lao province of Attapeu on July 23. 

CMVietnam is a sub-contractor of two packages worth nearly 385 billion VND (16.9 million USD) which have mostly been completed and are set for transfer soon, including construction on a factory, an electricity-distribution station, a fire prevention and control system, a communications system, and an electromechanical system, among others. They form part of the works under the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower project. 

Its representative said the incident happened far from the area where CMVietnam is building and as such its work, personnel, and equipment are unaffected. 

Built in 2013 at the cost of 1.2 billion USD, the dam has a total capacity of 410MW and is scheduled for completion by 2019. It is a joint effort among SK Engineering & Construction, Korea Western Power, Thailand’s Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding, and Lao Holding State Enterprise.

The Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam burst at 8pm on July 23, releasing 5 billion cubic metres of water, causing flash floods in 10 low-lying villages completely isolating Sanamxay district. Five out of Sanamxay district’s villages, namely May, Hinlath, NhaytheSanong Tay, Thasengchan and Thahin, were entirely submerged.

Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith told media on July 25 night after inspecting the disaster-hit sites that initial figures showed 131 people were missing.

The Attapeu Provincial Administration Office had previously confirmed the death toll from the incident amounted to 19.

Military Region 5 asks units to join rescue efforts in Laos

The High Command of Military Region 5 of Vietnam joins rescue and relief efforts in the dam collapse incident in Laos. 

Shortly after receiving information about the collapse of the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam in Laos, the High Command of Military Region 5 of Vietnam asked its South Laos Friendship Co. Ltd. to send 10 medical workers and hundreds of personnel to join rescue and relief efforts.

The company disbursed 200 million VND to purchase essential goods for local residents affected by the incident, while K53 team under the Military Command of the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum, which was on duty in Laos, was requested to coordinate with Lao forces to search for missing people and help affected residents to overcome the aftermath.

Kon Tum province’s Military Command was also required to prepare personnel, vehicles and materials to coordinate with relevant forces of Laos in surmounting the consequences of the floods when it is ordered by the High Command.

The Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam burst at 20:00 on July 23, causing flash floods in 10 low-lying villages and completely isolated Sanamxay district. Five of Sanamxay district’s villages – namely May, Hinlath, NhaytheSanong Tay, Thasengchan, and Thahin – were entirely submerged.

Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith told media on July 25 night after inspecting the disaster-hit sites that initial figures showed 131 people were missing.

The Attapeu Provincial Administration Office had previously confirmed the death toll from the incident amounted to 19.

The Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower plant was being constructed by the XePian-XeNamnoy Power Company (PNPC). 

PNPC is a joint venture between Republic of Korea’s SK E&C and Korea Western Power, Thailand’s Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding, and Laos’ Holding Sate Enterprise. 

The project, estimated to cost 1.02 billion USD, is the first build-operate-transfer (BOT) model to be undertaken by Korean companies in Laos. 

On July 24, Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding issued a press release announcing that unexpected heavy rains caused the dam to collapse.

High volumes of rainwater fractured the dam and caused a deluge in the downstream area of Xe-Pian River, it said.

Attapeu authorities had previously urged the Party, government, organisations, businesses, officials, police and military forces, and the public to provide emergency aid for the victims of the disaster, such as clothing, food items, drinking water, medicine, cash, and other relief items.

Phu Yen: over 3,200 families benefit from housing assistance policy

The south central province of Phu Yen has effectively carried out its housing assistance policy for those who rendered their services to the nation, thus supporting many families of policy beneficiaries.

This year, the province was allocated with over 93 billion VND (4 million USD) to implement its housing assistance policy which is expected to benefit 3,255 households.

In the first half of this year, the province helped build 392 new houses, as well as repairing another 354 houses. A total of 131 new houses are currently being built, while 221 old houses are under repair.

Nguyen Trong Dong, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Construction, said that there are still a lot of families in demand for housing in the locality.

In 2018, Phu Yen will strive to complete the assistance for policy beneficiaries following the allocated capital.

At present, the work mainly depends on the State budget. As such, the province needs to encourage local organisations and individuals to participate in building and repairing houses for policy beneficiaries.

Long An holds memorial service for martyrs

At the ceremony

The southern province of Long An on July 25 held a ceremony to commemorate and rebury the remains of 25 Vietnamese volunteer soldiers who laid down their lives during the wartime in Cambodia.

The sets of remains were found in Svay Rieng province during the 2017-2018 dry season by the search team of the provincial Military High Command.

Speaking at the ceremony, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Tran Van Can said that the search for, repatriation and reburial of martyrs’ remains contribute to easing the plight of martyrs’ families.

He took the occasion to thank Cambodia’s authorities, people and armed forces for supporting the work, and hoped for continued assistance.

Sine 2001, the province’s search team found and reburied 2,104 sets of remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers who died in Cambodia.

HCM City association presents scholarships to disadvantaged students

The Ho Chi Minh City Sponsoring Association for Poor Patients (SAPP) and benefactors on July 25 presented 1,382 scholarships worth over 1.5 billion VND (65,000 USD) to disadvantaged and disabled students with excellent academic performance in the country.

Dr Tran Thanh Long, SAPP President, said this year’s scholarships are allocated for 13 localities nationwide, including Ho Chi Minh City, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Tra Vinh, Long An, Ben Tre, Ninh Thuan, Khanh Hoa, Thua Thien-Hue, Ca Mau and Nghe An.

The progamme benefits poor, orphan, disabled and ethnic students with good academic performance, helping them have more chances to pursue their study, he said.

After 18 years, the programme granted more than 22,380 scholarships worth over 22 billion VND (956,500 USD) in total. 

As of October 2017, the association had raised over 1 trillion VND (46.46 million USD) from various social sources to help the poor.

It sponsored more than 7,730 heart operations, 530,000 eye surgeries, 38,000 cleft lip/palate operations, 120 scoliosis operations as well as cancer screenings for more than 48,700 women.

SAPP also provided 18,300 hearing aids for deaf children, 20,600 scholarships for poor students, 14,000 meal portions for hospitals, and nearly 146,000 health insurance cards to poor households.

It built more than 700 charity houses and 100 bridges in rural areas.

Health insurance should cover new medicine for Hepatitis C patients

A hepatitis patient receives treatment at Bach Mai Hospital.

Health experts have called on the Health Ministry to add direct-acting antiviral Agents (DAAs) into list of drugs that public health insurance covers so patients with Hepatitis C are treated more effectively.

DAAs or new combinations of drugs directly target the hepatitis C virus in different ways to stop it making copies of itself. DAAs promise shorter treatment times, much higher cure rates and fewer side effects.

Assistance Professor Dr Do Duy Cuong, head of Infection Department under Bach Mai Hospital, spoke about the new medicine at a July 24 meeting marking World Hepatitis Day (July 28).

Cuong said that currently, there were 50 types of DAAs and the cure rate reached up to 95 percent.

However, cost treatment using DAAs was high while public health insurance participants did not have health insurance pay for the medicine, Cuong said, adding that 90 percent of patients with Hepatitis C could not receive DAAs treatment.

“The Health Ministry should speed up allowing the medicines to be circulated in Vietnam and public health insurance should co-pay it with the health insurance fund and patients at a reasonable proportion,” he said.

Hepatitis C is a “silent killer” because it has no obvious symptoms but can be extremely dangerous and, in some cases, life threatening, according to the Vietnam Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (VLBA).

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) can be transmitted by blood, tooth extraction and unprotected sex, and the number of infected people in the country is increasing. In the early stages of the disease, most hepatitis C patients have no symptoms and it does not affect their, so most people do not realise when they are infected, according to experts.

A patient’s health can be severely affected when HCV transitions to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Patients at this stage have anorexia, indigestion, swelling in the legs, muscle aches, cramps, numbness, itching, dizziness, fatigue and trembling hands. Severe complications such as gastrointestinal bleeding, fluid retention in the abdomen and drowsiness can occur.

Assistance Professor Dr Nguyen Quoc Anh, Bach Mai Hospital director, said there were about 10 million people carrying Hepatitis B and nearly 1 million people carrying Hepatitis C in the country.

“About 10-15 percent of the population was infected with Hepatitis B. The disease can develop quickly, causing liver failure and liver cancer,” Quoc Anh said.

Despite the fact that there was Hepatitis B a vaccine, the disease was still burdening both the health sector and patients because of life-long treatment, he said.