Local healthcare targeted development programme approved

The Prime Minister has approved the local healthcare investment and development programme for 2016-2020.

The programme is expected to contribute to hitting the target of 26.5 patient beds for every 10,000 people by 2020.

Total capital for the progamme exceeds 19.8 trillion (871 million VND), nearly 2.4 trillion VND (106 million USD) of which will be mobilised from state funds, 4.94 trillion VND (217.3 million USD) from official development assistance and other assistance funds, with 10 trillion VND (440 million USD) from local budgets and 2.5 trillion VND (110 million USD) from other sources.

Helping clinics and healthcare centres reduce patient overload in hospitals is part of the three-component progamme. The healthcare sector will also upgrade and expand local general hospitals and supply medical equipment to them.

Meanwhile, the second project will prioritise traditional medicine hospitals and improving the quality of examinations using traditional and modern medicine.

Investment in coastal and island hospitals will be the main focus of the third project, aiming to provide healthcare examinations for locals.

Scholarships give strength to poor new students

Some 100 new undergraduate students with difficult backgrounds in central Thua Thien-Hue province were presented scholarships at an event titled “Tiep suc den truong” (Give strength to students) on August 28.

The event was held by Tuoi Tre Newspaper and the provincial Youth Union in Hue city.

The scholarships were worth a total 727 million VND (32,000 USD) this year, ranging from 7 – 10 million VND (308 – 404 USD) each, said acting editor-in-chief of Tuoi Tre Newspaper Le The Chu, adding that they were donated by individuals and the province’s Association for Promoting Education.

Launched 15 years ago, the programme has given scholarships, worth 75 billion VND (3.3 million USD), to more than 15,000 new undergraduate students under difficult circumstances nationwide.

Meanwhile, scholarships were also awarded to 450 poor students who face hardships to pursuing education in central Quang Ngai province on the same day.

The students from the districts of Duc Pho, Mo Duc, Tu Nghia, Nghia Hanh, Son Tinh, and Binh Son, and Quang Ngai city were given 500,000 VND each by the provincial Fund for Children and Zhishan Foundation Taiwan.

Global food safety forum opens in Ho Chi Minh City

Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien told the global food safety forum in Ho Chi Minh City on August 28 that Vietnam attaches importance to fine-tuning regulations on goods quality as the issue directly impacts human health and consumers’ interests. 

Tien said the Health Ministry wants to acquire feedback of international organisations, associations and businesses to adjust policies to meet importers’ food demand. 

Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Tran Van Tung said the ministry is providing support for manufacturers to develop products meeting international standards, and serving as a bridge to facilitate their access to the State incentives. 

The agro-fisheries and food sectors now employ nearly 46 percent of the total Vietnamese workforce. The fishery sector alone raked in 7 billion USD from export in 2016. 

In accordance with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the US Department of Agriculture will be responsible for inspecting catfish import. Therefore, experts advised Vietnamese exporters to quickly grasp new regulations to maintain farm produce export to the US. 

Vice Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (AmCham Vietnam) in Ho Chi Minh City Mark Gillin said in line with the FSMA, all plants that produce goods for export must extend registration every two years, starting from October 1 – December 31, 2016. 

In December 2016, as many as 1,845 Vietnamese food plants registered for export to the US with FDA but in January 2017, the figure dropped to 806 due to their lack of awareness of the new regulations.

The event was co-hosted by the AmCham Vietnam and the Association of Vietnamese High-Quality Goods Enterprises.

Exhibition features nations, peoples in ASEAN Community

More than 300 photos and 60 documentary films featuring ASEAN countries and people are being showcased at an exhibition that opened in the northern province of Ninh Binh on August 28.

The works were chosen from the final round of festivals of photos, reportage and documentary films in 2010 on the peoples in ASEAN Community, in 2013 on environment and climate change in ASEAN Community, and in 2015 on ethnic groups in ASEAN Community, all held by the Ministry of Information and Communications.

The works highlighted the beauty of the nations, people, culture of ASEAN countries, the Community’s efforts in environmental protection, climate change response, and ethnic groups in ASEAN.

The exhibition also introduces ASEAN’s common stamp and seal.

The event is expected to give visitors a better understanding of the culture and peoples of ASEAN countries, helping the nations become closer.

It will last until August 31. After, all the exhibits will be presented to the Ninh Binh People’s Committee to serve the community.

Overseas Vietnamese in Thailand observe Vu Lan festival

Vietnamese Buddhist followers in Thailand held the Vu Lan (Ullambana) festival to pray for prosperity and to commemorate fallen heroes at Canh Phuoc (Wat Samananamborihan) pagoda in Bangkok on August 27.

The event was organised by the Vietnamese Language Knowledge Centre, the Vietnamese Thai people association in Bangkok, the Thai-Vietnamese business association in Bangkok, the Thai-Vietnamese culture association and Vietnamese Buddhist followers in Thailand.

Participants pinned roses on their shirts to extend gratitude to their parents then joined a requiem ceremony to pray for Vietnamese soldiers who died for national freedom and independence.

Most Venerable Thich Nguyen Chon, head monk at Canh Phuoc pagoda, underlined the significance of the event, saying that besides being a spiritual festival, the event also popularises Vietnamese Buddhism and connects Vietnamese expatriates.  

The event has been held annually among the Vietnamese community in Thailand since 2009.

The festival falls on the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar, with this month known as the spirit month in Buddhism. On this month’s full moon, wandering souls are believed to return to their former homes.

The festival is based on the legend that once when mediating, a Buddha’s disciple named Muc Kien Lien saw his mother suffering hell’s tortures.

Following Buddha’s advice, on the seventh full moon of the year, Lien gathered monks and devotees and prayed with them for his mother. Therefore, the festival is to express gratitude towards ones’ parents (especially mothers) and also help ancestors’ souls find their way back to earth.

iSchool Nha Trang illegally enrols primary pupils

Khanh Hoa Province Department of Education and Training ordered iSchool Nha Trang to stop recruiting primary pupils without the licence on August 23.

iSchool Nha Trang went into operation in 2014 and was given the permit to teach secondary and high school pupils.

In the first quarter of this year, iSchool Nha Trang asked for the permission to recruit primary pupils. On March 18, it held a conference about the necessaries for first graders in Nha Trang City.

It is said to have implemented an international and integrated education programme with Cambridge English courses in many provinces. iSchool wanted to open nursery and primary schools and will start recruiting primary pupils for 2017-2018 school year.

The Department of Education and Training has worked with other agencies to inspect the school's condition, however, it is concluded that iSchool Nha Trang failed to meet the requirements.

On August 7, iSchool Nha Trang proceeded on recruiting and teaching 78 primary pupils.

Le Tuan Tu, director of Education and Training, then ordered the iSchool International School Group, heads of iSchool Nha Trang Secondary and High School to stop the activities and inform the parents to enrol to other schools.

HCM City sends volunteers to educate public about dengue

Fifteen teams of volunteers took part in a campaign in HCM City on August 27 to control dengue fever in Vĩnh Lộc B Commune in Bình Chánh District, a dengue hot spot.

They showed locals measures to prevent dengue, such as keeping their environment clean, spraying chemicals, killing mosquito larvae, and ensuring water does not collect in open containers.

According to the city’s Preventive Medicine Centre, so far this year Bình Chánh District has reported 979 cases of the disease, 411 more than in the same period last year.

Vĩnh Lộc B has accounted for 30 per cent of the number.

The campaign was organised by the city’s departments of Health and Natural Resources and Environment and the Youth Union.

It calls on organisations and individuals to carry out dengue prevention measures.

Inaugurating the campaign, the health department’s director, Nguyễn Tấn Bỉnh, said the campaign seeks to remove water containers, eliminate mosquitoes and their larvae, thus reducing the risk of dengue outbreaks.

He said local authorities should strengthen disease prevention and control measures.

Authorities at all levels should educate the public on how to prevent dengue fever and severely punish violators, he said.

The campaign will be taken across the city from now through Tết (the Lunar New Year) in February 2018.

According to the Preventive Medicine Centre, this year the city has seen more than 12,000 people hospitalised with dengue, 26 per cent higher than in the same period last year.

Elsewhere, on August 27, the District 12 People’s Committee and the Capital Aid Fund for Employment of the Poor in HCM City organised an environmental clean-up activity dubbed Sunday for Environment.

It sought to raise public awareness of environmental protection, reduce pollution and encourage environment-friendly actions, according to Trần Kim Yến, chairwoman of the city’s labour federation.

Many people helped clean rubbish from streets and a 500m section of the Đất Sét Canal in Thạnh Lộc Ward that is badly polluted.

Enterprises fined for violations related to food safety

The Việt Nam Food Administration (VFA) under the Ministry of Health has fined five enterprises to the tune of VNĐ191 million (US$8,400) for violations in food safety and hygiene.

The USA Global Pharmaceutical Joint-stock Company in Hà Nội’s Hoàng Mai District was fined VNĐ84 million ($3,700) for producing two batches of fake goods named Arginin B Complex Extra and Anphavit Calci Nano. It also manufactured Pediasure, a health protection product, whose quality was bad. The company did not have the equipment to reserve the food.

The Euro France Development Investment Joint-stock Company in Tây Hồ District in Hà Nội was fined VNĐ3.5 million ($150) for trading in fake functional food. The Viko 8 Pharmaceutical Joint-stock Company in Hà Đông District was fined VNĐ35 million ($1,500) for the same violation.

The Vinasanco Pharmaceutical Co Ltd in Hoàng Mai was fined more than VNĐ60 million ($2,600) for producing a functional food named Phyperus DHA of a quality not suitable with the one it had announced before. It did not check the product periodically.

The Hà Tây Pharmaceutical and Medical Equipment Joint-stock Company was fined VNĐ8 million ($350) for producing a functional food named Phyperus DHA of a quality not suitable with the one it had announced before.

Nguyễn Thanh Phong, director of the VFA, warned that customers should avoid buying the above products.

Company fined for polluting environment

Toko Việt Nam Co Ltd has been fined VNĐ802 million (US$35,600) for various violations related to environmental protection.

The company, which is in Tân Quang Commune, Văn Lâm District, in the northern province of Hưng Yên, discharged exhaust fumes and wastewater exceeding regulated levels and did not store solid waste as per regulations.

The company discharged exhaust fumes exceeding regulated levels by 1.08-1.4 times.

The company’s wastewater exceeded technological norms by 10 times.

Besides administrative fines, Hưng Yên Province asked the company to address its shortcomings, including stopping the discharge of wastewater and setting up a waste treatment system based on regulated technological norms. The changes must be completed before the end of next month.

The company began work in 2003. It produces ashlar paving stones, construction material and equipment for the construction sector.

Arsenic amount exceeds regulated norms in Đắk Nông

Tests on water from a water supplier in Đức Xuyên Commune, Krông Nô District, Central Highlands province of Đắk Nông, revealed that the amount of arsenic used in insecticides, weed killers, solid-state doping agents and various alloys, exceeded national regulated norms. 

The information was released on Monday by Ngô Xuân Đông, vice chairman of the district People’s Committee. 

The tests were conducted and supervised by the provincial preventive medicine centre in June. 

The amount of arsenic in several water samples exceeded regulations by two to 20 times. 

The water samples were taken from the depth of five to more than 50m. 

The province offered a free-of-charge health examination for locals. A total of 350 urine samples were taken for tests. As many as 35 were tested, of which 32 samples had the arsenic amount exceeding regulated levels by at most eight times. 

So far nobody has shown clear symptoms of disease caused by arsenic contamination. 

Đông expressed his hope that the provincial authorities would support the district in treating the water and limit the harm. 

Nguyễn Hùng, vive chairman of Đức Xuyên Commune People’s Committee, said the commune received residents’ report about the abnormal water in May this year. 

The commune reported the case to upper level authorities. 

After receiving the tests results, the commune will repair the water supplier’s filter system and clear bushes around it. 

The commune has warned residents to limit their use of the water until it is treated, and instead use rain water or well water. 

Several residents in the commune said that they were forced to buy clean water at the price of VNĐ15,000-20,000 (US$0.7-0.9) per 20-litre bottle for cooking. 

The provincial authorities said arsenic was very dangerous for people’s health. 

If people eat or drink about 0.3-30mg of arsenic, they can be poisoned within 30-60 minutes and this can then lead to fatalities or prolonged dangerous after-effects. 

If people use water contaminated with arsenic, they can be chronically poisoned, affecting their mental, cardiovascular and digestive system, and face high risk of cancer. 

Exhibitions to mark the National Day

Painting exhibition  A glance of Đà Nẵng will be held at the central city’s Fine Arts Museum in celebration of the 72nd anniversary of National Day, September 2.

The event, which features 60 paintings from six artists in city, depicts the history of the city along with the country’s renewal process.

The works were created using various styles, including oil painting and water-colours.

The exhibition will last from September 1-7, at 78 Lê Duẩn Street.

Also in celebration of National Day, the city’s museum will display historical objects collected by public security officers during past wars.

The exhibit features 13 collections with 360 exhibits including photos, hand-made prison tools, kerosene lamps, books and documents related to wars.

The museum will also host an offering to mark the 159th death anniversary of famous general Nguyễn Tri Phương (1800-1873) under the Nguyễn Dynasty.

Phương commanded an army against the French-Spanish coalition forces from 1858-1860.

Ceramic, porcelain, wood and coin artefacts will also be on sale in the museum’s front yard. 

Central city to host tourists on the National Day

More than 140,000 tourists, including 43,000 foreigners, have booked tours to Đà Nẵng and nearby destinations for National Day holidays between September 2-4.

The city’s tourism department released the information in a statement on Monday, saying 39,000 tourists will stay in the city during the three-day vacation.

It said more than 14,000 tourists will come to the city on 94 flights on September 2-4, and a cruise with 1,500 travellers will also dock at the city over the vacation.

Various events will be held in the city during the three-day holiday, including a boat race and kayak event in the Hàn River on September 2nd, the introduction of a double-decker bus tour, a beer festival at Bà Nà Hills resort and a street dance on the east side of the Hàn River, near the Rồng (Dragon) Bridge and music at East Sea Park near Mỹ Khê Beach.

Capacity of four and five-star hotels is also expected to reach 60 or 75 per cent, according to the department.

Ministry withdraws press card of VOV journalist

Minister of Information and Communications Hoàng Vĩnh Bảo on Monday requested the revocation of the journalist card of Nguyễn Thế Thắng.

Earlier, Thắng was dismissed from work by the central provinces and Central Highlands’ provinces representative office of the Voice of Việt Nam (VOV).

The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) asked VOV to revoke Thắng’s press card and return it to the ministry’s Press Department within 15 days from Monday when the MIC’s decision was released.

On August 4 this year, the Đắk Lắk Police caught Thắng extorting VNĐ45 million (US$2,000) from two men living in Buôn Ma Thuột City.

After receiving official information from the provincial police, VOV’s central provinces and Central Highlands’ provinces representative office sacked Thắng.

Australia supports manpower training at Tay Bac University

Tay Bac (Northwest) University and the Aus4Skills, an Australian programme supporting Vietnam’s human resources development, signed a cooperation agreement on August 29, laying a foundation for a series of joint activities until 2020.

The cooperation aims to improve the university’s leadership and management, reform curriculum and teaching methods, increase academic support for disadvantaged students and promote women’s leadership.

About 80 percent of the students at Tay Bac University, located in Son La province – a disadvantaged locality in the northwestern region of Vietnam, are ethnics.

Rector Nguyen Van Bao said the Australian Government’s support will help his university train skilled manpower, thereby better meeting the labour market’s demand and contributing to economic growth in the region. With that assistance, Tay Bac University will set up long-term partnerships with Australian universities.

Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Craig Chittick said his country pledges to assist Vietnam’s human resources development in various ways, including through support for Tay Bac University. 

“We believe that with strengthened university management, reformed curriculum and teaching methodology, Tay Bac University will be able to provide better academic support to nearly 4,000 ethnic minority students. This will increase the success rate of ethnic minority students at the university and help them get better jobs,” he said. 

Aus4Skills is also going to sign similar cooperation agreements with Thai Nguyen University and its University of Agriculture and Forestry in September.

As part of Aus4Vietnam – an Australia-Vietnam development cooperation programme, Aus4Skills is a five-year aid programme of the Australian Government for Vietnam. It is intended to help the Southeast Asian nation to access and use skilled human resources, thus contributing to sustainable economic and social development.

Synthetic drug spread in East, South-East Asia discussed

A two-day conference on synthetic drug situation and emerging trends in East and South-East Asia was convened in Hanoi on August 29.

The event was co-organised by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Standing Office for Drug Control (SODC) under the Vietnam Ministry of Public Security.

SODC deputy head Colonel Hoang Anh Tuyen said the expansion of the synthetic drug market is threatening over 100 countries worldwide, with more than 600 new types discovered recently and many of them not included in national and international lists of illicit drugs.

Tuyen said regional countries should be more proactive in building and implementing synthetic drug control policies and strategies, as well as cooperate to devise regional initiatives and mobilise financial resources for the work.

Jeremy Douglas, Regional Representative of the UNODC for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, put forth a number of measures.

He said regional countries need to have effective data systems on drug use, which are closely linked together, and law enforcement agencies should pay more attention to drug precursors used in drug production, like methamphetamine.

Regional and international cooperative programmes are necessary to share knowledge and experience on drug use situations, the production of illicit drugs, and cross-border drug trafficking, which could lead to the formation of strategic solutions.

Photos feature cooperation between Vietnamese, Lao security sectors

A photo exhibition highlighting the relationship between Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security and the Security Ministry of Laos kicked off at the Lao ministry’s museum on August 29.

The event is among a series of activities celebrating the 55th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties (September 5, 1962-2017) and 40 years since they signed a Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (July 18, 1977-2017).

The exhibition showcases 93 photos, featuring the traditional friendship and cooperation between the two Parties, States, and ministries as well as bilateral coordination in the fight against crimes.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Colonel Mala Vilachith, Head of the Department of Scientific Research and History under the Lao ministry, said that the exhibition is expected to help Lao people and the Vietnamese community in Laos understand more about the special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries, and between the two armed forces.

It also offers a chance for the two sides’ officers to remember their cooperation tradition so as to contribute more to nurturing the Vietnam-Laos relations, he added.

The exhibition remains open to visitors until September 11.