A charity text message campaign was launched on Thursday by the Việt Nam Red Cross Society (VNRC) in collaboration with the “Tấm lòng Việt” Humanitarian Fund of the Việt Nam Television and the National Humanitarian Portal 1400.

The campaign, titled Trường Sa Garden, aims to mobilise financial sources for building water reservation tanks and vegetable gardens for soldiers on 21 island stations of various countries.

People from all walks of life can support the campaign by texting BD to 1408. The campaign will run until April 24. Each mobile text message will contribute VNĐ20,000 (US$0.85) to the fund.

Groups and individuals can directly donate money or vegetables seeds and fertiliser to the society’s headquarters at No 82 Nguyễn Du, Hà Nội.

Donations will be used to buy water tanks and develop vegetable gardens for soldiers and people living on island outposts.

At the launch ceremony, the society received donations from Rạng Đông Thermos and Light Bulb JSC, Minh Hải Export-Import JSC, and students and teachers of the Trung Văn Primary School.

At the event, the VNRC also introduced well-known MC Phan Anh as the society’s goodwill ambassador.

Royal Thai Army Day observed in Hanoi

The Thai Embassy in Vietnam held a reception in celebration of the traditional day of the Royal Thai Army in Hanoi on March 2.

Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army Pham Ngoc Minh on behalf of the Defence Ministry attended the event.

Addressing the event, Sen. Lt. Gen. Minh affirmed that the relations between the Vietnam People’s Army and the Royal Thai Army are thriving, especially since the signing of the memorandum of understanding on bilateral defence cooperation in September 2012. 

He expressed his belief that bilateral army cooperation will gain more achievements, benefitting two countries, as well as contributing to global, regional peace and prosperity.

Southern Vietnamese city builds public bulletin poles

Public bulletin poles where ads and flyers can be posted for free are part of the new initiative by the administration of Cao Lanh City in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap to combat the disorderly posting of advertising materials.

Poles and large notice boards will be erected in easily visible locations to allow local businesses and residents to post flyers, advertisements, and notices free of charge, according to Phan Van Thuong, chairman of the Cao Lanh People's Committee.

All residents will be allowed to post and no prior approval from authorities will be needed to use the poles, Thuong added.

Two bulletin poles have already been installed in the city and plans are in place to build ten more at popular locations in order to meet the local demand, the city chairman said.

Disorderly flyer posting has been an issue in Vietnamese cities, most notably in metropolises such as Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, where most lamp posts and power poles are filled with leaflets advertising tutoring services, rooms for rent, and houses for sale.

Cao Lanh City has been running a campaign since the beginning of this year to solve the issue by calling numbers listed in the flyers and asking those responsible to remove their materials.

“Those who deliberately continue to illegally post after being warned will be subject to administrative penalties,” said Nguyen Ha Khanh, head of Cao Lanh’s urban order division.

Vietnam’s internet users in the dark over undersea cable repairs

Repairs to the Intra Asia (IA) internet cable that connects Vietnam with other parts of Southeast Asia have been set back once again by more ruptures,VietnamPlus cited an internet service provider as saying on March 3.

The cable has been under near-constant repairs since it broke on January 10, and despite a number of deadlines being set, it seems nobody is sure when the cable will resume full operations again.

On February 26, VietnamPlus cited another provider as saying that the IA is expected to resume full speed on March 1 after Tata Communications, the cable's operator, said it had discovered new disruption points near Singapore. Meanwhile, other providers said repairs to the cable might not be finished before March 4.

The IA ruptured on January 10 and was fixed the same day. It ruptured again the following day and the operator estimated it would be back up to full speed on February 25.

The 6,800 km (4,225 miles) undersea cable was officially launched in November 2009, connecting Vietnam, Singapore, the Philippines, Hong Kong and Japan, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

Vietnam’s other notorious internet link, the Asia America Gateway (AAG), was disrupted for the second time this year on February 18, following a breakdown in early January. 

Work to fix the AAG is expected to be completed in late March.

Vietnam has five submarine cable systems. The country also has a 120 gigabit/second channel that runs overland through China; Vietnam has plans to build another.

Thừa Thiên-Huế police smash large gambling ring

Police report that they have busted a large scale gambling ring operating in the form of an illegal lottery in Huế City.

Two sisters, Lê Thị Cẩm Tú, 35 and Lê Thị Cẩm Hằng, 31, both from Tây Lộc Ward in Huế, were arrested on Wednesday for operating the ring found to include about 15 others members.

At the police station, Tú and Hằng confessed they had made total profit worth about VNĐ10 billion (roughly US$438,000) from a total VNĐ14 billion collected from gamblers since last November.

The ring was seized after police broke into 13 lottery sale outlets selling illegal lotteries to gamblers from around Huế and the neighbouring Quảng Trị Province’s Đông Hà District.

The bust resulted from a campaign conducted by the provincial criminal police unit, PC45, since late last month that mobilised more than 100 policemen in co-operation with local armed units.

Thousands of illegal lotteries, dozens of fax and print machines, laptops and computers--along with cash worth more than VNĐ500 million--were seized at Tú and Hằng’s different sale outlets during the campaign.

The two sisters also admitted that they were working with the support of 15 members, five of whom everyday transferred to them about VNĐ100 million ($4,380). The money was collected from gamblers.

Police said they are consolidating all documents on the case to put the ring to the court.

HCM City police bust drug-trafficking ring

HCM City’s drug crime investigation sub-department (PC47) has uncovered a drug-trafficking ring operating in Hà Nội and HCM City, police said on Wednesday.  

Trịnh Tấn Huy, 37, from HCM City’s District 3 and Vũ Ngọc Cường, 28, from the northern province of Nam Định, were arrested on charges of purchasing and illegal possession of drugs, according to PC47.

PC47 identified that Huy, who was the leader of the ring, often bought a large amount of drugs in Hà Nội and directed Cường to transport the drugs to HCM City by train or bus.

After that, Huy supplied 0.5kg each time to other drug dealers.

City police caught Cường on February 24 while he was carrying 1.8kilos of drugs to Huy’s house. They seized another 200 grammes of methamphetamine and 700 ecstasy tablets at Huy’s house.

The police are continuing their investigation.

Lam Gia Khang to unveil Spring Summer collection

Young talented designer Lam Gia Khang will show up at the Spring Summer 2017 show at the Gem Center in District 1, HCMC.

The show will be held at an outdoor stage with 40 models and 300 guests attending and feature 50 creations in minimal and elegant style for urban women in materials like cashmere, light wool, European lace and Japanese cotton. 

The collection is inspired by trips of urban girls to explore nature.

Especially, spectators can buy and order their favorite designs at the show.

The 27-year-old Khang launched Lam Gia Khang brand in October 2014. He has launched four collections and held two fashion shows on his own.

In 2015, Khang was put on the “30 under 30” list by Forbes Vietnam to honor 30 outstanding people under 30 years old who are influencers in their business fields in Vietnam. 

He was in the Top 3 of the Project Runway Vietnam in 2013 and achieved the Upcoming Fashion Designer Of The Years at Elle Style Awards from Elle Vietnam in 2015.

Cau Giay division bans car parking in schools

The Division of Education and Training of Hà Nội’s Cầu Giấy District has banned all schools in the district from renting schoolyards for parking activities from this month onwards.

The move comes after the public, especially parents, raised concerns over the safety of children at schools as many were letting out their schoolyards as car parks.

Last December, Trần Chí Kiên, a second grader at the district’s Nam Trung Yên Primary School, was hit by a taxi while playing in the schoolyard. The taxi, carrying the school’s principal and vice principal, rammed into the student and fractured his right leg.

Kiên was taken by the vice principal to the school’s health clinic to determine if he was injured. He was later taken to the National Hospital of Paediatrics for treatment. The taxi, meanwhile, left the site of the accident.

Phạm Ngọc Anh, head of the division, said all schools -- from pre-schools to high schools – were ordered to strictly enforce the ban.

Heads of schools that flouted the rule would be held responsible, he said.

Teachers who drove their cars to school must arrive before the students and leave only when all the students had left. Their vehicles must be parked in permitted areas to ensure safety of students, he added.

Huong Hoa protective forest fights logging threat

Trekking through Hướng Hóa protective forest in Đak Rông District of central Quảng Trị Province, it is not hard to see dozens of tree trunks, branches and twigs lying in disorder on the pathway.

Right next to the forest protection station, illegal logging is still ongoing, Lao Động (Labourers) newspaper reports.

The newly-built route leading to the Khe Nghi hydropower plant project has paved a better way for loggers to take action. Moving deep into the forest, more and more trees with diameters of trunks ranging from 40cm to 70cm are reportedly chopped down. Red latex continues to pour out from precious logs.

The logs are then sawed vertically by half, cut into short pieces and moved out of the forest through a steep slope by motorbike.

A forest ranger in the area told Lao Động newspaper that he saw locals sawing wood but only advised them not to do it and reported the case to authorised units for further punishment.

Another forest guard said the punishment sounds difficult, as loggers are from local ethnic minorities.

“They stop chopping when they see us. When we are away, they continue. They are warned of supervision team’s visit so when we come, nobody is there,” he said.

According to Trần Văn Tý, director of Hướng Hóa protective forest’s management board, the deforestation has gone on since November last year, adding that despite efforts of authorities to persuade and prevent the action, nothing has changed. Loggers have even threatened forest guards on duty.

The owner of the forest called for help from Đak Rông Commune’s People’s Committee and the Đak Rông District forest protection directing team.

From November 25 last year until January 25 this year, forest owner, forest guards in collaboration with communal People’s Committee were on duty in the forest. During this time, the deforestation cases reportedly declined. However, after that, loggers continued to chop down trees.

“We made efforts but still feel powerless due to ineffective co-operation,” Ty said.
Tống Phước Châu, head of forest ranger station of Đak Rông District said the forest loggers have sophisticated techniques to chop the timber.

The deforestation level has not been statistically determined yet.

Last month, a forest ranger died while patrolling the forest. Colonel Phan Thanh Quảng, head of Hướng Hóa District’s police department said on Wednesday that the fatality was caused by a crash from a car bearing Lao number plate.

Local authorities are working with Lao authorities to expand their investigation.

Khổng Trung, head of Forest Protection Department of Quảng Trị Province, said “From the forest owner to forest guards to local authorities, everyone knows the forest is being destroyed. Action must be taken. After fact-finding visit, we will clarify the case to penalise violators, and more importantly, to improve forest protection.”

The forest owner must be the first one to take responsibility in fighting deforestation, he said.

Vietnam Cultural Day impresses Egyptians

The Vietnam Embassy in Egypt held the Vietnam Cultural Day in Banha City, Qalyubia on March 2 with the aim of promoting the image of Vietnam, its land and people to Egyptian friends.

Visitors had a chance to watch a photo gallery introducing the beauty of Vietnam’s land, people, culture and customs, and enjoy traditional Vietnamese food, art performance and documentary film show.

The ‘Vietnam Corner’ highlights documents on Vietnam’s history, culture, international relations and diplomacy in English and Arabic.

Former Egypt Ambassador to Vietnam Reda El-Taify, who is also Director of the Egyptian Public Library Development Fund, said he will work with Vietnamese Embassy in Egypt to further promote bilateral cooperation in all fields, especially culture and people-to-people exchange.

 vietnam cultural day impresses egyptians  hinh 1 Vietnam Ambassador to Egypt Do Hoang Long introduced guests on the history, cultural identities and economic development achievements of Vietnam.

He hopes that the event will help Egyptian, especially young people, gain a better understanding about Vietnam and promote people-to-people exchange between the two countries.

US helps Thua Thien-Hue build kindergarten school

General Robert Brown, commanding general of the US Army Pacific, has officially handed over the Quang Phuoc kindergarten in the central province of Thua Thien Hue to the local community, according to the US Embassy in Vietnam. 

This US Army Corps of Engineers’ humanitarian assistance project is the result of hard work and a comprehensive total-government approach to build trust and deepen the relationship between the US and Vietnam.

The new two-story school consists of four classrooms which will accommodate 80 students and their teachers. During the rainy season, the school also serves as a flood-shelter.

Since 2009, the US Government, through the Overseas Humanitarian Disaster Assistance and Civic Action Programme, has partnered with the Vietnamese Government to construct schools, clinics, disaster coordination centers, and bridges in many towns and villages throughout Vietnam.

USAID programme helps protect environment in Nam Dinh

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) in Vietnam and the Red Cross Society in the northern province of Nam Dinh launched a tree planting campaign to protect the environment in Nam Dien commune, coastal Nghia Hung district on March 2.

The campaign is part of the USAID-funded Vietnam Forests and Deltas Programme to be carried out in four provinces, aiming to strengthen the localities’ resilience against climate change and reduce natural disaster risks in coastal areas.

It also targets strengthened management over natural disaster and minimize greenhouse gas, while helping localities in building their plans to tackle natural disaster risks caused by climate change.

According to USAID environment officer Terhi Majanen, Nam Dinh is among provinces that are greatly influenced by climate change, especially sea level rise, saltwater intrusion and storms.

She expressed hope that the programme will help raise the local community’s awareness of challenges facing them and provide them with smart approaches in climate change adaptation.

Along with the tree planting campaign, the programme has also supported over 2,500 locals in improving their livelihood through models of smart production of potato and rice, shrimp and rice-fish farms adaptable to climate change, she said.

Mejanen added that the programme has also assisted vulnerable communes to build climate change plans with rapid responding measures and alerting systems.

Meanwhile, Vu Minh Chau, head of the provincial Red Cross Society said that the programme has been conducted in 30 communes in three coastal districts of Giao Thuy, Hai Hau and Nghia Hung.

Over 200,000 trees of different kinds have been planted, contributing to protecting the environment and coping with climate change, he said.

After the launching ceremony, participants and locals planted 500 trees in bare areas along rivers and sea dyke.

Nam Dinh currently has about 3,110 hectares of forest, including 1,955 hectares of protection forest, mostly in Nghia Hung, Giao Thuy National Park buffer zone in Giao Thuy district.

Workshop talks sustainable livelihood for disadvantaged labourers

Experts gathered at a workshop hosted by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) in Hanoi on March 1 to seek ways to ensure sustainable livelihood for disadvantaged labourers.

The workshop was part of a national scientific research project on the issue.

The targeted group includes beggars, crime victims, the disabled, youths in underprivileged circumstances, the unemployed, ex-prisoners, the elderly, prostitutes, and the homeless. Those living under the poverty line and refugees are also in this category. 

Addressing the event, Director of the Confederation’s Institute of Worker and Trade Union Vu Quang Tho stressed that the disadvantaged group is the focus of attention of the trade union organisation.

Participants agreed that the State needs to provide more support for the group, who are faced with many difficulties and obstacles in integrating into the community. Those difficulties and obstacles may be related to their physical conditions, their 
capability, professions, living conditions or social prejudice and psychological problems.  

They suggested offering incentives to encourage organisations and individuals to invest in remote, mountainous areas and use local labourers in their investment projects, while localities need to promote vocational training and general education.

Job placement service should be developed in tandem with vocational training designed specifically for the disabled, through strengthening connection among the service providers, enterprises and labourers, it was proposed at the workshop.

Provincial hospitals improve cardiac treatment

The training provided by leading central-level hospitals in HCM City has helped doctors at provincial facilities apply latest techniques and advances to treat heart patients, reducing the need for emergency transfers.

In the process, it has also improved the skills and professionalism of doctors at the provincial level.

For instance, doctors at Can Tho City General Hospital in the Mekong Delta are now able to perform open heart surgeries, endoscopies, stent placements and techniques after learning them from the Cho Ray Hospital in HCM City.

Early last week, they implanted pacemakers in two patients 44 and 63 years old. The patients, residents of Phong Dien and Ninh Kieu districts, were admitted with heart rates of less than 40 beats per minute compared to normal 60 to 100 beats per minute.

Moreover, they suffered from bundle branch block, which causes delays and obstructions on the pathway that sends electrical impulses to the left or the right side of the bottom chambers of heart, leading to regular tiredness, vertigo and sometimes, loss of consciousness.

Dr Trinh Thanh Tam of Can Tho City General Hospital’s cardiovascular ward told the Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that doctors decided to implant pacemakers that would work for a long time, providing electrical stimuli as needed to keep the pulse rate normal. 

If this was not done, the patients were at risk of suffering a stroke, Tam said, adding that this was a noninvasive technique.

Doctors at Thong Nhat General Hospital in Dong Nai province have also benefited from training provided by Cho Ray Hospital, enabling them to perform many procedures on their own, including open heart surgeries and other cardiovascular interventions.

Dr. Pham Van Dung, the hospital’s director, said it was very important to develop the expertise for making timely cardiovascular interventions and ensuring the patients’ safety.  

The Dong Nai newspaper recently quoted the head of the provincial Department of Health, Huynh Minh Hoan, as saying that learning and using advanced techniques and technological developments is a common trend that hospitals all over the country have to follow in the coming time.

Thong Nhat Hospital in HCM City and Vinh Long province’s General Hospital also signed a five-year (2016-2020) agreement on training the latter’s staff in cardiovascular interventions within the period between 2016 and 2020.

Since 2013, a Satellite Hospital project has been providing training in advanced techniques for treating heart diseases to private and public health facilities throughout the country.

The project is one of several measures being taken to improve the qualification of doctors, especially those at provincial and grassroots levels, according to Medical Examination and Treatment Department under the Health Ministry.

In a recent conference, Dr Luong Ngoc Khue, the department’s head, said that residents in outlying areas now had better access to modern treatment.

The availability of modern treatments at more district and provincial hospitals in recent years helped reduce overcrowding at major central and city-level hospitals, he said.

In particular, the rate of transfer to central and city-level hospitals had fallen by 98.5 percent in patients with heart-related diseases, he added.

Bordering Lai Chau works to prevent avian flu intrusion

The northern province of Lai Chau, which borders China’s Yunnan province, is rolling out drastic measures to cope with high risks of avian flu spreading from China through some border gates and gateways.

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Do Ngoc An has asked the Department of Health to prepare isolation areas, medicine and equipment to provide emergency aid and treatment to bird flu infection cases if necessary.

An ambulatory team for the prevention and control of the disease has been strengthened to stand ready for any infections, while local officials are asked to tighten supervision for early detection of cases in the community.

The provincial Department of Preventive Medicine has also worked with interdisciplinary agencies at the border gates to perform health checks on people crossing the gates, while rolling out communications on preventive measures against the virus.

The provincial leader also requested the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to keep a close watch on the prevention and control of bird flu in poultry as well as the transportation and trade of livestock and poultry products.

Meanwhile, the authorized agencies is asked to coordinate with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to investigate and handle poultry smugglers, while encouraging locals to report immediately suspected cases in poultry.

So far, Vietnam has recorded no human H7N9 infections.

At least 270 H7N9 human infections had been reported in China, with 87 fatalities. Most cases were around the Yangtze and Pearl river deltas.

Hà Nội FC with Sài Gòn FC ends in draw

Defending champions Hà Nội FC were held to a goalless draw with Sài Gòn FC in the early match of the eighth round of the national premier league at Thống Nhất Stadium yesterday.

Hà Nội FC have many skilful footballers, however, they were unable to break the defence of their hosts.

Both the hosts and visitors missed several chances to score, failing to open their accounts.

Currently, Hà Nội are third in the rankings with 13 points, while Sài Gòn rank eighth with nine points.

Today, SHB Đà Nẵng will meet Quảng Ninh Coal. 

3,000 national flags presented to Quang Ngai fishermen

The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union of the central province of Quang Ngai and Hue University of Education presented 3,000 national flags to fishermen of Ly Son island district on March 3.

Dr Vu Dinh Bay of the Hue University of Education said that the campaign aims to encourage Vietnamese fishermen to continue sticking to the sea to affirm the country’s sea and island sovereignty.

Since the campaign kicked off in May 2016, it got more than 11,000 national flags, he added.

Fisherman Vo Duy Chien said the national flag is never absent in offshore fishing trips as it is the symbol of the country.

On the occasion, 10 students of disadvantaged families in Binh Chau commune, Binh Son district of the province also received gifts worth 500,000 VND (about 22 USD) each.

Bulgarian rose festival opens in Hanoi

Politburo member and Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Hoang Trung Hai, Bulgarian Ambassador to Vietnam Evgueni Stoychev and delegates cut the ribbon to open the Bulgarian Rose Festival at Hanoi’s Thong Nhat (Reunification) Park on March 3.

The six-day event is being jointly held by the Bulgarian Embassy in Hanoi and the Vietnam-Bulgaria Friendship Association in celebration of 67 years of friendly relations between the two countries, 139 years of Bulgaria’s National Day (March 3, 1878-2017) and the International Women’s Day (March 8).

On its debut in Vietnam, the festival brings together 300 types of roes from across the world, including purebred rose varieties of both Europe and Bulgaria.

It also features pavilions showcasing Bulgaria’s traditional products, including rose-themed food, unique souvenirs and products from rose oil.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Doan Toan affirmed that Vietnam and Bulgaria have had positive sentiments for each other over the years, adding that bilateral ties have been increasingly strengthened through political, diplomatic and economic cooperation activities.

The Bulgarian rose festival is a milestone marking the good relationship between the two countries and a bridge fostering cultural cohesion and cooperation between Vietnam and Bulgaria as a whole and between Hanoi and Kazanlak in particular, he said.

Through the festival, the Bulgarian Embassy presented Hanoi with the Damascena rose variety, Bulgaria’s most precious and typical rose.

On behalf of Hanoi’s leaders and citizens, Toan thanked the Bulgarian side and pledged to direct specialised agencies to receive, preserve, breed and conduct the pilot cultivation of this kind of rose, contributing to deepening the solidarity and friendship between the two nations and two cities.

20 students suffer Glomerulonephritis due to streptococcal infection

Dr. Tran Nguyen Truyen from the Department of Health in the central province of Nghe An yesterday said streptococcal infection type A is the cause of acute glomerulonephritis in children in Hanh Dich Commune in the province’s Que Phong District.

Before, the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology took blood samples of eight students to verify the cause of the disease. Test results showed that six over eight samples were positive for the streptococcal infection type A.

At the same time, the local health authority took blood samples of ten patients for tests. Test results showed that five out of ten samples were positive for ASO test is primarily used to help determine whether a recent strep infection with group A Streptococcus.

Meantime, tests of three water samples taken from school and students’ houses showed that metal content did not exceed the limit.

Currently the Department of Health in Nghe An Province is waiting for other test results to arrive at the final conclusion.

Acute glomerulonephritis following streptococcal infection is characterized by the sudden appearance of hematuria, proteinuria, red blood cell.

Transport Ministry installs speed limit signs at accident blackspots

Transport Minister Truong Quang Nghia yesterday ordered relevant agencies in coordination with local governments to install speed limit signs in accident blackspots - places where road traffic accidents have historically been concentrated.

Installing speed limit signs should be set up early to reduce traffic accidents as per the sector’s target. 

Though the number of death, injury and cases of traffic in February 2017 decreased compared to same period last years, it has seen surge of traffic accidents most in railway; accordingly, related agencies must concentrate on railway safety and infrastructure.

According to the Directorate for Road of Vietnam, currently there has been 800 blackspots in national highways which needs over VND1,000 billion (US$43,832,700). Agencies will recheck black spots to gradually repair them. In addition, the sector must have measures to adjust thousands of intersections between roads and railway.

State capital withdrawal hits over VND 14 trillion in Jan-Feb

State capital withdrawal of State-owned enterprises (SOEs) and groups valued over VND 14 trillion in the first two months of 2017.

The State capital withdrawal came from the sale of capital of the State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC).

Especially, the SCIC sold capital of 11 SOEs, including the Viet Nam Dairy Products Joint Stock Company (Vinamilk) with VND 783.7 billion.

In January-February, none of SOEs was privatized. However, SOEs have proactively implemented the plan on restructuring in the 2016-2020 period.

The Ministry of Finance had finalized and submitted the Government a new decree to replace Decree 59/2011/ND-CP on SOEs restructuring.

The new decree expects to resolve shortcomings and speed up the progress in the coming time.   

Intersection on Cầu Giẽ-Ninh Bình Highway to widen

Việt Nam Expressway Corporation (VEC) has proposed a plan to the Transport Ministry to upgrade and expand the Liêm Tuyền intersection on the Cầu Giẽ-Ninh Bình Highway.
The proposal is targeted at meeting the increase in the number of vehicles travelling on this route, especially vehicles departing from Hà Nội to Nam Định and Thái Bình provinces through the intersection, VEC said.

According to VEC’s statistics, the number of vehicles travelling on this highway has increased rapidly, some 15-20 per cent per year since it was put in use in 2012.

In the first two months of this year, 2.3 million vehicles travelled on the expressway, or 40,000 daily, higher than the previous period by 30 per cent.

In particular, vehicles travelling on this route peaked on the weekends, holidays or festivals, with an average of 50,000 vehicles per day.

The increasing number of vehicles often leads to congestion at the toll station on this route and has also affected management and operation, it said.

The corporation has actively opened opposite lanes to avoid traffic jams and strengthened human resources to regulate traffic, but these solutions are temporary, according to VEC. 

Thousands to undergo early cancer detection checks

Some 5,000 poor and underprivileged people will get health check services free for the early detection of cancer.

The early cancer detection campaign will be held across the country in 2017, aimed at helping people become more aware of cancer, Dr Đoàn Hữu Nghị, director of Thu Cúc International General Hospital, said.

The campaign will provide health checks to detect breast cancer and other diseases in a woman’s mammary gland, and prostate cancer and other diseases in a man’s lungs.

"Vietnamese people in the provinces rarely undergo regular health checkups and tests for early detection of cancer. Breast cancer is the most common and has the death rate in females, while prostate cancer is one of the 10 most common cancer and is one of the leading causes of cancer death in males ," Dr Nghị said.

The campaign will kick off on March 11 at the Kinh Bắc Culture Centre in the northern province of Bắc Ninh from 10am to 4pm. Popular comedians such as Công Lý and Vân Dung will join the campaign, not just to perform their comedy acts, but also to raise community awareness of cancer. 

After Bắc Ninh, the campaign will be held in the northern provinces of Quảng Ninh and Thanh Hóa, central Đà Nẵng City, Hà Nội and HCM City.

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