The branches leading to the domestic and international terminals are respectively 150m and 300m.
The construction, begun last February, was completed two months ahead of schedule.
The 7.5m-wide flyover cost VNĐ242 billion (US$10.66 million).
Also yesterday one branch of another major flyover near the airport opened to traffic after four months of construction, also two months ahead of schedule.
The eponymous flyover, starting at the Nguyễn Thái Sơn roundabout in Gò Vấp District, will have three branches when fully finished: Hoàng Minh Giám Street – Nguyễn Thái Sơn Street (362.8m); Nguyễn Kiệm – Nguyễn Thái Sơn (367.7m); and Nguyễn Kiệm – Hoàng Minh Giám (367.7m).
Vehicles were allowed to use the Hoàng Minh Giám – Nguyễn Thái Sơn branch yesterday, and the other two are expected to be finished by year-end.
The total cost is projected at VNĐ504 billion ($22.17 million).
Located less than 2km from the airport, this flyover is also expected to smooth traffic around it.
Tân Sơn Nhất receives 32.5 million passengers a year, much higher than its designed capacity of 25 million.

Huge fire breaks out at Phu Quoc Night Market

A huge fire broke out in the early morning of July 3 at Phu Quoc Night Market which quickly burnt down many kiosks and caused billions of VND in damage.

According to the local residents, the fire started at 3.45am from a food or clothing kiosk and quickly spread to other lock-ups. Three fire engines and many firefighters had been sent to the scene. The fire was extinguished at 5.15am.

The market was closed by the time the fire broke out. However, many commodities and furniture worth tens of billions of VND were destroyed during the fire. It is said the short circuit at one of the kiosks had caused the fire.

The authorities are investigating the case.

Phu Quoc Night Market opened last September and the traders were relocated from Dinh Cau Night Market. At first, many opposed the decision to shut down the traditional market at Dinh Cau.

According to Phu Quoc authorities, they closed Dinh Cau Market to improve city planning. Phu Quoc Night Market mostly sells souvenirs and live seafood. It has 90 kiosks and thanks to a prime location, it attracted many tourists and boosted business for the traders.

Deputy PM urges transport work in Mekong Delta

Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng has requested the Ministry of Transport (MoT) and other authorised agencies at the local level to make thorough assessments on all transport investment projects. Officials are asked to prioritise key projects so that the provision of financial and human resources meets demand.

The request, aiming to remove traffic bottlenecks in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta region, was announced by the Government Office on Thursday.

The deputy PM had recently concluded an inspection of the region’s transport infrastructure projects.

Specifically, the deputy PM urged the development of the HCM City – Cần Thơ expressway to be accelerated, especially the VNĐ9 trillion ($396 million) Trung Lương - Mỹ Thuận and the VNĐ7 trillion ($308 million) Mỹ Thuận - Cần Thơ sections. These individual projects were key in removing traffic bottlenecks and boosting links between the Mekong Delta and HCM City, thus increasing the competitiveness of the region.

The MoT should continue to direct and coordinate with others ministries and sectors to solve issues in the implementation of the BOT Trung Luong - My Thuan project so that the 2019 deadline is met, according to the deputy PM.

The ministry should also quickly fulfil all investment procedures and organise bidding to select qualified and experienced investors for the Mỹ Thuận - Cần Thơ highway project, ensuring transparency and reconciling benefits to the State, investors and local people in the region.

The Trung Lương - Cần Thơ expressway should be put into operation before 2020, according to the deputy PM.

Two other key projects, the Cao Lanh Bridge and a road connecting the Vàm Cống Bridge, were urged to complete this year, while another road section connecting the Vàm Cống Bridge to Kiên Giang Province was slated for 2018.

More projects on upgrading National Highway 30 should also be intensified to meet the transport demands between HCM City and Cần Thơ, according to the request.

In his request, the deputy PM asked MoT to assume prime responsibility and coordinate with local authorities in dredging river mouths, inland waterways and channels in order to boost the region’s waterway transportation capacity and logistics industry.

He urged the MoT to co-operate with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Ministry of Finance and relevant agencies to report to the Prime Minister about projects on investment in a coal port in the region with the aim to meet demands of coal transportation for thermal power plants in the Mekong Delta.

The Ministry of Construction should assume prime responsibility and coordinate with others ministries to conduct research on new materials that could replace sand for construction as a way to meet the increasing demands of sand in the region as well as the whole country.

Nine billiards players join Billiards World Cup Porto 2017

Vietnam team coach Nguyen Viet Hoa and nine billiards players will travel to Portugal for participating in the Three-Cushion Carom Billiards World Cup Porto 2017.

The event will take place from July 3 to 9.

As scheduled, Vietnamese player Do Duc Hien (world No.2262) will start playing in qualifying rounds on July 3. Player Nguyen Quoc Nguyen (world No.13) will enter directly to the main round which begins from July 7.

Coach Nguyen Viet Hoa said Vietnamese team strives to enter the quarter-finals, aiming to clarify its position on the list. 

Musical fountain show to be held in September

Deputy Chairman Le Van Khoa has just approved the Kenton Node’s project which will invest to build a musical fountain system at Phuoc Kieng Commune in Nha Be District.

As plan, tourists can enjoy free musical fountain shows from walking street in the Kenton Node’s project. The program will be held at 8pm on weekdays and is expected to attract around 2,000 visitors.

The event is expected to be launched in September, contributing boosting the city’s tourism industry. 

Poverty rate in Central Highlands down 2.8 percent each year

Poverty rate in the Central Highlands dropped by 2.8 percent annually over the past 15 years, the Steering Committee for the Central Highlands said on June 30. 

The committee told a conference to review communications work in the Central Highlands held in Lam Dong province on June 30 that the rate was 2.5 percent during 2001-2005 and 3.5 percent during 2006-2010 and 2011-2015 periods. 

The poverty rate in ethnic minority-inhabited areas contracted from 47.8 percent in 2006 to 19.9 percent at present, the committee said, adding that famine has been basically addressed in these areas. 

In poor districts as listed in the Government’s Resolution No. 30a/2008/NQ-CP, the rate was reduced from 62 percent in 2001 to 46.64 percent in 2015. 

Over the past ten years, the region provided vocational training for 168,000 locals and generated jobs for 826,000 others, of which 182,000 belong to ethnic minority groups, helping cut unemployment rate in urban areas in the region from 5.16 percent in 2001 to 2.51 percent, the lowest level nationwide. 

At the conference, the committee rolled out orientations for the communications work in the time ahead, focusing on the implementation of the Government’s guidelines to close forest gates, the development of high-tech agriculture and a coffee industry adaptive to climate change, as well as outcomes of the realisation of the national target programme on sustainable poverty reduction and new-style rural area building. 

On this occasion, the committee also announced results of cooperation between Vietnamese and Lao and Cambodia localities that share the border line.

The Central Highlands region comprises Dak Lak, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Dak Nong, and Lam Dong provinces, with total population of about 5.64 million people and 47 ethnic groups.

Gender parity law needs changes: workshop

Awareness of and compliance with the Law on Gender Equality (2007) is low, and several of its provisions have proved impractical, experts said at a workshop in HCM City on Tuesday.

Trần Minh Thái, deputy head of the municipal Health Department’s personnel division, said that, for instance, the regulation giving female workers up to 20 days leave for taking care of their sick children needs to be amended to give them more days off.

“In case children are ill for a longer period, their mothers have to take leave to take care of them. If their leave exceeds 20 days, they lose their benefits. Some are even sacked.”

This is “unequal,” he said.

When a woman does not buy social insurance but her husband does, the law is not clear about what happens when their child is sick, he added.

Thai further noted that people who buy social insurance voluntarily do not benefit when they are sick or become pregnant.

Dr Đỗ Thị Ngọc Diệp, head of the city’s Nutrition Centre, said that though on paper the law offers incentives to employers hiring a large number of female workers, the former are not able to realise the intended benefits.

Detail guidance documents on the incentives should be issued, Diep said.

Nguyễn Hữu Hưng, deputy head of the Health Department, several obstacles stood in the way of providing gender-based healthcare services in the city.

The city’s abortion ratio of 50 per cent of live births last year was still high, despite the reduction from more than 61 per cent in 2011, he said.

Among other things, he blamed illegal sex selection for this, warning that it would worsen gender imbalance in the country.

Phạm Thị Mỹ Lệ, deputy head of the city’s Family Planning- Population Division, said the ratio of newborn boys per 100 girls between 2011 and 2015 ranged from 105 to 107.

This was similar to the World Health Organisation’s natural "sex ratio at birth" of 105, she said.

But in some of the city’s outlying districts like Bình Chánh and Củ Chi, this figure was as high as 116.5 and 112.8, she added.

Other speakers said at the workshop that banning sex selection at birth was not very effective because there were no penalties in place for this action.

They suggested several incentives are given, including providing scholarships to girl students if a family only has female children.

Hưng said that apart from amendments, propagation of the law and its provisions should be improved. 

Man mauled to death by his buffalo during fest in northern Vietnam

A man has died from multiple injuries after being attacked by his own buffalo that he had brought to a local buffalo fight fest in northern Vietnam.

The festival was immediately cut short after the incident.

The decades-old Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival in Hai Phong City is an annual spectacle held on the ninth day of the eight month in the lunar calendar.

Typically organized at a ring in Do Son District, the festival sees the strongest water buffalo across the district’s eight wards being brought in for fights against one another until a single contender is crowned that year’s champion.

On July 1, the 28th edition of the event came to an abrupt end after a man was gored to death by his own buffalo inside the ring.

According to an announcement made by the festival’s organizers, the buffalo owned by Dinh Xuan Huong, a resident of Do Son’s Van Huong Ward, had charged at the opposing buffalo’s owner upon being led into the ring.

When the animal failed to land a blow on the man, it abruptly changed direction and came at its owner instead, catching him off guard.

Huong was thrown into the air by the buffalo’s slam, with the animal’s horn piercing his left leg.

The man suffered from multiple injuries on his spine, head and legs, and died later that night despite efforts to save his life by doctors at the Vietnam-Czech Friendship Hospital in Hai Phong.

After the incident, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism sent an urgent dispatch to Hai Phong’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, requesting that the festival be temporarily halted until safety measures are taken.

“If preparations for the festival have yet to meet safety regulations, the municipal administration is to be notified of the cancelation of this year’s buffalo fighting festival,” the dispatch reads.

Thirty-two water buffalo were signed up for the 2017 Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival, and were being pitted against one another on July 1in 1-on-1 battles to select 16 strongest finalists to enter the fest’s main event scheduled for September.

The fatal accident happened during the qualifying round’s 14th match-up.

The Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival is traditionally organized in the hope of wishing local fishermen a prosperous fishing season.

In 2013, the festival was officially recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage.

The event has been criticized by its opponents as a ‘barbaric’ and ‘brutal’ practice due to the fact that the contenders often suffer from serious injuries and even death after the fights.

The winning buffalo is usually killed right after being crowned the champion, whose meat is sold at a high price and is believed to bring good luck to those who eat it.

Spanish-funded project improves nutrition for children

A project funded by the Spanish Government on integrating nutrition and food security for children and vulnerable groups in Vietnam was reviewed at a workshop in Hanoi on June 29. 

Director of the Ministry of Health's Maternal and Child Health Department Nguyen Duc Vinh said the project aims to help Vietnam build and implement an integrated nutrition and food security strategy targeting children and vulnerable groups in the country. 

The project has been carried out at the central level and in the mountainous northwest province of Lao Cai and the central province of Ninh Thuan from 2015 to June 2017.

It guides the building and enforcement of relevant policies based on the global recommendations on nutrition for mothers, infants and children, on clean water, hygiene and food security.

It also helps enhance the capability of involved staff at central and local levels in achieving sustainable reduction of the rate of stunted growth and malnutrition among children while ensuring food security for households.

Remarkable outcomes of the project included the issuance of technical guidance for the early detection and treatment of acute child malnutrition, and instructions on food pyramids for pregnant and breast-feeding women and children under five.

In addition, the programme “Restructuring rice sector”, approved in June 2016 has been nationwide applied. Seven models of household-based cultivation, animal raising and aquaculture have been implemented in the two target provinces.

Lao Cai province’s representative said after the project was carried out in Ban Pho commune, Bac Ha district; and Thao Chu Phin commune, Si Ma Cai district, the ratio of malnutrition among children in the two communes decreased from 24.2 percent to 16.6 percent while the rate of mothers having proper knowledge of the minimum diversity of food for children surged from 15.5 percent to 56.9 percent.

Nearly 72 percent of mothers breast-fed their children right after delivery compared to 47.9 percent before the project, and 74 percent of them ensure the minimum diversity of food for their children.

Education programme launched for diabetes self-management

Diabetes patients in Việt Nam will be able to benefit from a project, entitled ’First day of diabetic’s life’, launched at a ceremony in Hà Nội on Friday.

The event is part of the 21st French and Việt Nam Medical Exchange organised by the French Embassy in Việt Nam, in collaboration with the Việt Nam Association of Endocrinology and Diabetes (VAED) and French Servier Laboratories in Việt Nam.

"The project is an education programme for diabetes self-management that aims to increase the knowledge, skill and ability necessary to help diabetic patients initiate effective self-management and cope with diabetes when they are first diagnosed with it," said VAED President Prof Thái Ngọc Quang.

Quang said that the number of undiagnosed and untreated diabetes patients in Việt Nam was high, while the diagnosed patients were not managing the disease well.

Statistics from the health ministry revealed that Việt Nam had about 3.5 million patients with diabetes in 2015. About 50 per cent of the diabetes patients have not been diagnosed yet, while 60 per cent of the diagnosed patients have not been controlling the disease. 

“One of the main reasons is the poor self-management of diabetes patients,” said Quang.

“The education programme will enable patients to optimise metabolic control, prevent and manage complications, and maximise the quality of life in a cost-effective manner,” said Quang.

The programme also aims to improve the quality of diabetes treatment, as well as reduce the treatment expenses for diabetes patients and hospitals in Việt Nam. It will focus on education and communication programmes to improve the consulting ability of doctors to help patients manage the disease themselves at hospitals and medical facilities.

Patients and their families will be provided with information relating to diabetes through various means, such as documents, hot line, mobile application and the website ngaydautien.vn.

The French and Việt Nam Medical Exchange is an annual event where health experts and doctors from Việt Nam and France exchange medical information and experience in the management and treatment of heart, endocrinology and mental diseases. Over the past 20 years, the programme has helped improve the treatment quality and benefited patients, as well as heightened the medical collaboration between Việt Nam and France. 

Vietnam learns France’s experience in online media management

A delegation from the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Information and Education led by its deputy head Lam Phuong Thanh paid a visit to France from June 26 to July 1 to learn to the country’s experience in managing electronic newspaper and social media as well as the preservation of cultural heritages.

The delegation held a working session with representatives of Le Monde Diplomatique and L’Humanite newspapers run by the French Communist Party, and the France National Journalists’ Union.

The French officials said that most e-newspapers in France are online versions of printed newspapers. The majority of French press agencies use social media to widespread their products, they said.

They also noted financial difficulties facing the local media agencies.

Patrick Kamenka from the France National Journalists’Union said that the country has nearly 40,000 professional journalists, but the number of journalists joining the union has been declining.

Currently, the union is proposing the French Government give financial support to newspapers to reduce businesses’ control of their contents, he said.

Meanwhile, Bruno Favel, head of the Department for European Affairs of France’s Ministry of Culture, said that France is a leading country in preserving cultural heritages, which has been considered a solution to attract more tourists and boost economic development.

France’s tourism sector serves over 80 million visitors per year, he said, adding that France has 57 heritages, including 15 intangible cultural ones.

The French side also expressed hope that Vietnam will have an important voice at the UN Education, Science and Culture Organisation, while proposing the two countries support each other to have more cultural heritages recognized.

During their stay, Thanh and the Vietnamese delegation also had a working session with the Vietnamese Embassy in France and Vietnamese media agencies in the country, during which she asked for more efforts to bring more local news to Vietnam, thus boosting economic and cultural cooperation betweenthe two countries.

Vietnam, Lao embassies in Singapore mark relations anniversary

The embassies of Vietnam and Laos in Singapore joined hands to organise an evening get-together on July 1 to celebrate the 55th anniversary of Vietnam-Laos diplomatic relations (September 5) and 40 years of the signing of the Vietnam-Laos Friendship and Cooperation Treaty (July 18).

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Nguyen Tien Minh reviewed the path that Vietnam and Laos have taken through together.

He stressed that the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos have been thriving in all fields, contributing to the development of both nations as well as to promoting peace, security and cooperation in the region.

Minh said the upcoming anniversaries are occasions for Vietnamese and Lao people, particularly younger generations, to understand and foster the bilateral ties.

Lao Ambassador to Singapore Khonepheng Thammavong said he hopes the exchange will encourage young staff of the two embassies to try their best in boosting cooperation between their countries toward effective outcomes.

During the evening, Vietnamese and Lao signature music were performed on stage.

Earlier the same day, young personnel at the two embassies took part in a friendly football match.

Requiem held for martyrs in northern battlefield

A requiem was held at the Vi Xuyen National Martyrs’ Cemetery in Vi Xuyen district, the northern province of Ha Giang to commemorate those who laid down their lives in the northern battlefield to safeguard the country.

The ceremony was among activities to mark the 70th anniversary of the Vietnam Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27, 1947-2017).

Addressing the event, former Secretary of the Party Central Committee and former head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Mass Mobilisation Ha Thi Khiet, as well as Ha Giang leaders and locals, and Buddhist monks and followers offered incense to the heroic martyrs and pray for the peace of their souls.

According to Vice Chairman of the Ha Giang People’s Council Tran Duc Quy, the Vi Xuyen National Martyrs’ Cemetery is home to 1,756 heroic martyrs from 32 cities and provinces from Quang Tri northwards who died during the struggle to defend the northern border.

On the occasion, the organising board presented gifts to families of the martyrs and those who rendered services to the nation in Vi Xuyen district.

Insurance profiteering a plague

Health insurance profiteering is still common in private hospitals and health clinics, with medicine improperly prescribed and purchased, leading to an imbalance of the health care fund, health experts have said.

The statement was made at a recent dialogue on legal policies on health insurance between Vietnam Social Insurance and Vietnam Private Hospitals Association. 

The dialogue was a chance for representatives of private hospitals and health clinics to highlight difficulties in implementing the amended Law on Health Insurance.

Deputy General Manager of Vietnam Social Insurance Pham Luong Son said that since the amended regulations were implemented two years ago, the number of hospitals providing health insurance services and patients increased greatly.

Figures from the organisation showed that 365 private hospitals and health clinics signed contracts to provide health insurance services in 2015, and this number increased to 444 in 2017.

In 2015, the fund paid 2.8 trillion VND (123 million USD) to more than 6.5 million insurance card holders. In 2016, the fund paid 6.6 trillion VND (290 million USD) to more than 16.6 million cald holders, with this year’s number expected to rise strongly - 1.58 trillion VND (69 million USD) for 4.2 million card holders within the first three months.

However, there were shortcomings in health insurance services at private clinics.

Nguyen Ta Tinh, head of the organisation’s Medicines and Medical Equipment Unit said that clinics persisted in selecting, purchasing and using drugs and medical supplies that were not cost-effective.

Some private hospitals held drug bidding, but the selection of contractors remained ineffective.

For example, 92 types of drugs sold at Vinmec International Hospital cost more than at Saint Paul Hospital with total difference value of 2.8 billion VND.

Some facilities prescribed expensive drugs or offered many medical techniques for health insurance holders to attract more patients.

Duong Duc Tuan, Director of the Centre for Health Insurance Coverage and Multi-level Payment in the north agreed, saying that some services were unnecessarily prescribed and the prescriptions were often repeated.

At the dialogue, Vietnam Social Insurance signed a coordination agreement with Vietnam Private Hospitals Association to solve difficulties and improve the effectiveness of the implementation of the health insurance regulations.

Blood donation journey begins in Ca Mau

A torch was burned at the national trig point GPS 0001 at the Ca Mau cape cultural park on July 1 to kick off the fifth Hanh Trinh Do (red journey),  a nationwide annual blood donation drive.

This was the fourth time the southernmost province of Ca Mau was selected as the starting destination of the programme in the southern region. 

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Nguyen Anh Tri, General Director of National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT), stressed the importance of the event in helping ease blood shortage during summer and encouraging people engage in the humanitarian activity.

On July 2, the campaign ran its first blood donation festival in Ca Mau, before heading to Kien Giang. With support from 80 volunteers, the journey will cover 18 provinces and cities in the southern and central regions.

As part of the programme, another group of 60 volunteers will embark on its red journey across 10 northern localities starting July 10. It is scheduled to meet the group from the south in Hanoi on July 27.

The red journey lasts until July 31 and is expected to collect at least 45,000 blood units.

Last year, the drive toured 27 cities and provinces nationwide to provide advice on blood donation and thalassemia – a genetic blood disease to 500,000 local people and collected 20,790 units of blood.

Since its inception in 2013, the campaign has gathered nearly 80,000 units of blood.

Da Nang debuts new public bus route

In co-operation with Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF), the central city of Da Nang officially on June 30 debuted a new public bus route as part of its urban traffic corridor improvement project.

The bus route, which took two years of work and total investment of 2.9 million USD, will help boost the city’s internal bus services by offering public car parking areas, bus stops and shuttle bus routes connecting residential quarters and public destinations.

The project will also support commuters with free bike parking and smart parking at the departure bus station as well as bus tracking apps on mobile devices.

As planned, commuters will get a one-year complementary ticket as well as free wi-fi service on the bus.

The bus routes, which use eight 50-seat buses, will operate from 5.45am to 8.45pm everyday.

General Secretary of TMF and Executive Vice President of Toyota Motor Corporation, Osamu Nagata, said the project aims to help the city prevent traffic congestion in the future as well as contributing to the city’s sustainable development.

Vice Chairman of the city’s People’s Committee Dang Viet Dung said the public bus routes would help change the habits of using personal vehicles for daily travel among local residents.

He said the route, in addition to the current 11 public ones, offers commuters more options to utilise a safe and environmentally-friendly vehicle.

On the occasion, Toyota Vietnam donated two Toyota Coaster buses to the city as part of the project signed in 2015.

Last year, the city launched five new inner-city bus routes with 61 new 40-seat busses. They will run every 20 minutes between 5am until 9pm, he added.

The city plans to build Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes and 14 regular bus routes by 2020 under the World Bank-funded sustainable development project.

The city’s population of 900,000 has far outgrown the current public bus system, which has just 48 buses travelling on five routes, meeting just 10 percent of demand.

The city’s Transport Department estimates that residents make 2.1 million journeys each day, 80 percent of them on motorbikes.

Da Nang is Vietnam’s fourth largest city and is highly regarded by other cities for its planning, governance and infrastructure.

In 2013, the World Bank agreed a 272.1 million USD sustainable development project, of which 202.4 million USD will be channeled into helping improve the city’s BRT network, build new roads and revamp the drainage system.

PM stresses significance of health insurance for all people

Increasing health insurance coverage among people is an important solution that helps build a democratic, equal, prosperous and happy society, said Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. 

The government leader was speaking at an event co-hosted by the Vietnam Social Insurance (VSI) and the Health Ministry in Hanoi on June 30 to mark Vietnam Health Insurance Day (July 1).

The Party and State always pay attention to protecting and caring for public heath, he said, citing the issuance of a range of relevant policies and guidelines aiming to help the public overcome risks and cut medical costs. 

However, the PM pointed out the fact that there remained almost 20 million Vietnamese people who have yet to be covered by health insurance, many of them are from disadvantaged groups or meet difficulties in the daily life. 

Against the backdrop, the leader requested Party Committees, administrations at all levels, ministries and agencies to complete relevant mechanisms and policies, prioritising household health insurance coverage for those working in agriculture, fishery and salt sectors.

He stressed the need to ensure equality of medical check-ups and treatment covered by insurance at public and private hospitals, saying that the participation of private hospitals in this field would help reduce the overload at higher-level hospitals as well as wastefulness. 

Apart from fast-tracking administrative reform in order to make it easier for citizens to access health insurance and medical services, it is necessary to increase the application of information-technology in implementing health insurance policies, he said. 

PM Phuc also underlined the responsibility of businesses, organisations and individuals to pay health insurance for their employees in line with the Law on Health Insurance. 

The leader called for joint efforts to enable people in difficult circumstances to access health insurance, thus reaching the target of up to 90 percent of the population covered by health insurance by 2020. 

VSI General Director Nguyen Thi Minh reported that more than 76 million Vietnamese people have to date participated in health insurance and about 75 million time-people benefited from the Health Insurance Fund in the first half of this year. 

Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said her ministry has synchronously carried out specific measures to improve the quality of medical checks-up and treatment. 

She said projects to ease the overload at hospitals and build satellite hospitals, along with regulations on administrative reform and improvement of health workers’ behaviours towards patients have proven effective. 

On this occasion, the VSI presented 1.5 billion VND (66,015 USD) to the poor, helping them access health insurance.

Forest funds boost northern livelihoods

Thousands of households in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang have committed to use and protect parcels of forest near their homes, receiving monthly environmental payments that help them to improve their livelihoods, the Nong Thon Ngay Nay (Countryside Today) newspaper reported.

Lu Xin Cai, a resident of Quang Tien Hamlet, Hoang Su Phi district, said that his household has been assigned over 2ha of forest and is allowed to go into the forest to exploit extra products in the forest.

Thanks to the payment for forest environmental services, his family could buy a TV, motorbike and animals to raise.

Lu Van Thanh, head of Ma Lu Sung hamlet of Ban Nhung commune, said that the hamlet has a common rule for forest protection banning locals from chopping down trees.

"Residents must ask for local authorities’ permission if they want to cut trees for woods to build houses. Otherwise, violators will be penalised or reported to authorities," Thanh said.

Organisations such as the elderly association, association of war veterans and youth unions also receive the payments and have established a fund giving loans at low interest rates or zero percent rate.

The fund set up by Ta Nhiu commune of Xin Man district is now worth dozens of billions of VND.

Lo Thi May, a villager of Ta Nhiu commune, said “In 2015, my family borrowed 10 million VND (440 USd) from the fund and bought black pigs. One year later, we had enough money to pay for the loans. Now I have 12 pigs worth dozens of millions of VND.”

Quite a few other locals who received loans are enjoying a better life along with increased awareness of environmental protection.

The fund has been used to improve local facilities and help move houses prone to landslides and floods out of risky areas.

In Na Quang hamlet, Quan Ba district, the locals collected 80 million VND (3,500 USD) of payment to make a new road.

Cao Dao Quang, director of management board of Tay Con Linh special purpose forest, said that the payments for forest environmental services have big impacts on local awareness. The residents no longer damage the forest in order to farm.

Forum promotes gender mainstreaming in policy making

The 5th Vietnam-Korea Women Forum took place in Hanoi on June 30, focusing on the theme of mainstreaming gender into policies towards sustainable development. 

Speaking at the event, Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Women's Union (VWU) Bui Thi Hoa stressed gender equality is one of the principles constitutionalised in Vietnam’s first Constitution in 1946.

Regulations on gender equality have been included in many legal documents covering different fields such as politics, economy, finance-budget, labour-employment, education-training, healthcare, and population-family, she said, adding that attention have been paid to activities targeting development of women. 

The forum offered a good chance for the Governments, National Assemblies, local administrations and organisations of Vietnam and the Republic of Korea to expand cooperation programmes targeting women’s development in particular and sustainable development of the two nations in general, Hoa stressed.  

Lee Myung Sun, Chairwoman of the Korean Women’s Development Institute (KWDI), underlined the importance to make recommendations to policies concerning women, affirming that the institute will continue promoting cooperation with the VWU to connect women-related agencies and organisations, towards a better future for women of both countries. 

Participants at the forum shared policies and successful models at both national and local levels; outstanding policies on gender equality; experience in applying gender mainstreaming in the budgetary process and gender budgeting. 

They also discussed policies to build women friendly cities in the central city of Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. 

The forum was organised rotationally by the VWU and the KWDI over the last five years. The previous events focused on female human resources development, vocational training and job creation, creative industry, supporting female-owned entrepreneurs; and international marriage between Vietnamese and RoK citizens.