Hồ Thị Sương, a physiotherapist from the HCM City Hospital for Rehabilitation – Professional Diseases, visits a patient’s house to provide physical therapy during a 30-minute sesson. 

A 14-year-old girl suffering from congenital clubhand and clubfoot disease is receiving physiotherapy at her house in Tân Phú District, thanks to a free HCM City  rehabilitation programme for people with disabilities.  

For six days a week, Hồ Thị Sương, a physiotherapist from the HCM City Hospital for Rehabilitation – Professional Diseases, visits Nhi’s house to provide a 30-minute physical therapy session.

“The patient also has signs of curvature of the spine and a frozen hip joint, so she is doing exercises to stretch the muscles and unlock the frozen joints,” Sương said, adding that Nhi also practices exercises to reduce the curvature of the spine.  

Nhi has been treated at home since early November, Sương said.

Sương also provides physiotherapy to seven other people, including a 60-year-old male patient with hemiplegia caused by a traffic accident. One of his hands is paralysed and he cannot walk easily without falling.

“The patient cannot go to the district medical station for treatment, so I have to come to his house and give him physical therapy,” Sương said

In addition, Sương offers physical therapy for the patients’ family members at their home.

Each day, many other people with disabilities in Tân Phú District visit the district health centre’s rehabilitation division to receive free physiotherapy sessions. 

A representative of the Tân Phú District Health Centre’s rehabilitation division said that nearly 40 people have visited the centre for rehabilitation and more than 20 have been treated at home as of now.

The majority of patients have traumatic brain injury, stroke, cerebral palsy, paralysis of the lower climbs or quadriplegia, she said.

In addition, the centre has electronic machines to stimulate muscular activity for the rehabilitation of patients. The machines were transferred from the Hospital for Rehabilitation – Professional Diseases

Tân Vũ Khánh An of Tân Phú District, whose father suffered a stroke 11 years ago, is one of 40 people receiving physiotherapy from the rehabilitation division at the district’s health centre.

“In the early stage of stroke, my father had physical therapy at another hospital and hired specialists to practise physiotherapy exercises at home,” An said.

However due to the high cost of treatment of VNĐ200,000 (US$8.6) per day, he stopped treatments for a long time, she added.

“Thanks to this programme, my father practises at the local health centre every day and has gained positive results,” An said.

The programme also encourages people to maintain an exercise practice.

The doctors demonstrate the kind of exercises they need to do to recover weak muscles and keep their balance.

The programme is part of the People with Disabilities Support Project from 2014 to 2020, approved by the Prime Minister and funded by the state.

As part of the programme, the HCM City People’s Committee assigned the city’s Department of Health and Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to develop a project to support people with disabilities.

The HCM City Hospital for Rehabilitation – Professional Diseases in District 8 is the main unit responsible for the project. The hospital also supplies equipment to District 6, District 4 and Tân Phú District.

Dr Đinh Quang Thanh, head of the Department of Rehabilitation - Physical Therapy at the hospital, said that 338 patients are enrolled in the programme, including 70 in Tân Phú District, 80 in District 6, 45 in District 4, and 44 in District 8.

The patients have disabilities caused by stroke, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, Alzheimers, Parkinson’s, and others.

Last month, Thanh described the programme at a dialogue between city authorities and people with disabilities held in the city. Resident Diệu Linh, who attended the dialogue, said she would seek physiotherapy to help strengthen her legs. 

Regional planning for Bình Định Province approved

The coast of Quy Nhơn in the central province of Bình Định is a popular tourist attraction. 

The central province of Bình Định expects to develop 17 urban areas by 2025 and 22 urban areas by 2035, with urban land of between 13,000 – 16,500 ha.

This is part of the regional plan for the province that deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng approved late last month.

The plan, developed by Việt Nam Institute for Urban and Rural Planning under the Construction Ministry, highlighted Bình Định as one of five provinces in the central key economic zone. The province has an important position economically and geographically as it is on the axis of the North-South expressway and railway, is home to Phù Cát Airport and is the nearest gate to the East Sea for Việt Nam’s Central Highland region, southern region of Lao, northeastern region of Cambodia and northeastern region of Thailand through National Highway No 19 and Quy Nhơn International Seaport.

The plan was made for an area of 6,050 sq.km, or the whole area of the province with 11 administrative areas. Currently, the province has 13 urban areas including four major ones – Quy Nhơn City, An Nhơn Town, Bồng Sơn Town, Phú Phong Town – and smaller district-leveled towns.

In 2016, the province had a population of 1.52 million people and expected this to increase to 1.7 million people in 2035. The urbanisation rate is also forecast to reach 50 per cent by 2035.

Under the plan, Quy Nhơn City is expected to become a national marine economic hub offering services, a seaport, industrial production and tourism. Services and the seaport are considered key factors driving growth of urban areas in the province, as well as the south central and Central Highlands regions of Việt Nam.

Nhơn Hội Economic Zone is considered an important engine for the province’s socio-economic development.

The province also plans to develop three tourism hubs in Quy Nhơn City, Tây Sơn Town, Hoài Nhơn Town.

Phương Mai-Núi Bà Tourism Area, stretching over 2,500 ha, will become a national tourism area featuring sea and island ecology and cultural values of Bình Định.

In major urban areas like Quy Nhơn City, An Nhơn, Hoài Nhơn and Tây Sơn, the province will develop logistics centres to connect seaports, airports, as well as the economic corridor along National Highway No1 and National Highway No19.

It also plans to develop wholesale markets for farm products in Hoài Nhơn and Tây Sơn, a wholesale market for aquaculture products in Tam Quan Town (in Hoài Nhơn) and Đề Gi in Phù Cát District. 

Vietnam-US joint project aids HIV/AIDS control in Thanh Hoa

Scene at the conference 

The VAAC-US.CDC Project has provided funding worth 71.06 billion VND (3.03 million USD) for HIV/AIDS prevention programmes in Thanh Hoa since August 2013, accounting for 71 percent of the central province’s total budget for the work.

The information was released at a conference held by the provincial People’s Committee on December 4 to review the VAAC-US.CDC, a collaboration between the Vietnam Administration of HIV/AIDS Control and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to fight HIV/AIDS in Vietnam.

As heard at the function, during 2013-2018, the project has helped 63,541 people be tested for HIV, or 82 percent of total residents taking the test. It has also assisted 12 out of 29 outpatient clinics in providing antiretroviral (ARV) therapy.

Since 2016, Thanh Hoa has been among the first five provinces nationwide receiving the VAAC-US.CDC support in realising the 90-90-90 goal – 90 percent of local HIV carriers aware of their health conditions, 90 percent of people diagnosed with HIV take continuous ARV therapy and 90 percent of ARV patients have low and stable virus levels. As a result, the province has completed the second 90-percent goal with 3,814 out of 4,128 HIV patients receiving ARV treatment, and surpassed the final 90-percent target.

The project has helped Thanh Hoa keep the local rate of people with HIV at below 0.12 percent, lower than the national average.

Speaking at the conference, Paula Morgan, Deputy Country Director of the CDC Vietnam Office, said the VAAC-US.CDC will provide the province 4.04 billion VND (172,631 USD) in aid for 2019.

The assistance is expected to benefit residents across 27 districts, towns and cities, she added.

Since detecting its first HIV case in 1995, Thanh Hoa recorded more than 8,000 cases as of November 2018, with 2,000 people dead due to the disease.

Tay Ninh to launch Friendly library

Since 2017, Room to Read, a non-profit organisation focusing in eradicating illiteracy, has developed the friendly library model at 222 elementary schools in 12 cities and provinces of Vietnam. The project aims to provide a long lasting learning experience and promote reading culture. 

Since 2017, Tay Ninh Education and Training Department has worked with Room to Read to launch the friendly library project in 10 primary schools at Duong Minh Chau and Hoa Thanh districts. The libraries have been upgraded with creative and eye-catching designs to create a pleasant reading environment for children.

The library model has proven to enhance children's language and communication ability, as well as improve their Vietnamese language. Moreover, the library has offered activities to develop students’ mental capacity.

Gong Culture Festival attracts young performers

More than 1,000 performers and artists have participated in the 2018 Tay Nguyen Gong Culture Festival in Gia Lai province. This year, children as young as the age of six performed at the event. This marks the next generation of gong performers and promotes the unique culture of ethnic minorities.

The 2018 Tay Nguyen Gong Culture Festival took place in Gia Lai province from November 30 to December 2. The event witnessed a remarkable growth in the number of young performers. 

The festival’s main activities included traditional rituals, folk wood sculpture, brocade weaving, epic recitals, photo and document exhibitions, and conferences on the preservation and promotion of gong culture legacy of ethnic races in the region, among others.

The gong is closely linked to the daily life of local people in Tay Nguyen. Their belief systems form a mystical world where the gongs serve as a privileged language between men, divinities and the supernatural world.

Currently, Tay Nguyen or the Central Highlands region has more than 10,000 sets of gongs, over half of which are kept in Gia Lai province.

Vietnam, Germany enhance cooperation

With improvements in business climate, Vietnam has become a hot destination for many foreign investors, including those from Germany. German projects have operated effectively in Vietnam, with the Duong River Surface Water Plant being an example.  

During his visit to Vietnam from December 2 to 13, First Mayor of Leipzig City Torsten Bonew visited the Hanoi-based Duong River Surface Water Plant, a project assisted by the German firm Aone Deustchland AG.

Duong River Surface Water Plant was put into operation in October, supplying 150,000cu.m of water per day to households in Gia Lam, Dong Anh and Soc Son districts.

So far, some 300 German enterprises have been operating in Vietnam in various sectors, especially in the supporting industry and green energy.

Vietnam, Germany share experience in cooperative development

At the workshop 

The Vietnam Cooperative Alliance (VCA) and the German Cooperative and Raiffeisen Confederation (DGRV) held a workshop in Hanoi on December 4 to share experience in development cooperation, with a view to establishing a cooperative audit centre in Vietnam.

Chairman of the VCA Nguyen Ngoc Bao highlighted the long-standing relations between the two sides. 

Through the DGRV, some German organisations have supported Vietnamese cooperatives, he said.

The DGRV has also provided technical assistance for the VCA over the years to build a project on the establishment of the centre, he added.

The two sides have organised conferences and training workshops to increase awareness of cooperative auditing, as cooperatives need a specific audit system, he said.

He hoped the DGRV will help the VCA soon complete the project for submission to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in mid-December 2018.

At the workshop, German experts shared experience in human resources training and introduced successful German cooperative models. 

They also pinpointed difficulties in the development of cooperatives in Vietnam.

Helmut Pabst, DGRV Project Director in Vietnam, highlighted improving the education and vocational training systems as a factor that would help ensure the successful operation of cooperatives.

Vietnamese nationals in Laos promote solidarity

At the conference to look back on the activities of the Vietnamese community in 2018 

The Vietnamese Embassy in Laos on December 4 held a conference to look back on the activities of the Vietnamese community in 2018 and devise an operation plan for 2019.

The event was attended by Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Ba Hung, representatives from the Consulate Generals of Vietnam in North, Central and South Laos, Vietnamese people and Vietnamese investors in the host country.

According to Bui Chi Manh, an official from the embassy, overseas Vietnamese in the country enjoyed stable lives in the past year, respected regulations and had sound relations with the host nation. 

He highlighted the active performance of the Vietnamese people associations at the grassroots level, including granting membership and supporting Vietnamese in legal procedures to get residence papers and work permits.

Vietnamese language teaching was a focus, with teachers assigned by the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training to work at Vietnamese schools in Laos.

In 2018, Vietnamese nationals organised a ceremony to mark late President Ho Chi Minh’s birthday in Khammuon province while working with their compatriots in Thailand to hold the same event in Thailand’s northwestern province of Udonthani. The activities helped the Vietnamese community strengthen solidarity, Manh said.

He pointed out some shortcomings in the associations’ operations such as failing to fully serve as a representative to protect and assist its members and labourers, loose coordination in several activities and having unspecified working regulations. 

Touching on plans for 2019, Manh suggested further implementating the Politburo’s Resolution No. 36-NQ/TW on overseas Vietnamese from 2016 to 2020. 

The Vietnamese Embassy, the Consulate Generals of Vietnam and the Vietnamese people associations should enhance cooperation with authorities in Laos and Vietnamese border localities to raise awareness of Vietnamese workers about the custom, law and culture of the neighbouring country.

VNA, Thailand’s Public Relations Department deepen cooperation

At the meeting 

The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and the Public Relations Department (PRD) of Thailand will increase the exchange of information, especially in-depth reports on cultural and socio-economic affairs, with a view to affirming their role in providing official information in the era of digital technology.

The consensus was reached at the 15th VNA-PRD Joint Technical Committee Meeting co-chaired by VNA Deputy General Director Le Quoc Minh and his PRD counterpart Charoon Chaisorn in Ho Chi Minh City on December 4.

At the meeting, the two sides reviewed their cooperation over the past time, including the exchange of reporters as well as English text and video news.

In the last year, the VNA received more than 400 English news items and 950 video clips from the PRD while sending 500 English news stories alongside in-depth television reports to the Thai agency.

VNA Deputy General Director Le Quoc Minh spoke highly of both sides’ efforts in boosting collaboration via the exchange of text and television news and training. 

The comprehensive cooperation in all fields has contributed to promoting the images of Vietnam and Thailand as well as enhancing the mutual understanding between the two countries’ people, he stated.

At present, information on Thailand is very necessary as many Vietnamese have demand for studying, working and visiting the country, he said, adding that through the VNA, the PRD information has reached crowds of Vietnamese readers and vice versa.

However, Minh noted that both VNA and PRD are facing challenges in the era of digital technology, including fake news – a global issue. In the context of booming information on social networks, the VNA and the PRD should expand their collaboration to maintain their role as official information providers in Vietnam and Thailand in order to prevent fake news.

For his part, PRD Deputy General Director Charoon Chaisorn said as the ASEAN Chair in 2019, Thailand vows to continue realising initiatives to further cooperation for ASEAN integration. 

In the communication field, the PRD and the VNA play an important role in dealing with fake news, a hot topic raised at the 14th ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information (AMRI) in Singapore in May, he said.

He also agreed that the two sides need to raise public awareness to contribute to preventing fake news on social networks, creating a reliable digital information environment across ASEAN.

Charoon Chaisorn said he wishes to witness more effective and intensive collaboration between the two agencies in the coming time, with the continued exchange of reporters and close consultation for the implementation of cooperation projects. 

After discussion, Le Quoc Minh and Charoon Chaisorn signed the minutes of the meeting in which the two sides agreed on the need to deepen information cooperation, particularly in conducting in-depth reports on the cultural features of the two countries and expanding the exchange of English news with photos promoting each nation’s socio-economic and cultural situation for posting on their websites.

The two sides need to improve news quality in order to increase value and use of information. They should share information suitable to their respective needs as well as boost cooperation in training the Vietnamese language for PRD staff.

In addition, they wish to exchange information relating to ASEAN and relations of Thailand and Vietnam with other countries, especially those in the ASEAN Community.

Operation of Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre under review

The 29th session of the Coordinating Committee for the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre in Moscow on December 4 

The Coordinating Committee for the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre held its 29th session in Moscow on December 4 to assess the centre’s operation in the past year. 

The session was held in the framework of a working visit by Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh, Deputy Defence Minister and head of the Vietnam sub-committee in the coordinating committee. 

Vinh co-chaired the session with Russia’s Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Aleksey Mikhailovich Medvedev. 

The two sides also approved the centre’s scientific research plans for 2019 and for the next five-year period. 

On the occasion, the two sides held a ceremony to present the Friendship Order of the State of Vietnam to Mikhail Vasilyevich Kucherov, former standing member and science secretary of the Russia sub-committee in the coordinating committee. 

Several Russian staff members in the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre were also awarded with certificates of merit by the Defence Minister of Vietnam. 

The 30th meeting of the coordinating committee will be held in the 4th quarter of 2019 in Hanoi. 

The Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre was founded on March 7, 1988 under an agreement between Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defence and the Russian Academy of Sciences. 

The centre operates in three main fields: tropical endurance, tropical ecology, and tropical biomedicine. It also works on the application and transfer of technology, provides scientific-technological services, and facilitates the further training of scientists. 

The centre is also in charge of coordinating collaboration among research organisations of Vietnam and Russia. More than 4,000 Russian scientists, including many leading experts, have worked at the centre. Coordination between the centre and its partners from the Republic of Korea, Canada, and Japan has proven effective.

Son La: 1,000 ethnic minority students receive free sight tests

The eye hospital of the northern province of Son La provided free eye care services for nearly 1,000 students in Thuan Chau district and Son La city during December 3-4.

The hospitals provided the students with eye examinations, screening for refractive error, and free glasses. It also organised a painting contest to promote eye care and protection.

Around 400 pairs of glasses have been given to students with vision problems throughout the charitable programme.

Son La is a mountainous province where a majority of habitants are ethnic minority people of different groups. The local ethnic minority people, particularly the children, have limited access to eye care services. As such, the event was held to increase awareness of vision problems, such as refractive error, among teachers, students, and parents and improve the local eye care service system.

According to Vu Tien Quyen, Director of the Son La Eye Hospital, refractive errors like near-sightedness, far-sightedness and astigmatism are the main causes of vision loss, blindness, and other sight-related disabilities which ultimately affect children’s ability to study as well as their general daily activities. 

Airport unmasked

Preparation makes for perfection but sometimes imperfection can save hundreds of people.

Ngô Lương C, 35, from the Central Highland province of Đắk Lắk, was caught red-handed by Đà Nẵng Airport Security Force when trying to stick his own photo on another’s person’s ID card, right at the airport.

C was then banned from flying for six months and was fined VNĐ7.5 million.

Civil Aviation Authority of Việt Nam said that faking identity papers usually happened at the time carriers offer promotions.

Some people book cheap flight tickets, which do not allow changing passengers’ names, but cannot go and pass them to others.

Most of passengers who fake their papers to get on aircrafts do not know about the risk they may pose to themselves and others.

And it’s also an alert for authorities to accelerate the switch to new plastic ID cards, not those “ancient” paper cards laminated with plastic foil anymore.

Smart encounter

Guess what is be the scariest super power to most Vietnamese people?

It should be preventing them from starting their beloved motorbikes, especially in a rush.

Many eager riders in Mỹ Tho City, the Mekong Delta province of Tiền Giang, might find it crazy to be unable to start their scooters on Lý Thường Kiệt Street.

Even using smart keys, they still experienced a sense of impotence. Strange enough, their motorbikes could only start when being taken some 50m away.

The culprit finally showed up!

A wireless security camera of a nearby shop was responsible for this unforgivable crime. Since it was operated on the same radio frequency as one type of motorbikes’ smart keys, the camera caused interference and disable motorbikes from receiving signals to start.

The provincial Department of Information and Communications asked the shop owner to change to another camera. They also tried to find the origin of this wireless camera to prevent this situation from happening again.

The authority of radio frequency management also issued mechanism to fine enterprises which use radio frequencies without permit.

At least, Tiền Giang’s riders would not need to worry anymore about a super power attempting to take their beloved motorbikes away.

Early bird catches a worm?

A massive crowd of people waiting at two in the morning, you may find the scene familiar.

Will Việt Nam football team play a match this week? Has Apple released a new iPhone today? Is today Black Friday? You may ask.

No. None of the above.

It was only the last day to register for the last TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) before the examination’s format changed.

Rumors say the new format would be more challenging, more demanding so it should be better to take a slot in the test to secure a dream score, some students may think.

Thái Lộc, HCM City Banking University, had an unforgettable time stuck in the crazy crowd, trying to take a slot in the next text.

“I arrived at the test centre in HCM City at 4am but only got into the building at 7am. They gave me an appointment card and asked to come back for registration next week,” he said.

Although IIG assured people the test’s difficulty would remain the same, by changing the format, they revealed a loophole of Vietnamese students.

Maybe TOIEC is just a requirement for them to graduate; English is an essential skill for their career.

Studying hard, sleeping right and waking up fresh will bring success, in not only the test but life.

More gold for Vĩnh Long in taekwondo at Games

Tuyền and her coach Thanh share the victory for Vĩnh Long team. — Photo thethaovietnam.vn

Trương Thị Kim Tuyền bagged a gold in taekwondo for Vĩnh Long Province on the 11th day of the National Sports Games, held yesterday in Ha Noi.  

Tuyền won in then women’s sparring 49kg, beating rivals from Tây Ninh, Hồ Chí Minh City, Tiền Giang and An Giang.

Her coach Hồ Quốc Thanh said thanks to her nerve and confidence, Tuyền secured a persuasive victory.

Her gold medal was Vĩnh Long’s third, adding to seven silvers and nine bronzes.

In weightlifting, Vương Thị Huyền won a gold for Hà Nội in the women’s snatch category, lifting 86kg.  

Ngô Thị Quyên from Hải Phòng was runner-up with 83kg.

In the clean and jerk, Asian defending champion Huyền took gold in the women’s 108kg, breaking the old record of 104kg.  

In the men’s 56kg, Lại Gia Thành contributed two golds to Hà Nội in both snatch (125kg) and clean and jerk (146kg). Trần Lê Quốc Toàn from Đà Nẵng was runner-up and Đinh Văn Tiến from Ninh Bình was second runner-up.  

After the first competition day of weightlifting, host Hà Nội ranked top with eight golds, three silvers and one bronze, followed by Hồ Chí Minh City (two golds, one silver, one bronze) and Hải Phòng (one gold, three silvers and one bronze).

In other events, swimming brought fortune for An Giang team at Mỹ Đình Water Sports Stadium.

Swimmers Nguyễn Yung Thomas won gold in men’s 50m backstroke, while Lê Nguyễn Paul won gold in the men’s 50m butterfly for the province.

Meanwhile, Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Thắm, also from An Giang, got 329 points and won a gold in archery. In total, the team have 16 golds, 15 silvers and 10 bronzes.

Hà Nội still lead the overall medal table with 106 golds, 110 silvers and 97 bronzes, followed by Hồ Chí Minh City (90 golds, 68 silvers and 71 bronzes) and Military team (43 golds, 47 silvers, 67 bronzes).