Stent used for treating arteriovenous fistula

Doctors at Bình Dân Hospital have placed an intravascular stent to treat an arteriovenous fistula, or an abnormal connection between an artery and vein, in the left arm of a patient caused by a bullet 40 years ago.

The 46-year-old woman from the Mekong Delta province of Tiền Giang was brought to the hospital in pain and with severe deformity of the arm.

Dr Dương Duy Trang, head of the hospital’s interventional cardiology unit, said her left arm was 40 per cent larger than her right and could not hold anything.

A CT scan showed an arteriovenous fistula 10 millimetres across, he said.

The fistula caused blood to flow from the heart into a vein instead of artery, leading to a large swelling in the vein.

Besides, the abnormally large volume of blood from the vein caused her heart to work overtime, leading to a high risk of heart problems.

The doctors placed the stent to block the fistula.

The patient has been discharged. She can hold things normally now and no longer has pain.

The patient also wants the bullet to be removed, but Trang said since it does not affect other blood vessels, surgery to remove it is not necessary.

Vascular injuries caused by incendiary weapons are not common in the country, he said.

People with such injuries are reluctant to go to hospitals, and only do so in case of severe complications, by which time it is too late to recover body functions, he said.

Trang said that stent placement to treat arteriovenous fistula is performed at hospitals that have doctors trained in intravascular intervention and modern equipment. 

New City food safety board

Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has approved the establishment of a food-safety management board to monitor food quality and safety in HCM City.

According to the Government Office, the PM approved the pilot project to set up a food-safety management board over the next three years.

The Department of Internal Affairs under the HCM City People’s Committee had previously proposed to the Government to establish a food-safety management board in the southern region. 

Lê Văn Lâm, deputy director of the Department of Internal Affairs, said the board aimed to punish violators of regulations on food safety and prevent future offences.

The city has had a system to implement food safety, including relevant agencies under the Department of Health, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Department of Industry and Trade.

Lâm said, however, that due to a lack of coordination and overlapping functions, it is important to establish a board to exclusively carry out the mission of food hygiene and safety.

Current punishment for violations of food safety rules was not strict enough, he said. Regular supervision had not been effectively conducted, and emerging problems were not promptly resolved, he added.

"A separate agency with sufficient authority is needed to deal with the existing limitations in ensuring food safety across the city," Lâm said.

Nguyễn Thị Huỳnh Mai, deputy head of the Food Safety Agency, said food poisoning had become a critical issue in recent years.

Last year, there were 171 cases of food poisoning, killing 23 and sending some 5,000 people to hospital.

HCM City, which has a population of 10 million, consumes 287,000 tonnes of meat, 1 billion eggs, one million tonnes of vegetables and 170,000 tonnes of seafood a year, according to official statistics.

Food safety remains a major concern since the majority of farmers and traders still lack sufficient knowledge of the issue, while others have deliberately engaged in unsafe practices to achieve higher profits.

HCM City supplies around 20 per cent of its own demand for food and buys the rest from other localities and abroad, according to the food-safety agency. 

Project helps improving maternal and newborn care

A Save the Children project helped improve knowledge on maternal and newborn care for thousands of mothers and health workers in Yên Bái, Đắk Lắk and Cà Mau provinces from mid 2012 to December 2016.

The project helped build three newborn units for hospitals of Yên Bái Province including those in Trạm Tấu and Lục Yên districts. Following several training courses, surgeons of the Trạm Tấu District hospital performed three surgeries with the support of colleagues from the provincial hospital, although no surgery was undertaken at the hospital over the past eight years.

Maternal fatality rate has reduced, while many premature newborns have been saved thanks to the facilities and human resource support from the project, according to a health worker at Đắk Lắk General Hospital’s Obstetrics Unit. Project experiences also contributed to development of the National Master Plan for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health for 2016-2020 and the National Guidelines for Reproductive Health services.

With a fund of US$3.5 million from the Atlantic Philanthropies Foundation, the project titled “Scale up of the model of Household to hospital Continuum of Maternal and Newborn Care" in Việt Nam, was implemented by the Ministry of Health and the Huế Medicine and Pharmacy University.

The project aims to improve access to quality maternal and newborn health services, to increase demand for and utilisation of those services by mothers and newborns and to strengthen the ongoing management and policy environment to ensure sustained reductions in maternal and newborn death and disability.

Over the past decade, Việt Nam has seen extraordinary advancements in maternal, newborn and child survival due to improvements in available health services and better access to antenatal care across the country. Despite significant improvements, there is increasing disparity in the health status and mortality rates between different regions and ethnic groups in Việt Nam.

In the 62 poorest districts where most minority ethnic women live, maternal mortality rates are three times higher than the national average -- 157 deaths per 100,000 live births. The under-five mortality among minority ethnic populations was 53 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2014, more than 2.5 times higher than the national rate, according to the health ministry. 

Preventive medicine ignored: Deputy PM

None of Việt Nam’s provinces are spending as much as they should on preventive medicine, Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam said on Monday at a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the country’s preventive healthcare system.

“The National Assembly approved a resolution in 2008 to spend 30 per cent of the national medical budget on preventive healthcare, but currently none of the provinces have spent more than 25 per cent,” he said.

“In some highland areas you can travel all day without seeing a medical centre, while it takes only 10-15 minutes to find one in the plains,” he added. “Some medical staff have not been assigned jobs to improve their skills.”

Health Minister Nguyễn Kim Tiến, also speaking at the event, said the General Department of Preventive Medicine, founded 60 years ago, had defeated diseases such as smallpox, polio, neonatal tatenus, cholera, plague and malaria. It was recognised by the World Health Organisation as the first country to control the SARS epidemic after 45 days, in 2003, she said.

"Preventive healthcare services have become a specialised branch with modern technologies and capable personnel, as well as extensive study and application of advanced preventive healthcare solutions," she added.

The Expanded Programme on Immunisation covered every commune in the country, immunising all children under five against  infectious diseases. The national vaccine management system was able to produce 10 of 12 vaccines for the programme at international standards.

Apart from acknowledging the achievements of the system, Đam said that in order for preventive healthcare to be truly effective, the medical sector should revise its human resources training system and financial mechanism.

He stressed the importance of combining disease treatment and disease prevention in medical practice, while acknowledging the challenges of socio-economic development, globalisation, an aging population, environmental pollution and climate change.

At the ceremony, the General Department of Preventive Medicine was awarded with the second class Labour Medal. Twenty collectives and 99 individuals received the Đặng Văn Ngữ Award from the health ministry for their excellent contribution to the preventive healthcare system. 

Transport firms add routes before Tết

Transport firms in HCM City have begun to add more buses to meet demand during the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday, which begins in late January.

The number of passengers travelling from Miền Đông Bus Station is expected to increase by 3 per cent during the holiday compared to last year, to 56,000 on a peak day, a representative of the station said.

To ensure better service during the Lunar New Year holiday, Miền Đông Bus Station has ensured that buses will be parked in an orderly fashion and they will pick up and drop off passengers in an organised manner.

The bus station has worked with local police and police inspectors to resolve the problem of illegal and counterfeit buses operating outside or near the bus station during the holiday.

Some bus companies operating at Miền Đông Bus Station have begun to sell tickets for the Lunar New Year holiday.

Phúc Thuận Thảo Company said that tickets for Tết began selling in late November.

An Thiên Phúc Company said tickets for the holiday, with surcharges from HCM City to Tuy Hoà, Quy Nhơn and Đà Nẵng, would be priced between VNĐ320,000 and 575,000 (US$15-25) , effective from January 9 to 27.

Đỗ Văn Quang, director of the Sài Gòn Railway Transport Joint-Stock Company, said the Sài Gòn Railway Station had upgraded several high-quality carriages to serve passengers during the holiday.

The railway station began selling a total of 17,500 train tickets for the holiday on November 10.

To meet the demand for goods transport, the Sài Gòn Railway Station will also run trains carrying goods between Hà Nội and HCM City during the Lunar New Year.

The trains will depart from Giáp Bát Railway Station (close to Hà Nội) and Sóng Thần Railway Station (close to HCM City) to prevent congestion at the Hà Nội and HCM City railway stations.

According to the Public Transport Operation and Management Centre, the centre will add 1,048 bus trips on 17 bus routes and reduce the number of bus trips to 844 on other less busy bus routes during the New Year.

The Miền Tây (Western) Bus Station will add 25 buses on Friday afternoon (Dec 30) and Saturday morning (Dec 31) to serve passengers who want to travel to the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta provinces.

Financier goes on trial for embezzlement

The People’s Court in Hải Phòng City on Monday opened the trial of Lê Minh Quang, 33, head of BBG Financial Group, accused of appropriating around VNĐ386 billion (US$17.3 million).

Quang, chairman of the managing board and general director of the group, is accused of abusing trust and appropriating property.

He was arrested on May 28, 2015, for illegal business activities, after his attempt to flee to Laos failed.

From May 2014 to 2015, Quang had appropriated around VNĐ386 billion (US$17.3 million) through his company.

The police arrested two others, Vũ Bình Long and Nguyễn Thanh Bình for the involvment in the case. Investigators also prosecuted 13 more people linked to Quang.

Police officials had raided the BBG group’s headquarters in Đà Nẵng City and seized documents that revealed illegal gold trading activities of the company’s affiliates. They also searched the offices of BBG’s affiliates across 10 cities and provinces. 

The BBG group was established in 2010 and expanded rapidly, setting up 18 branches and hiring 300 employees across the country.

It operated like a virtual trading floor for gold, jewellery, foreign currencies and gemstones, and as a financial consultant and loan provider. To attract investors, it offered very high interest rates.

Quang has admitted to the offence and will defend himself. The hearing is expected to go on till Friday.

Campaign launched against secondhand smoke

Việt Nam Women’s Union, in coordination with Việt Nam Tobacco Control Fund (Ministry of Health), officially launched a communication campaign on the harmful effects of secondhand smoke at a ceremony yesterday in Hà Nội.

The campaign, titled "Protect yourself and your loved ones,” with the support of Vital Strategies, is the second stage of the “Women make smoke-free homes” programme, which was implemented on May 29, 2016.

The three-month campaign includes the airing of three TV spots based on the true story of Nguyễn Thị Hương, a non-smoking victim of lung cancer, via online newspapers and popular social networks in Việt Nam.

With the message "Smoking damages your home," these short clips are aimed at making millions of Vietnamese smokers who use social media understand the adverse effects of secondhand smoke on the health, economy and happiness of each family.

"These three TV spots are based on a true story, and through this media campaign we want to alert all smokers and those living in this unhealthy environment to the fact that anyone of us can face a similar situation of loss and suffering,” Trần Thị Hương, vice chairwoman of Việt Nam Women’s Union, said at the campaign launch ceremony.

“If someone has doubts about the harmful effects of second-hand smoke, please watch this story. Stop smoking today to protect yourself and your loved ones," Hương added.

“Tobacco would claim Nguyễn Thị Hương’s life, but her story will serve as a reminder of the harm this deadly product can cause and will encourage many tobacco users to make an attempt to quit,” José Luis Castro, president and chief executive officer, Vital Strategies, said.

Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer in Việt Nam. The story of Hương is not “an odd one out" as the proportion of Vietnamese non-smoking women accounted for 20 per cent of lung cancer cases and this figure was increasing gradually.

According to a survey in 2015, with 45.3 per cent of male smokers, Việt Nam was one of the countries with the highest cigarette consumption in the world. The proportion of exposure to secondhand smoke at homes reached 62 per cent, at workplaces 42 per cent and in restaurants 80 per cent.

Quảng Ngãi Market becomes operational

The People’s Committee of central Quảng Ngãi Province has begun relocating all traders from the temporary market on Phạm Văn Đồng Street to the newly-built market on Nguyễn Nghiêm Road.

The relocation is on from today until December 11. 

The newly-constructed Quảng Ngãi Market has been built in the old market place in a 13,300sq.m. area with 1,617 kiosks. Total investment capital was more than VNĐ260 billion (US$11.4 million) from the provincial state budget and other mobilised funds. 

The committee has allocated 775 kiosks to traders who owned a usage certificate for kiosks in the old market and 37 kiosks for those who signed contract to hire kiosks on a monthly basis. 

By November 30, 171 kiosks had been bid for. The highest bid to hire a kiosk in the new market was VNĐ178,000 ($7.12) per sq.m per month and the lowest was VNĐ110,000 ($4.4) per sq.m per month.

As planned, 454 traders who sold dry goods in the second floor of the new market will be allocated kiosks between December 6-8, 316 traders on the first floor will be allocated space between December 9-11 and traders who sold fresh goods will be allocated kiosks in the raw food area between December 12-18. 

The temporary market will be returned to Thiên Tân Company, a local company, according to the provincial committee’s decision.  

Quảng Ngãi Market began construction in 2014 after a huge fire broke out in the old market in 2012, destroying the entire market, which had a large number of kiosks, including those selling fabric, garments, cosmetics, cake and candy. There were no reports of casualties, but total loss was estimated at some VNĐ200 billion ($9.6 million at that time). -- VNS

Quảng Ninh police destroy 2.8 tonnes of food

Police in the northern Quảng Ninh Province’s Hải Hà District on Tuesday destroyed 2.8 tonnes of food, including plaice and oranges, of which origins were unknown.

On Monday afternoon, the traffic police in Hải Hà District’s Quảng Hà Town stopped a truck transporting 1 tonne of plaice in foam boxes from Móng Cái City to Hải Phòng City. 

However, truck driver Đỗ Ngọc Tình, 28, a resident of Cẩm Phả City, had no papers to show where the fish was coming from. 

On the same day, the police also seized 1.8 tonnes of oranges from a truck on National Highway 18A that was passing through Quảng Hà Town. The driver, Ngô Đức Tâm, 32, said he had been hired to transport the fruits from Móng Cái City to the province, and he did not have any papers indicating their place of origin.

Landslides paralyse route in Kon Tum

Prolonged heavy rainfall and impact of the strong cold air over the week have caused serious landslides paralysing the Trường Sơn Đông route through the Tây Nguyên (Central Highlands) province of Kon Tum, authority has said.

This is the third time during the rainy season that the route suffered landslides, with over 25,000 tonnes of rock falling down, causing difficulties for road users, according to the provincial People’s Committee.

The rocks and trees drifting from upstream had damaged the barriers and avalanches had occurred intermittently, due to which residents in Ngọc Tem Commune were completely isolated.

Đặng Thanh Nam, deputy chairman of the People’s Committee of Kon Plong District, said local authorities were coordinating with the road management board to repair the damage. 

It was expected that the landslide route would be cleared today, said Nam.

Measures to actively prevent disasters and deal with the aftermath of heavy rainfall were also being strengthened, according to Nam.

Locals were advised not to walk around areas affected by landslides. Families at a high risk of flashfloods and landslides would be removed to safer areas, he said.

HCMC court sentences gambling ring

The People’s Court in HCM City yesterday sentenced dozens of defendants linked to a vast gambling ring.

Tô Công Hưng, 34, head of the ring and former director of Người Dệt Mộng (Dream Weaver) Online Joint Stock Company, was sentenced to four years in prison.

Sixty-two remaining accused received suspended sentences or two years imprisonment.

According to the verdict, under Hưng’s direction, the ring members carried out transactions worth VNĐ640 billion (US$28.7 million) through 56 bank accounts.

From February 2012 to January 2015, Hưng colluded with foreigners and then brought in his older sister, Tô Thị Thu Nhi, and acquaintances into the ring.

These accused opened accounts at some banks to serve their website 12bet.com to help gamblers transfer money for football, basketball, tennis betting and online card games.

In this case, Hưng benefited by some VNĐ4.3 billion (over $192,000) and other members received more than VNĐ260 million ($11,650) .

HCM City companies gear up for Tết, promise abundant supply

The Co.opmart supermarket chain will stock two to four times more essential goods for Tết (Lunar New Year) next year compared to this year.

Võ Hoàng Anh, marketing director of the Sài Gòn Co.op which owns the Co.opmart chain, said more than 110,000 tonnes of goods are expected to be sold in three months starting a month before Tết, or 15 per cent higher than last year. The New Year falls on January 28 next year.

Besides selling essential items at 5-10 per cent lower than the market price under the city’s price stabilisation programme, Co.opmart, in collaboration with suppliers, will slash the prices on thousands of other items by 10-50 per cent in the run-up to Tết, he said.

With nearly two months to go most HCM City businesses have completed stocking plans.

Văn Đức Mười, general director of Vissan Limited Company, which processes and sells fresh and frozen meat and foods, said the company started making preparations in June.

The company will supply 3,000 tonnes of fresh meat and 3,200 tonnes of processed foods, 10-20 per cent higher than for last Tết, he said.

It will also launch three new products for Tết, including cheese sausage and pork pie mixed with salted egg and vegetables.

There would be no price shocks during Tết, Mười assured, saying in fact his company would cut prices before Tết to stimulate demand.

Many poultry and egg providers like Ba Huân and Vĩnh Thành Đạt also plan to increase supply.

Similarly, most confectionery producers plan to increase supply and offer many products at a wide price range to meet varying tastes and budgets.

The Biên Hoà Confectionery Corporation (Bibica) plans to supply 1,800 tonnes of confectionery, up 10 per cent from the last Lunar New Year.

Bibica is also set to launch new high-quality cookies for Tết.

It has products in various segments at prices ranging from VNĐ45,000 to VNĐ350,000 (US$15.4).

Nguyễn Tô Kiều Trinh, marketing director of Lotte Mart Việt Nam, said the supermarket would increase supply of confectionary, coffees and other beverages by 30-40 per cent and fashion products by 25 per cent compared to last year.

It would also meet the demand for fruits and vegetable during Tết, which is expected to increase by 20 per cent, he said, adding it would also offer discounts of 5-10 per cent.

Besides increasing supply to meet the Tết demand, many producers said they are also focused on improving product quality and packaging.

According to the city Department of Industry and Trade, the total value of goods that companies in HCM City will stock during the two months straddling Tết will be VNĐ17.06 trillion ($765.3 million), around 5 per cent higher than last year.

The city’s price stabilisation programme will account for VNĐ6.8 trillion ($307.1 million) of these goods, meeting 30-40 per cent of demand.

Overall, production to serve the New Year will be 25-45 per cent higher than last year, with focus on poultry and animal meats, sugar, eggs, processed foods, cooking oil, and rice.

There would be an abundant supply of goods of good quality at reasonable prices during Tết, the department promised. 

Vietnam, Mongolia boost trade union partnership

The Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) supports establishing relations between Vietnamese and Mongolian trade union sectors and localities.

Vice Chairman of the VGCL Mai Duc Chinh made the statement at a reception for Vice President of the Confederation of Mongolian Trade Unions (CMTU) Erdenebat Sukhbaa Tar in Hanoi on December 6.

He suggested building ties between the Vietnam Railway Trade Union and Federation of Mongolian Railway Trade Union and exchanging information and delegations and coordinating in cadres training.

Erdenebat Sukhbaa Tar said Mongolia is home to over one million trade union federations with 35 member organisations and 450,000 trade unionists.

He reiterated the CMTU’s policy of maintaining and developing rapport with traditional friends, noting that the friendship with Vietnamese trade unions was resumed in 1996 after several years of interrupted delegation exchanges.

During this visit, the CMTU is interested in Vietnam’s experience in developing trade union membership, reforming activities, and training staff, he said.

The Mongolian confederation also hopes to set up relations between trade union sectors and localities, and seek bilateral cooperation in tourism and support each other at international forums, he added.

CD/DVD fair to be held in city

A fair of audio and video CDs and DVDs will be held at the Labor Cultural Center in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1 on December 8-11.

The 14th event aims to promote consumption of original, copyrighted products at an affordable price. It features thousands of disks in various genres of music, movies, and education software, offering 70-80 percent discount for all products.

The fair will include art performances and exchanges with the participation of popular artists, such as Phuong Thanh, Duc Tuan, Nathan Lee and others.

The fair is organized by Phuong Nam Cultural Corporation with participation of the country’s major recording companies including Saigon Vafaco, Ben Thanh Audio-Video, Viet Tan, Youth Studio, Ho Chi Minh City Television, Tri Viet, Samco and more.

The event will be also organized in the central coastal city of Nha Trang on December 15-21 and in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on December 21-25.

Fundraising concert for cancer patients

A Winter Night’s Dream concert will be organized at the Gem Center in HCMC’s District 1 on December 22 to raise funds for child cancer patients.

The concert program will be directed by famous musician Duc Tri and attended by popular artists and entrepreneurs including the duo Cam Van and her husband Khac Trieu, singer Duc Tuan, businessmen’s band Doanh nhan hat (entrepreneurs also sing), and a choir of MPU music school in HCMC. Young singers like Nhat Ha, Bich Ngoc, Dao Mac and Duyen Huyen will take the stage to contribute to the program as well.

All the proceeds from ticket sales will go directly to “Uoc mo cua Thuy” (Dreams of Thuy) Foundation to fund treatments of child cancer patients, and scholarships and Christmas gifts for these unlucky kids.

The first such program called “Giac mo dem mua dong” took place in December 2015 with over 600 businessmen from HCMC and other provinces attending and nearly VND1.4 billion raised to pay for treatment bills and gifts for child patients. In the past year, 187 children in Hanoi, Hue and Danang and HCMC have got support from the program and some of those kids have been able to get back to school.

Benefactors can buy tickets at the price of VND2 million per person to help raise funds for the program. For further information, call Ms. Ngoc Tram on 0903 743 553, Ms. Quynh Anh on 0906 660 071 or Ms. Nguyen Huynh Lan Chi on 0938 885 756 or visit http://giacmodemmuadong.ttt.vn/ or Facebook page of Giac mo dem mua dong.

Stricter visa requirements for Vietnamese travelers to Russia

Vietnamese wishing to travel to Russia are required to show up at the Russian visa section for an interview, instead of having their travel agencies doing everything for them as usual, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).

The regulation takes effect from this month. A visa application will be considered in 20 days from the date of the application being submitted based on the results of the interview.

Travel agents said the Russia visa application procedures for Vietnamese tourists have so far been simple as these firms only are required to submit visa applications plus letters of invitation from travel partners in Russia. Applicants are not required to have an interview with Russian visa officers. 

According to the website of the Russian Embassy in Hanoi,  applicants will pay US$50 for a single-entry visa, and US$55 for a double-entry visa with a review period from 4 to 20 days.

HCM City voters fear canal blockage due to urbanization

Many HCMC voters are still anxious that rapid housing development and urbanization would encroach on hundreds of inner-city canals and lead to many of them disappearing, affecting water drainage in case of heavy rains or high tides.

This is reflected in the summary of opinions of city voters before the sixth meeting of the HCMC People’s Council that begins on December 6.

Voter Cao Trong Tung in Thao Dien Ward, District 2 said Thao Dien area had recently been heavier flooded during high tides. He wondered if this was a consequence of rapid urbanization that had led to the loss of dozens of canals.

Meanwhile, voters in Ward 1, District 5 said the municipal government should soon figure out the reason why roads were now more flood-prone.

They wondered if this was a result of the low frequency of drain dredging, once a year instead of four times a year as before. In addition, many manholes are not shielded, making it easier for garbage to flow through when it rains, leading to congestion.

People in Ward 7, District 8 complained there was currently no drainage system on Le Quang Nghi Street, resulting in severe flooding which affects their livelihood. A tidal embankment has been put into operation for only a year here but flooding still persists.

Meanwhile, District 12 residents believed Gia Dinh Canal was seriously polluted. They proposed the city government soon clean out the So Ro-Rong Tung River and upgrade Cau Ong Dung Canal.

Under the program of environmental pollution reduction for 2016-2020 recently approved by the municipal government, the city will manage the planning and urban architecture of deteriorating residential areas and those adjacent to canals, the factories and production facilities subject to relocation for urban revitalization.

Some 20,000 households living on and along the canals will be resettled. Green and water surface space will be increased, while canal and river leveling will be restricted.

With this program, the city is determined to restore the canals that have been leveled or illegally encroached on in a bid to boost drainage and water storage space.

Statistics of the canal management authorities in HCMC show that there are now nearly 3,000 canals in the city with a total length of over 4,300 kilometers. The number of canals responsible for urban drainage is 849 with a total length of 1,094 kilometers, while the remainder are for agricultural irrigation and water transport.

Vietnam, Laos news agencies agree on stronger coordination

Leaders of the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and the Laos News Agency (KPL) have agreed to improve the quality of news for exchange, while strengthening communications on the special ties of Vietnam and Laos, especially in 2017 when the two countries celebrate the 55th anniversary of their relations.

During their talks in Hanoi on December 7, VNA General Director Nguyen Duc Loi and KLP General Director Sounthone Khanthavong concurred that the two sides should increase media coverage of the respective countries and their people for stronger Vietnam-Laos relations.

KPL will continue helping VNA publish the Vietnam Pictorial in Lao language in Laos, while promoting the publication’s online version as well as the VNA’s electronic newspaper VietnamPlus on KPL’s website.

The KPL official pledged to support the re-appearance of the VNA-run television channel Vnews on Laos’ cable TV system in 2017.

Meanwhile, the VNA committed to doing its utmost to assist the KPL in upgrading its website, while coordinating with and supporting the KPL to launch the Internet system in KPL’s new headquarters.

The VNA leader also agreed to receive KPL staff to work as apprentices in the VNA as proposed by his Lao counterpart.

The two sides expressed delight that partnership between the two news agencies was growing in line with the 2016-2020 cooperation agreement. In 2016, the two sides jointly held an exchange and professional training course from June 8-12 in the central province of Nghe An, they noted.

VNA leader Nguyen Duc Loi thanked the KPL for supporting the VNA’s representative office in Vientiane to fulfil its tasks.

Following the talks, the two leaders signed the minutes of the talks.

The same day, the KPL delegation visited and worked with the Domestic News Department and online newspaper VietnamPlus.  

They are scheduled to pay a courtesy call to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and visit the northern province of Lao Cai.

The VNA and KPL have enjoyed a longstanding partnership, which began from the past struggle for national independence and last till the current national construction. Their close coordination has contributed to the development of the friendship between the two Parties, States and peoples.

Vietnam Airlines welcomes 20 millionth passenger

The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines welcomed the 20 millionth passenger aboard the 700,000th flight this year operated by the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation (VATM) during a ceremony in Hanoi on December 7. 

The lucky passenger is Mamoru Kato from Japan, the 19,999,999th is Oda Junichi from Japan and the 20,000,001th is Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy from Vietnam, who were aboard the flight from Japan’s Narita to Hanoi. 

Speaking at the event, Deputy Transport Minister Nguyen Nhat urged Vietnam Airlines and the VATM to ensure the absolute safety of their flights, modernise equipment and improve the workforce quality, towards becoming one of the leading flight suppliers in Southeast Asia and one of the most popular carriers in Asia-Pacific. 

This year, Vietnam Airlines is expected to transport 20.6 million passengers and successfully operate new fleets Boeing 787-9 and Airbus A350. 

The carrier was also certified as a four-star airline by the UK-based airline and airport rating organisation SkyTrax and welcomed Japan’s ANA Holdings as its strategic shareholder. 

The VATM estimates to operate more than 742,000 flights this year, up 16 percent from 2015.

PM instructs responses to downpour, flood impacts in central region

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has issued a dispatch, instructing measures to overcome the consequences of floods triggered by heavy rains in the central region, which caused huge losses of lives and assets.

In the document, the PM expressed his condolences to the families of dead victims and the affected communities and localities.

He stressed that the floods have lasted many days and requested the People’s Committees of central provinces, relevant ministries and sectors work together to mitigate losses and help local residents resume normal life. 

The Ministry of Industry and Trade is to instruct supervision of reservoirs and power networks to ensure they operate effectively and safely while regulating supply of basic goods for residents in the region.

The National Search and Rescue Committee, the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Public Security are required to have their forces ready to help local people to cope with floods and impacts.    

Since November 29, heavy rains have hit the central region, causing widespread floods that claiming nine lives in Quang Ngai province, six in Binh Dinh and three Quang Nam.

Hundreds of houses were collapsed, thousands of hectares of rice and crops were submerged, roads and other facilities were damaged in the hardest-hit provinces of Thue Thien – Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh.

Bac Giang proposes combination of Yen Tu’s east, west festivals

Holding the Yen Tu festival in Tay Yen Tu in northern Bac Giang province and Dong Yen Tu in neighbouring Quang Ninh province will help preserve and promote the cultural values of Yen Tu, said a Government Committee for Religious Affairs official.

Both Tay Yen Tu (west of Yen Tu) and Dong Yen Tu (east of Yen Tu) festivals have close relations with Truc Lam Zen Buddhism and should be combined, said Bui Huu Duoc, head of the committee’s Buddhism Department at a conference in Bac Giang on December 4.

Prof. Dr. Tram Lam Bien said that the combination of the two festivals will form a great festival to attract Buddhists. He suggested the festival be held in early 2017.

However, Prof. Dr. Chu Van Tuan from the Religion Research Institute said that the combined festival should be postponed to 2018 as currently, Bac Giang has yet to finish preparations and transportation system for the event.

He also proposed that Bac Giang clarify the value of Tay Yen Tu relic and the religious value of the festival to promote the relic site and connect it with regional tours.

Meanwhile, Dr. Pham Hong Trung from the Institute for the Vietnam Studies and Development Science said that it is necessary to follow locals’ wishes in organising the festival, while calling for their engagement in the preservation and promotion of the festival.

In the 13th century, King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308), the third king of the Tran dynasty (1225-1400), abdicated the throne when he was 35 and spent the rest of his life on Yen Tu Mountain, practising Buddhism. 

At the end of the Ly dynasty (1009-1225) and the beginning of the Tran dynasty, Yen Tu was a Buddhist worship venue for many monks like Hien Quang, Vien Chung, Dai Dang, Tieu Dao and Hue Tue. 

When Tran Nhan Tong practised Buddhism on the mountain, he founded the first Vietnamese School of Buddhism called “Thien Tong,” Vietnam Zen Buddhism, turning the site into the capital of Vietnamese Buddhism.

During the past nearly 1,000 years, hundreds of pagodas and shrines have been built throughout the Yen Tu complex, including structures which boast thousands of prized statues and artefacts.

Yen Tu is also a museum of architecture and diverse fauna and flora. It has favourable conditions for research in history, spiritual culture, tourism potential, ecological environment, bio diversity and gene protection.

Project on reproductive healthcare, family planning ends

More than 1,470,000 people in 125 communes of three provinces have accessed reproductive health and family planning services during the past four years.

Some 99.7 per cent of them are satisfied with the services, according to results of the third phase of the project on improving reproductive health of residents, run by Marie Stopes International in Việt Nam (MSV), in coordination with the provincial departments of health.

The results were declared on Wednesday in Hà Nội.

The project received financial support from Atlantic Philanthropies.

The third phase of the project, which began in 2013, was conducted in the northern province of Yên Bái, the Central Highlands province of Đắk Lắk and the southern province of Cà Mau.

The first phase, which began in 2007, was conducted in Khánh Hòa Province and Đà Nẵng City, while the second phase was conducted in Thái Nguyên, Thừa Thiên-Huế and Vĩnh Long provinces.

Further, under the third phase of the project, more than 2,000 commune medical workers received training on reproductive healthcare and providing family planning services.

Over 100 commune medical stations received an upgrade of infrastructure to set up consultancy rooms with the name “Tình Chị Em” (Sisterhood).

During the three periods, there were some 250 commune health stations set up across eight provinces around the country.

The model provides reproductive healthcare and family planning services, and delivers educational documents on the subject.

Nguyễn Thị Bích Hằng, head representative of MSV, said meeting the nation’s sexual reproductive health and family planning requirements remains a pressing issue for the State.

“This is especially in the case of vulnerable population groups, including rural and ethnic minority communities,” she said.

“Strengthening health service delivery at the community level is acknowledged as the key for improving the health of these groups,” she said.

Nguyễn Đức Vinh, director of the Maternal and Child Health Department under the Ministry of Health, said the “Tình Chị Em” model had developed solutions to improve the quality of services.

The model should be advocated, and awareness of the model should be improved at all levels, especially at policy-making levels, he said.

“For this purpose, all lesson learnt and documents should be widely shared within the donor community, creating potential opportunities for support to further pilot projects in the country,” he said.

The 90 million population of Việt Nam is predominantly young, with 58 per cent under 25, and includes many women of reproductive age - some 25 million - according to statistics of the MSV.

The national maternal mortality ratio of 67/100,000 births has remained relatively unchanged between 2006 and 2011. The infant mortality ratio stands at 15.5/1,000 births, statistics revealed.

The current national contraceptive prevalence rate of 79 per cent represents only use among married couples. 

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