Vietnam praised for plane search efforts

Many countries have praised Vietnam for its role in the ongoing search for the Malaysia Airlines plane that went missing on March 8 on the way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

In an article published in China’s Global Times on March 11, Xu Liping, an expert from the Institute of Asia-Pacific and Global Strategies under the China Institute of Social Sciences, thanked Vietnam for its efforts and active role in the search.

According to the article, the operation has received great support from the Vietnamese military and transport forces.

A command office was set up on Phu Quoc Island, which is near the plane’s last known location, to coordinate the search.

The article also highlighted the fact that Vietnam has been more than willing to join search teams from other countries, and has allowed Chinese vessels to join the operation in Vietnamese waters.

Meanwhile, the BBC said that through its search efforts, the Vietnamese Government has shown international responsibility for a humanitarian matter that involves many countries.

About 70 reporters from major news agencies in the region and the world have arrived in Vietnam to cover the case.

New food-testing devices for Ha Noi veterinary officials

Ha Noi city veterinary officials have been equipped with 200 new devices to daily test alkaline and acidic levels in food at 300 markets in the area, the city's Agriculture and Rural Development Department announced yesterday.

The devices will help the staff and local consumers to quickly test dubious food.

Additionally, as many as 29 animal quarantine stations in the city have recently been equipped with new machines to test food hygiene standards.

Scientists fortify legal basis for US claim by AO victims

A national symposium was held yesterday to shore up legal grounds to demand the US government and chemical companies take responsibility for the consequences of the Agent Orange/dioxin sprayed across Viet Nam during the American War.

Hosted by the Institute of State and Law of the Viet Nam Academy of Science and Technology, the event brought together local scientists and those who had taken part in the lawsuit filed by Vietnamese AO victims in the US.

Scientists touched upon the correlation between Agent Orange, which contains toxic dioxin, and the diseases suffered by its victims.

They also explored issues relating to product responsibilities held by government contractors and the legal responsibilities of the US in using the chemical during its war in Viet Nam.

The scientists sought to study the legal grounds that helped Korean veterans receive compensation for their exposure to Agent Orange/dioxin during the US war in Viet Nam as well as cooperation with foreign scientists and organisations researching the issue.

Professor Nong Van Hai from the Genetic Technology Institute said the unfinished lawsuit lodged by Vietnamese AO victims in the US, is an initial success in efforts to raise public consciousness on the long-lasting impacts of Agent Orange on people and the environment.

According to the Viet Nam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA), US troops sprayed 80 million litres of the chemical, which contained almost 400kg of toxic dioxin, on Viet Nam's southern battlefields during a 10-year period beginning on August 10, 1961.

Preliminary statistics compiled by Vietnamese scientists indicate about 3 million Vietnamese people were exposed to dioxin, while data collected by US scientists at Columbia University shows that the number is anywhere between 2.1 - 4.8 million.

The toxic chemical is still impacting Viet Nam's filial generations today.

Investigation confirms faulty screws behind bridge collapse

The Ministry of Transport has officially confirmed an earlier investigation into sub-standard screws blamed for tragic collapse of the Chu Va 6 Bridge in the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau.

The bolts had been used to anchor the suspension bridge's cables, with production errors in the design and manufacture of the screws believed to have led to the fatal collapse that killed 8 and left 40 other injured late last month.

According to the ministry's announcement released on Tuesday, investigators found the bridge had not been built in line with proper standards. According to the report, the pressed brick and mortared cement layer covering the bridge's pillars had not been part of the original design and failed to meet current construction regulations, they said.

Expert analysis also determined that the funeral procession that took place on the bridge at the time of the collapse had not caused the accident, with the total weight reportedly less than the bridge's designed capacity.

The resonant factor caused by the mass of people, together with wind and temperature conditions on the day was also eliminated from the list of dangerous factors that had affected the bridge.

The transport ministry also proposed the Prime Minister instruct the ministry of public security and the Lai Chau provincial People's Committee to prosecute organisations and individuals at fault.

The list of organisations facing scrutiny includes the Ky Hoa construction company, the Lao Cai industrial design consultancy, the supervising Tam Duong District project management board, and the investor, Tam Duong District People's Committee. The 1.5-tonne suspension bridge was opened to the public in December 2012.

English Champion 2014 launched for primary, junior high school students

The winner of the English Champion 2014 will be awarded VND 6.2 billion (US$294,117).

The contest for primary and junior high school students will take place in HCMC, Hanoi and the central city of Da Nang from March 15 to June 15, according to the Vietnam Coalition for Education for All and EQuest, the contest’s organizer.

Students can register at the school starting March 15 to April 20.

The contest will include three rounds to test listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. The final round is expected take place in the middle of June. Awards include scholarships and cash.

In 2013, around 7,000 students from 15 schools in three big cities participated in the contest. The number of schools and candidates this year doubled.

The contest responds to the government’s project aiming to raise level of English skills for teachers and students by 2020, said Dr. Tran Xuan Nhi, president of the Viet Nam Coalition For Education for All.

The contest will open to students in private universities next year, said Dr. Nhi.

UNESCO helps Quang Nam develop craft villages

A UNESCO project seeking to develop the production of handicraft products and craft village tours in Quang Nam province is seeing positive results.

The announcement was made at a workshop held by the Hanoi-based UNESCO Office and the Quang Nam Provincial People's Committee in Hoi An City on March 12.

The project, launched in February 2012 and funded by the Korean Trust Fund through UNESCO, aims to support tourism development in Quang Nam province’s craft villages, especially in areas near UNESCO-recognised Hoi An Ancient Town and the My Son Relics.

Nearly 240 participating households and enterprises have received training in developing their business skills, including management, design, arrangement, and popularisation of products.

To date, artisans and producers have developed over 30 new handicraft products, featuring traditional Vietnamese culture and meeting market demands.

The project shows the close coordination between local authorities, United Nations offices, social organizations and artisans, and its success has positively impacted society, said Katherine Muller Marin, Chief Representative of the UNESCO Office.

Committee to expand publicising information to OVs

The Ho Chi Minh City Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs will continue to step up information dissemination to expatriates and activities in response to their aspiration this year.

These were defined as key tasks set by the committee during a conference on March 11 outlining its 2014 working agenda.

In reviewing its operation in 2013, the organisation reported that it promptly kept overseas Vietnamese updated with developments in the homeland and successfully organised cultural and social programmes for them.

It also provided legal assistance for over 2,000 expatriates, gave medical check-ups to 700 others in Cambodia, and hosted a summer camp for overseas and HCM City youths.

According to the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, some 4.5 million Vietnamese are living in more than 100 countries and territories around the world.

In 2013, remittances to Vietnam hit 11 billion USD, with 4.8 billion USD going to HCM City.

In the year, between 50-60 percent of the 1.2 million overseas Vietnamese visiting the homeland stayed in the City, which is dubbed the country’s economic and business hub.-

Assessors to receive training

Over 200 educational assessors are to be trained to ensure university and vocational schools assessment is up to standards, according to the General Department for Educational Testing and Accreditation.

Training will continue into 2015 and 2016.

At a workshop on educational assurance held on Tuesday, Dr Vu The Dung, vice rector of HCM City University of Technology, said that his university's assessors did not have the required level of skill which posed a real challenge for effective assessment, he said.

The Ministry of Education and Training have asked Viet Nam National University to oversee the new training programme, which will begin with two educational accreditation centres in Ha Noi and HCM City this year.

Vietnamese mourn death of Cuban heroine

Vietnamese delegations have flocked to the Cuban Embassy in Hanoi to pay final tribute to Cuban revolutionary heroine Melba Hernandez Rodriguez del Rey, who passed away at the age of 93 on March 9.

Hernandez, widely known as “the heroine of Moncada”, actively joined the movement protesting the American war in Vietnam .

Noting her emotions in a book of condolences, Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, President of the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Association, declared that the Vietnamese people will forever remember Hernandez’s great contributions to international movements supporting Vietnam .

The valuable legacy left by the senior Cuban revolutionary will be upheld by the next generations of both counties to foster their continued friendship, she said.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc wrote that Hernandez, the first President of the Cuban Committee of Solidarity with Southern Vietnam , was an eminent member of the Cuban revolution and an immortal example of heroic Cuban women who devoted their whole life to solidarity among nations.

Vietnam News Agency (VNA) Deputy General Directors Le Duy Truyen and Nguyen Hoai Duong expressed their deep sadness over the passing of the great friend of the Vietnamese people, particularly VNA reporters.

Melba Hernandez, a member of the Communist Party of Cuba’s Central Committee and a National Assembly deputy, was one of the two women who joined Fidel Castro in the famous 1953 attacks on the garrisons at Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Cespesdes in order to kickstart the revolution against Fulgencio Batista’s dictatorship.

Born on July 28, 1921 in Las Villas, central Cuba , she held many important positions following the victory of the Cuban revolution in 1959.

In 1963, she became the first President of the Cuban Committee of Solidarity with Southern Vietnam , which is now the Cuba-Vietnam Friendship Association. She also held the post as Secretary-General of the Organisation of Solidarity with the People of Asia, Africa and Latin America , and was a presidium member of the World Peace Council.

Melba Hernandez once served as Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam . With admiration towards Vietnam ’s revolutionary history against invaders, she cited Vietnam as an example to peace-loving nations around the world.

With her great contributions to the Cuban revolution and the solidarity between Cuba and other nations in the world, she was awarded many noble medals and orders from the Cuban Party, State and Government as well as from other countries around the globe.

More investment needed to respond to climate change

The State needs to ensure the capital funding for the implementation of green growth policies and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in order to facilitate the proactivity of functional agencies in creating action plans and allocating funds to pilot emission-cutting models and technologies.

Deputies reached the consensus at a seminar held by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment yesterday on enhancing the building and enforcement competency of the policies relating to climate change and green growth in Vietnam.

According to Deputy Director of the Science and Technology Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Dinh Vu Thanh, current obstacles in including climate change response into the agricultural sector’s policies stem from the lack of mechanisms and legal documents guiding the implementation.

The response to climate change has not yet been fully embraced in the localities’ socio-economic development programmes as well, Thanh added.

He recommended that Vietnam develop highly qualified human resources, improve the necessary infrastructure serving the response to climate change and continue measuring the specific impacts of climate change and rising sea levels on each sector in order to work out solutions that match each sector and locality.

UK education goes on show

ISC EduExpo is slated to take place at Rex Hotel, 141 Nguyen Hue Boulevard, District 1, HCMC from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. this Sunday.

The annual event, organized by Vietnam’s ISC Education and Training (ISC UKEAS), is aimed at preparing local students for the semester kicking off in September.

This year’s exhibition features 44 UK educational institutions and international organizations such as Bellerbys College, Kings College, Kaplan, INTO and Study Group.

Participating universities and colleges will have a number of partial and full scholarships available and provide much-needed information for student visitors or arrange interviews for those wishing to study in the UK.

Exhibition visitors will have the opportunity to join a lucky draw to win a free summer course in the U.K.

According to a marketing executive at ISC UKEAS, this is an opportunity for parents and their children to have one-on-one meetings with UK university representatives to learn about fields of study which are new to Vietnam such as design, biotech and cyber management.

To register for attendance, call 08 38246622 or go to www.isc-ukeas.com

Vietnam, Cambodia open joint school

The Headquarters of the Overseas Vietnamese Association (HOVA) in Cambodia inaugurated a primary school for children of the Vietnamese origin on March 11 in Svay Rolum commune, S’ang district, Kandal province.

The Vietnam-Khmer Friendship School, funded by HOVA, sponsors and Vietnamese firms, received more than new 80 students on the inauguration day. Books and school supplies were provided free of charge.

According to the provincial overseas Vietnamese association, the school will teach the students based on a two-country education programme in Khmer and Vietnamese.

The school hopes to provide the young generation of the Vietnamese origin in Cambodia a foundation to develop their education in the future while preserving their Vietnamese identity.

HOVA, in collaboration with Vietnamese enterprises and agencies, has built several schools in Phnom Penh and the provinces of Prey Veng, Preah Sihanouk and Kompong Chhnang.

Happiness Day to promote well-being in Vietnam

“Love and Sharing” is the theme of the International Day of Happiness, which will be celebrated for the first time in Vietnam on March 20 with the aim of promoting the well-being of people from all walks of life.

The information was released at a press conference in Hanoi on March 12, during which the Family Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism confirmed that the pursuit of happiness has been long highlighted as the key national principle.

On the occasion, a number of activities will be organised to publicise the country’s policies and laws on social welfare and the construction of happy and progressive families.

The annual celebration was founded in June 2012 by the United Nations General Assembly. As many as 193 member countries, including Vietnam, have pledged to jointly build a merrier world.

The initiative to declare the Happiness Day came from Bhutan – a small country located in South Asia whose citizens are considered to be some of the happiest people in the world.

Since 1970, the Himalayan Kingdom has put forth an alternative measure of social prosperity, called the Gross National Happiness Index (GNH) – assessing happiness based on various factors such as economic and material wealth, health, education, and environment.

In 2012, Vietnam was ranked as the world’s second happiest country by the UK’s New Economic Foundation, behind Costa Rica. Colombia rounded up the top three.

UXO clearance - an uphill task in Vietnam

Decades after the end of the US war, an abundance of unexploded ordnance (UXO) remain scattered across the nation, a legacy posing a continuous threat of exploding, expected to take Vietnam centuries to clear.

In an interview with Thanh Nien online, Deputy Defence Minister Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh quoted initial surveys as indicating all 63 provinces and cities in Vietnam report leftover bombs and mines, with 6.6 million ha of land contaminated with UXO, or 21.12% of the country’s total land area.

Vietnam needs tens of billions of US dollars and hundreds of years to dispose of bombs and mines and clean up the contaminated land, Vinh said.

UXO poses potential risks to people’s lives and economic production. Statistics show approximately 100,000 people have fallen victim to UXO explosions over the years, resulting in more than 40,000 deaths. Most of the victims were major income earners in the family.

Every year the State spends some VND1,000 billion on bomb and mine clearance and hundreds of billions on functional rehabilitation, vocational training and resettlement for the victims.

Leftover bombs and mines also cause environmental pollution, and affect the exploitation and use of natural resources, as well as socio-economic development.

Bomb and mine clearance is now conducted by infantry forces, more than 50 military-run businesses, and several missions funded by international non-governmental organisations.

The disposal is done both on land and at sea, with priority given to severely contaminated localities such as central provinces and provinces close to the Vietnam-China border.

On average between 30,000 and 35,000 ha of contaminated land is cleaned up every year and the figure is expected to be raised to 100,000ha in a couple of years, said Vinh.

However, he admitted lack of funding, poorly equipped devices, and outdated technology are the major obstacles to UXO clearance.

Vietnam has established a steering committee to implement the national programme of action on settling the consequences of unexploded ordnance (Committee 504).

Since 1990 nearly 40 foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have provided humanitarian assistance to bomb and mine detection and removal in Vietnam.

The aid has been focused on surveys, cartography in the contaminated land, UXO disposal, functional rehabilitation, resettlement, and integration for victims, and communications.

A number of foreign countries have also lent a helping hand to UXO clearance to ease war aftermath in Vietnam.

Vietnam and the US signed a memorandum of understanding on overcoming the consequences of unexploded ordnance in Vietnam at a ceremony in Hanoi in December 2013

Between 2004 and 2009, under the auspices of the US Department of State, the Vietnam Veterans of American Foundation (VVAF) and the Vietnam Centre for Bomb and Mine Disposal (BOMICEN) jointly conducted a survey evaluating the impact of bombs and mines left over from the war in the central provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Ngai.

In 2010 the governments of Norway and the US funded the building of a bomb and mine data base in Vietnam. The governments of Britain, Belgium, and India also received Vietnamese officials for refresher courses on UXO clearance.

In 2013 the US government and Committee 504 signed a memorandum of understanding to support leftover bomb and mine disposal in Vietnam. The governments of Britain, Norway, Switzerland, and Germany are considering additional support for Committee 504.

Vietnam will host a development partners’ conference on leftover UXO clearance in Hanoi on March 14.

Reshuffling required to boost press efficiency

The direction of the national media and news output until 2020 will be more focused on quality over quantity to provide a better service to readers, a senior official has said.

According to Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Truong Minh Tuan, a plan is in place to build a more professional and modern journalism sector, meeting the information needs of people and serving national construction, defence and development as well as international integration.

The plan, which is scheduled to be approved in April, also aims for better management of the sector, he said.

Accordingly, the ministry will suspend the licensing of new press agencies while reviewing existing ones in order to shut down any that fail to follow their registered principles and intentions, he said.

Deputy Minister Tuan underscored that the re-organisation of press agencies is needed to enhance the quality of the agencies and develop a strong multimedia communications network.

Currently, Vietnam has 838 press agencies, including 199 print publications, 67 radio and television stations and 17,000 licensed reporters, he noted.

Assessing the performance of the national press in recent years, he said strong, positive and rapid progress has been seen in successfully publicising the Party and State’s policies and laws and the aspirations of the people.

The press has played an important role in fighting corruption and other social evils, making significant contributions to national development and international integration, said Tuan.

Particularly, the press has been active in the protection of national sovereignty over borders and sea and island territory and created social consensus, he specified.

The deputy minister also noted that the press has provided overseas Vietnamese around the world with an accurate and clear insight into the nation and people of contemporary Vietnam , as well as the policies and laws of the Party and State.

This has helped win the support of the Vietnamese community abroad and international partners, particularly in national growth, he emphasised.

However, Tuan also pointed out some of the sector’s shortcomings, including the poor quality of some agencies, a worrying trend towards the commercialisation of news and a lack of caution in professional practices, leading to inaccurate information occasionally being published.

He urged the sector to further promote its role and responsibilities in leading social opinion, rejecting inaccurate reporting from biased sources and fulfilling its tasks as a forum for people from all walks of life.-

The brand “Crafted in Quang Nam” has been successfully created for products made by Kim Bong woodwork and Thanh Ha pottery villages in the central province of Quang Nam.

This was one of outcomes reported at a workshop on March 12 reviewing a project to develop signature handicrafts and craft village tourism in the locality.

The project was launched in February 2012 and funded by the Republic of Korea Funds-In-Trust via UNESCO.

Reports said the project has aided craft villages in Quang Nam, particularly those located near the world heritage sites of Hoi An and My Son, to develop products and build a brand for them.

Through three courses teaching local artisans design and management skills, more than 30 new sets of handicrafts that both embody specific traditional values and meet market demand have been created.

The project has also provided over 2,000 boxes of package samples and communication products like leaflets and advertisement posters to craft villages.

At the workshop, participants also discussed ways to sustain such outcomes after the project concludes.

Vietnam, Laos trade unions forge ties

Officials of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) and the Lao Trade Union Central Committee held talks on March 12 in Hanoi with the aim of moving bilateral long-standing cooperation forward.

VGCL Vice President Tran Thanh Hai introduced to his Lao counterpart Symoune Ounlasy and his entourages the VGCL’s major activities in expanding the network of trade unions and union members at grassroots level.

He also shared Vietnam’s experience regarding enhancing trade unions’ role in building harmonious labour relations and monitoring the implementation of collective working contracts in businesses.

The Lao guest said the Lao trade union is facing many difficulties in developing trade unions in businesses, especially foreign invested ones.

He said his visit aims to study Vietnam’s experience in this field in the context that Lao wants to amend the Law on Trade Union.

According to Symoune Ounlasy, the Lao Trade Union currently has nearly 200,000 members.-

Prudential presents gifts to students in Quang Ngai

Prudential Vietnam Assurance on March 12 donated 20 bicycles, worth nearly 30 million VND (1,410 USD) to poor students in Binh Son district, the central province of Quang Ngai.

This is part of the programme “For the development of Vietnam community” funded by the company, which helps needy students to pursue their study.

In 2013, Prudential Vietnam financed the construction of two nursery schools in Ba To district, helping improve the quality of caring and pre-school education services for local children, especially those from ethnic minority groups.

The insurance firm has also sponsored a number of social activities such as giving gifts, bicycles and free medicine to poor people, Agent Orange/dioxin and flood victims in Quang Ngai province. Total funding for those activities was over 2 billion VND (94,000 USD) last year.-

Vietnam joins convention to promote occupational safety

Vietnam has officially joined the Convention on the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

The Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs announced the ratification in Hanoi on March 12.

The ministry has developed a plan to carry out the convention, which is expected to ensure the best interests of employees and employers are met.

While popularising the implementation of the convention to all agencies and employees and employers, the ministry will review legal documents relating to the occupational safety and health to ensure that they adapt to the convention.

It will also carry out national programmes on the issue for the 2010-15 period.

Vietnam has now joined 21 out of 189 ILO conventions.-

Proceedings commence for major drug smuggling case

The Department of Public Security has begun formal criminal proceedings of a major drug smuggling incident which occurred on November 16, 2013 at HCM City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

On November 17, the Taiwan Criminal Investigation Bureau confiscated 600 heroin packages weighing 229 kilograms, smuggled from Tan Son Nhat Airport to Taiwan's Taoyuan International Airport on a China Airlines flight from Penang (Malaysia).

The four aviation security officers at Tan Son Nhat airport were suspended under the ongoing investigation, for failing to detect the 600 heroin packages, according to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. The heroin, which has an estimated street value of about US$300 million, was hidden in 12 stereo speakers, each of which contained 50 heroin blocks coated with chocolate to distract police dogs.

The sender of the shipment, Le Hoa Trading and Forwarding Co., Ltd whose headquarters is registered in District 1 HCM City, is thought to have signed a contract with KL logistics to ship the heroin from HCM City to Taiwan.

A further eight suspects were arrested by Taiwanese police officers.

Officers have been gathering information on the case since November when Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, chairman of the National Committee for AIDS, Drug and Prostitution and Control, ordered the investigation.

Hanoi keen on enhance training cooperation with German firms

Vice Chairwoman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc has said the capital city wants to introduce more vocational training in some key sectors.

At a working session with some German vocational training corporations on Mach 12 in Hanoi , she said the city needs about 120,000-130,000 trained workers every year to serve about 150,000 local enterprises.

Meanwhile, a large number of the total 80,000 high school graduates every year do not take university education and begin seeking jobs, while the number of vocational training schools is still few, she noted.

Ngoc also proposed that the German partners consider the possibility of on-the-spot training, with German experts sent to Hanoi to support the training of workers, in line with the city’s long-term strategy in the field.

Klaus Michel, Director General of the Avesto Worker Supply and Training Group, suggested that Hanoi work with the firm establish a Hanoi-Berlin vocational training institute.

The centre, with an estimated cost of about 20 million EUR, will serve as a centre to give career advice to local youngsters and consultations to high-school graduates, as well as showcase Germany ’s vocational training models.

With its experience in training vocational teachers and labourers, the firm has expanded its network to some countries like China , India and the Republic of Korea, he said.

At the same time, Susan Strauch, Director General of BTZ Hi-Tech Centre, said Hanoi should simplify investment procedures to enable foreign firms to invest in the training sector with a longer-term vision.

Clean water programme benefits Quang Tri

The non-government organisation World Vision, in coordination with the Procter and Gamble Vietnam Co., Ltd on March 12 launched a clean water programme aimed to benefit local people in central Quang Tri province.

Under the programme, beneficiaries in Hai Duong commune, Hai Lang district were instructed to treat contaminated water by storing and filtering it in a better way.

Participants were also provided with basic knowledge on the harm which the use of unhygienic water has on their health.

The programme presented 50 water-filtering pots to local households in disadvantaged situations.

According to statistics released by World Vision, 20 percent of households in Hai Lang are living with water shortages and more than 50 percent of them are using water pumped from wells and rivers.

As part of the project on “safe water for vulnerable communities in flooding season”, the programme has so far benefited nearly 36,800 people in 22 local communes, including more than 10,300 children. Implemented since 2012, the project is expected to be completed in September.

Doctors fear lack of glaucoma awareness

Up to 94 percent of people receiving eye check-ups are unaware of the effects of glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness, heard a meeting held in Hanoi on March 11 to mark the World Glaucoma Week.

Doctors of the National Institute of Ophthalmology reported that many patients are hospitalised only when their disease has entered the final stages, causing poor eyesight and a high risk of blindness.

Meanwhile, up to 43 percent of patients experience particularly bad symptom because they do not follow doctors’ advice on treating the condition.

Experts have warned people to take more frequent check-ups to detect the disease quickly, as glaucoma is hereditary, incurable and must be treated as soon as possible.

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of irrecoverable blindness in the world after cataracts. Forecasts say there will be around 80 million glaucoma patients in the world by 2020, accounting for 2.86 percent of the population over the age of 40.

On the occasion of the World Glaucoma Week, the National Institute of Ophthalmology has been providing free check-ups and consultations for glaucoma patients.

HCM City helps Dien Bien build hospital

Ho Chi Minh City has provided assistance worth 30 billion VND (1.4 million USD) to the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien to help the locality hasten the construction of a general hospital in Muong Ang district, which has halted due to a shortage of funds.

A ceremony was held in the district on March 11 to resume construction of the project as part of activities to mark the 60 th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory on May 7 .

The project was approved by the provincial People’s Committee as far back as December 2009. It was projected to be built at a total cost of 96 billion VND from governmental bond sources.

HCM City’s assistance is expected to help the province complete the first period of the project, including facilities for medical examination, outpatient treatment, emergency aid and a waste treatment zone.

The 60-bed hospital is scheduled to be opened in 2015.

Speaking at the ceremony, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City’s People’s Committee underlined the significance of the support, saying that the project will contribute to meeting the increasing demand of healthcare services and further cementing ties between the two localities.-

Sawaco plans water price hikes to fund City installation project

Sai Gon Water Corporation (Sawaco) plans to increase water prices in HCM City by 9-11 per cent, Bach Vu Hai, deputy general director of Sawaco.

Hai told Nguoi Lao Dong (Labourer) newspaper that the proposed increase would act as a roadmap for further price hikes in the period 2014-2018.

He added however that the price of water would remain the same for low-income households.

This year, Sawaco needs to raise VND4.5 trillion ($215 million) to fund new water pipelines and install new water-clocks to ensure 100 per cent of households in HCM City have access to tap water.

As it stands, over 1000 households in the Da Phuoc Commune in Binh Chanh District still don't have access to tap water, due to poor allocation of resources in the district.

As part of the State's policy of socialising the water supply, households in Tan Kien commune will be required to contribute VND10 million ($474) towards installing the water pipelines. However, according to the Voice of HCM City People (VOH), the average income of the residents is VND25 million ($1,186) per year, so despite efforts by local officials to solve this problem, they are yet to find a solution.

According to Bach Vu Hai, the reason they have not installed the pipelines, is that there are pending road works scheduled in the district. If they were to install them, they would have to reinstall them once the road works have been completed.

As a temporary solution, Sawaco will install a water container to provide water for residents.

According a report supplied by the Binh Chanh authority, there are communes in Binh Chanh District such as Tan Nhut, Vinh Loc A, that still use wells for daily activities.

Currently, only 50.49 per cent of households in Binh Chanh district have access to tap water, in part due to the district's thinly distributed population which covers a large area, making it difficult to install pipelines.

Hospitals bolster security measures

Physical attacks on patients and doctors have led to a review in the way hospitals run their public security systems.

At a conference held yesterday in Ha Noi, experts examined ways to improve safety measures and improve response times.

Deputy director of the Ha Noi Department of Health Luu Thi Lien said that, until now, government agencies only got together after incidents happened.

At the beginning of January, a youth used a knife to stab the foot of his sister, a patient at Saint Paul Hospital. No police or guards responded. The hospital assigned extra guards only after the case was reported.

On June 20 last year, a group of youths rushed into Lam Dong Province's general hospital and used chairs to attack a doctor and a physician. They accused them of poorly treating a relative. The men were not arrested or punished by local authorities.

Incidents like these led the experts to push for co-operation between government bodies, such as the Ministry for Health, hospital management board, police, guards and local authorities.

Associate professor Luong Ngoc Khue, director of the health ministry's Medical Service Administration, suggested the Party Central Committee's Commission for Publicity and Education enhance dissemination work on how well medical staff were performing.

"If the public has proper appreciation of doctors' work, problems with ruffians attacking them will decline," he said.

Khue also suggested hospital boards employ professional guards at hospitals.

Lien added that local authorities should use loudspeakers and posters to inform the public about trouble makers.

Vu Van Ngoc, deputy head of Ha Noi Police's Internal Security Division, said police and the municipal Department of Health had agreed to exchange information on the subject.

They would also work with hospitals on maintaining public security and inspecting private clinics, pharmacies and managing health projects.

"To help police manage hospital security, whenever a complicated problem happens, the guards should guide the victims to safety," he said.

The country has about 1,180 hospitals and more than 199,000 sick beds, which is equivalent to 22.5 beds for every 10,000 residents.