Japan funds nearly US$491,000 for projects in Vietnam

Japan has pledged to provide a non-refundable aid package worth nearly US$491,000 for five health and infrastructure projects in Vietnam.

The signing ceremony for the package took place in the Japanese Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City on February 26.

Accordingly, US$108,898 will be presented to the Traditional Medicine Hospital of Ninh Thuan province to upgrade its health equipment.

Another project worth US$109,100 will benefit the pediatric ward of the KhanhHoa provincial Hospital, while a welfare centre for the elderly under the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho’s Red Cross will receive US$81,160.

The aid package will also be distributed to a project to build Cau Doi and Rach Lau bridges in Tra Vinh province’s Duyen Hai district and another building rural roads and Na Tung canal-cross bridge in Ke Sach district, Soc Trang province.

Construction starts on Norwegian-funded waste treatment plant

The Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang on February 26 began the construction of a solid waste treatment plant partially funded by the Norwegian Government.

Of the total VND216 billion (over US$10 million)investment capital is sourced from the Norwegian official development assistance.

The plant will cover 27.37 hectares in Phu My and Dai Tam communes.

It is designed to sort 160 tonnes of residential waste, recycle 5 tonnes of industrial plastic waste, and produce 100 tonnes of organic fertiliser every day.

Lam Huu Tung, Director of the Soc Trang Public Urban Work Company - the project’s investor, said that operating in August 2015, the plant will replace outdoor dumping grounds, thus reducing environmental pollution and creating jobs for locals.

Official sentenced over land management fraud;

Le Duy Khiem, former head of the Section for Land Registry under the Land Management Division of the central province of Binh Thuan's Department of National Resources and Environment, was sentenced yesterday to 10 years' imprisonment.

He was accused of taking advantage of his position, causing a loss of over VND22 billion (US$1.04 million) to the State budget.

According to the indictment from the People's Court of Phan Thiet City of Binh Thuan Province, the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment rented a 98,000-sq.m plot of land in Hoa Thang Commune to Tran Hoai Thanh and Ngo Van Phuong.

The couple are both residents of HCM City and, respectively, director and deputy director of the Hawaii Tourism Ltd Co based in Bac Binh District, Binh Thuan Province.

In early 2011, Phuong, the husband, asked Khiem to illegally change the land contract from a rent agreement into four "red books" certifying that the land was allocated to them into four pieces with paid land-use right fee. Thanks to Khiem's help, the change was made without paying more than VND22 billion to the State budget.

The couple then put these "red books" as collateral properties at Agribank's Branch 7 in HCM City to borrow nearly VND30 billion ($1.42 million). Their wrongdoings were discovered when Agribank sent an official letter to Binh Thuan Province's Department of Natural Resources and Environment for verification of the information regarding Phuong's mortgaged assets.

Ministry of Health to change payment policies

The Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien has proposed several solutions to improve payment policies and reduce violations in the sector.

Currently, doctors from all departments are paid the same salary. Extra allowances are only given to doctors in certain specialised departments. However, even these allowances are relatively low and widely thought among doctors to be unfair. For example, HIV/AID doctors earn small allowances and have no retirement benefits.

According to the minister, such shortcomings will cause brain drain and could discourage doctors from work and research. Worse, she said, it could lead to violations, adding that the ministry will propose solutions to deal with payment, such as adding seniority allowances and setting up new criteria for starting salaries.

"We'll also try to reduce the hospital overload in order to ease working hours and the pressure on doctors. The service fees will be recalculated since government only provides insurance to families living in poverty, near-poverty or in some other special cases." she said.

The minister said that the starting wages of doctors should be higher than those of other agencies because of the training they must go through. They have brought this urgent matter to the higher-ups twice and intend to continue to pursue the matter. She said, "We also want to improve the allowance policies for doctors and medical staff at facilities located in rural and disadvantaged areas."

Pham Manh Hung, head of Vietnam Medical Association, thought that government should have a new financial management system to make the financial workings of hospitals more transparent. However, Tien added that changing the system would need to be done at the same at all levels to avoid adverse effects.

Talking about the various scandals and violations that have broken out in the medical sector last year, Tien reminded all doctors of the importance of maintaining their moral integrity when they serve patients.

Suspected scam shakes forestry sector

Local authorities in a number of cities and provinces are seeking police assistance in an investigation into a suspected scam.

Thousands of citizens and business representatives attended a conference on sustainable forestry held in Nha Trang by Rung Toan Cau Company on February 19. Hoang Quoc Binh, head of Rung Toan Cau, announced that they were able to secure USD39 billion from foreign non-government organisations to help Vietnamese firms deal with debts and win development projects in Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar.

In order to receive these funds, Binh said that enterprises would be given shares in the company. These shares would then be exchangeable for funds in the future.

Nguyen Quang Duong, of the Forestry Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said he had never heard of Rung Toan Cau, and that it was hard to believe that they had access to USD39 billion.

He said, "Several local authorities called me to check on this company and I advised them not to attend the conference, it's a waste of time. This company has held conferences in many other areas, such as Quang Ninh and HCM City but they have never invited the ministry."

Duong went on to say that foreign investments or charity groups must register, and only small areas of land have been reforested through charitable groups. "I think it's a scam. Some individuals or organisations might use such tricks to swindle property rights on forest land."

Trieu Van Luc, director of the Department of Forest Management, under the Forestry Department, said "We are waiting for further instructions and may ask for help from the police," Luc added.

Nguyen Ngoc Lung, head of Sustainable Forest Management and Forest Certification Institute, also said he had never heard of Rung Toan Cau. "Previously, a Vietnamese-Australian man visited various localities claiming he had a USD1 billion fund for reforestation without visiting authorities. I informed the local authorities so that they would be aware before cooperating with him. Later, he was caught by Interpol for conducting similar scams in Cambodia."

On February 21, the chairman of Dong Hai District People's Committee, in Bac Lieu Province, was surprised to see a thermal power plant and multi-function sea port project on Rung Toan Cau's website. He said they were calling for investment for the project. But no permit had been granted to any investor called Rung Toan Cau.

Overlap weakens effectiveness of poverty reduction projects

Vietnam has at least 16 national initiatives on poverty reduction, however overlap has diminished their effectiveness.

Speaking at a meeting on sustainable poverty reduction on February 20, deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh said that too many poverty reduction projects are being carried out in the context of limited resources. This has led to difficulties in the implementation and supervision of projects implementation. In addition, a number of localities like to point with pride to their achievements without taking into account the efficiency of the projects.

Minister, Chairman of the Committee of Ethnic Minorities, Giang Seo Phu, said that aside from the 16 projects, there are also 196 documents on poverty reduction issued by various ministries.

Also, some projects are simply wasteful. Even though residents of the Mekong Delta provinces, who are not in need of it, are provided with salt, while communities in mountainous and other remote regions do need it.

The poverty rate among ethnic minority people still accounts for around 50% of the country’s total number of poor households.

Deputy PM, Vu Van Ninh, expressed surprise at the rate of poverty relapse, as for every three households that manage to escape poverty, one sinks below the poverty line again.

The minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, Pham Thi Hai Chuyen, explained that the high poverty relapse rate is partially due to the annually changing poverty threshold, natural disasters and diseases.

Deputy Minister of Construction, Nguyen Tran Nam, suggested financial support for people in the central region to build flood resistant houses as well as providing loans for starting a businesses by means of preferential loans at annual interest rates of 3%, with terms of 5-10 years.

According to Deputy Minister, Nguyen Tran Nam, poverty reduction policies should be expanded to households that live near the poverty line and those who have just escaped from poverty.

Seminar discusses int’l experience in child adoption

Vietnamese and foreign delegates are gathering in Hanoi on February 27-28 to share experience in child adoption and legal options available to families wishing to adopt children.

A Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) report shows Vietnam has more than 400,000 children who are provided with social allowances and are being brought up within the community.

About 170,000 children are taken care of by adoptive families, and 22,000 others are being cared at support centres.

Over the years Vietnam has introduced a number of legal documents and policies to better child care and protection, especially for vulnerable children in society.

MoLISA deputy minister Doan Mau Diep said Vietnamese and international experiences have shown that adoptive families are the best models and in the child’s best interests.

When living in a nurturing family environment, children have a better opportunity to develop both materially and spiritually, he stressed, adding that bringing up these children in support centres is considered as the last resort.

However, this model has revealed weaknesses, including a lack of sufficiently clear regulations and laws on child adoption.

During the two-day meeting, delegates examine child adoption models in a number of countries such as China and Canada, and learn about United Nations instructions on child adoption and care.

They also discuss the application of a proper model in Vietnam and give opinions to perfect a legal framework on the issue.

Ship's crew rescued off Nha Trang

The Viet Nam Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Center (MRCC) rescued thirty crew members off Nha Trang City, the central province of Khanh Hoa, yesterday.

The MRCC sent the rescue team after receiving SOS messages from the ship on Tuesday after it broke down 150 miles off the coast. Rescue personnel battled tough winds and strong waves before reaching the crew at 9pm. Ship captain Nguyen Dinh Hiep confirmed crew members escaped the incident unharmed.

Student killed, 3 hurt in road accident

A 13-year-old student was killed and two other students and a 48-year-old man were injured after they were hit by a coach this morning in the central coastal Binh Dinh Province.

Initial investigations showed that the accident occurred when the students were cycling to their school on a local road. The injured were taken to local hospitals for treatment. The coach driver fled the scene of the accident.

The cause of the accident remains unknown. The case is under investigation.

Driver killed after crashing into ditch

A man was killed instantly in a car accident yesterday on the Noi Bai – Lao Cai Highway.

The victim, Vu Van Thuy, 28, from the northern province of Ha Nam, was en route to the northern province of Yen Bai when he ploughed the truck into a one-metre deep trench.

His brother, Vu Van Nguyen, sustained mild injuries from the accident.

According to Bao Hung Commune police, dark lighting and foggy conditions on the road had significantly affected the driver's visibility.

The location of the trench had not been indicated to drivers with warning signs or barriers. It is part of the highway's ongoing sewage system.

Climate change project launched in Long An

The US Agency for International Development (USAID), the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the southern province of Long An kicked off a climate change project on February 26.

The “Vietnam Forest and Delta” project attains Vietnam’s goal for sustainable development, low carbon emissions and adaptation to climate change by improving land-use planning and forest and natural resources management.

Furthermore, it will mobilise communities into developing action plans for climate change adaptation.

The US$ 4.12 million project, mostly funded by the US financial, will enhance local people’s livelihoods and resilience in the districts of Can Duoc and Tan Thanh districts.

USAID Vietnam Mission Director Joakim Baker said that the project will support the local authorities, people and enterprises in adapting their businesses and production to climate change as well as dealing with flooding and the rising sea level.

HCM City makes progress in easing hospital overload

Hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City have faced prolonged overload due to a recent influx of patients from other provinces.

At present, the city’s hospitals have more than 33,000 beds. Every year, they provide services to more than 31 million people, including 1.4 million long-term patients.

On average, ill people from other provinces account for up to 40% of the total patients in the city, causing a burden for the municipal health sector.

Ho Chi Minh City Tumour Hospital is a clear example. Currently, the 630-bed hospital is treating about 12,000 patients (including 1,700 long-term patients), 70% of whom are from other localities.

A satellite tumour clinic with 150 beds has been set up in the General Hospital of District 2, slightly improving the situation by reducing the overload of the hospital by 10-15%.

According to Doctor Le Hoang Minh, Director of the hospital, 100 doctors, nurses and staff have been sent to the clinic so that it can operate independently.

The city has built a series of satellite clinics of key hospitals in various districts. In 2012, 17 central hospitals in the city were allowed to open 48 clinics within 12 local hospitals in districts and wards.

Meanwhile, high technologies have also been transferred to smaller-scale hospitals to enhance their service quality, reducing pressure on central hospitals by 70-90%.

The family doctor model is also another effective way to ease tension for the city’s health sector. Since it was introduced in 2002, the model has been carried out in 10 district hospitals, providing services for 200-300 patients every day.

Dr. Tang Chi Thuong, Vice Director of the municipal Health Department says the city will work to provide all healthcare stations in wards and communes with both necessary equipment and personnel to build the model by 2015.

Currently, the model has been implemented at 19 out of the 23 district hospitals, while 91 out of the 102 healthcare stations in wards and communes have registered to apply the model, he said.

At the same time, Ho Chi Minh City has also deployed a number of administrative measures to ease overload for central hospitals, added Thuong.

Notably, the application of information technology in the process of receiving patients has proved its efficiency. Today, patients have to wait a maximum 30 minutes to register for services instead of 2-3 hours in the past, he noted.

Adjustments in operating schedules have also reduced waiting time for patients. Many hospitals now serve patients from 6am, while others remain open over lunch time.

In 2013, the department also started implementing a proposal to send doctors to local hospitals alternately. Accordingly, every doctor, nurse and technicians has to serve in local healthcare facilities for a period of at least one year.

An initial 40 staff have been sent to six district hospitals facing difficulties in personnel.

Thuong asserted that efforts by the city in reducing the overload for central hospitals are moving in the right direction. He expressed his belief that once the new healthcare facilities become operational in the next several years, coupled with the current efforts, the situation will be improved in an absolute manner.

Paediatrician raises Vietnam profile worldwide

Leading Vietnamese paediatrician Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Liem has impressed surgeons worldwide with his huge advancements in endoscopic surgery, applying techniques he invented himself.  

In 1997, Professor Liem received international recognition for his successful research and application of laparoscopic surgery technology to treat Hirschsprungdisease (HD) known as congenital aganglionic megacolon in Vietnam, the first of its kind in Southeast Asia.

His research has been applied at the Central Paediatrics Hospital, promoting its status as one of the world’s leading laparoscopic surgery centres for children. The hospital has also become a regional training centre for laparoscopic surgeons.

Liem recalls how he had the idea of carrying out an endoscopic thoracic operation on infants infected with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) in 2001, but failed due to limited equipment.

“I introduced my concept to a French professor who later returned to his country and successfully performed such surgery on a 7-month-old infant.

“One year later, Vietnam was provided with modern medical equipment, enabling us to perform endoscopic thoracic surgery on 7-month-old infants.

“I wondered if Vietnam could conduct similar surgeries on newborn babies. To do this, I carefully discussed challenges with anesthesia experts to avoid risks.”

The successful endoscopic thoracic surgery on a newborn baby in February 2002 honoured Liem as the pioneer of this difficult technique.

He later completed five research papers on this field which were printed in world renowned publications. He was invited to give lectures and presentations at international workshops in the US, Italy, France, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and many others, promoting his technique worldwide.

International paediatricians consider Professor Liem a leading expert in endoscopic surgical treatment of bile duct cyst and congenital diaphragmatic hernia following his successful surgery on more than 800 cases.

Liem has been asked to compile a chapter on bile duct cyst in paediatric surgery textbooks published in the UK and US, which was previously done by British and Japanese professors.

Doctors remember Professor Liem for his dedication to scientific research and devotion to the care of his patients. His bright eyes and deep voice help to reassure patients, giving them the confidence and courage to battle the disease.

More than anyone else he understands the pain child patients suffer. He says he still remembers how his mother died in agony from cancer when he was a student.

The experience inspired him to sit tertiary entrance exams into the Hanoi Medicine University instead of the Hanoi University, nurturing the idea of treating his relatives and saving other lives.

Liem says in 2002 he successfully separated twins Nghia-Dan who were joined in duodenum, diaphragm, pleura, sternum, bile ducts, and intestines in a complex operation of its kind in the world.

A year later, Liem and his foreign colleagues separated twins Cuc-An who were joined in various intestinal organs such as liver, digestive membranes, pericardial diaphragm and sternum. An suffered congenital heart defects, while Cuc had blood tumours in her arm and chest.

The epic nine hour surgery was a success, and Liem was acknowledged as a leading paediatrician who had performed five conjoined twin surgeries, including two of the most complex in the world.

Since Liem’s endoscopic surgery techniques were introduced, approximately 5,000 children have been saved annually. He reveals the most important and necessary qualities for any doctor are the desire to learn, explore and research.

Healthcare sector seeks international support

The Ministry of Health (MoH) hosted a February 26 forum in Hanoi to call for international assistance in achieving millennium development goals for health.

The forum “Vietnam’s healthcare integration and development” attracted representatives from various embassies, banks and high profile agencies and organizations, including the UN.

In her address, MoH Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien noted in the context of increasing integration, the international community and development partners have provided significant financial and technical support for Vietnam’s healthcare sector.

By late 2013, MoH had managed 42 official development assistance (ODA) projects worth US$1.5 billion and received US$173 million from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for  a further 108 projects.

The forum is an opportunity for MoH to get feedback and advice from the international community and development partners on the sector’s priorities, achievements, difficulties and challenges, the Minister said.

Participants at the forum discussed key issues: millennium development goals for health care, newly emerging contagious diseases, healthcare human resource development, high tech training and transferring, administrative reform, and health insurance for all.

Tomoyuki Kimura, Director of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Vietnam, said Vietnam has made great efforts in improving people’s health from 2000 to 2013. However, like other middle income countries, Vietnam faces a number of challenges in economic development, demographic change and epidemiology, as well as a double burden on contagious and non-contagious diseases.

He stressed investment in health care is necessary for comprehensive and sustainable future growth.

The healthcare system must meet the challenges Vietnam faces on its way to rapid development, supply special services for the poor, and protect citizens from expensive healthcare services.

A MoH report shows many countries and international organisations have granted overseas study scholarships to medical workers. Thanks to technical assistance and experience exchange, Vietnam has received state-of-the-art equipment and technology to prevent and treat contagious diseases.

Fatal workplace accidents on the rise

There has been a significant increase in the number of fatal work-based accidents over the last two years, a labour official said at a press conference in Hanoi on February 26.

Though numbers of occupational accidents and injuries dropped by 1.2% in 2013 compared to the previous year, numbers of fatal accidents rose by 1.8% and deaths by a shocking 3.5%, said Ha Tat Thang, Head of the Occupational Safety Department under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA).

Employers and employees are blamed for not fully observing regulations on occupational safety and health (OSH), while equipment and work environments are reportedly unsafe.

Material losses caused by labour accidents in 2013 were estimated at VND71.85 billion, and property damage at approximately VND6.27 billion.

Ten localities with the highest number of fatal workplace accidents are Ho Chi Minh City, Quang Ninh, Hanoi, Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Ha Tinh, Thanh Hoa, Bac Giang, Danang, and Nghe An.

Construction, mineral exploitation, power generation and mechanical engineering top the list of industries having most fatalities.

The press conference was held ahead of the National Week on Occupational Safety- Hygiene and Fire Explosion (NWOSHFEP), to be launched on March 16 at Phu Bai Industrial Zone in Thua Thien-Hue province.

UNICEF supports poor children in Kon Tum

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has announced a US$250,000 integrated programme to improve children’s living conditions in the Central Highland province of Kon Tum.

The money, sourced from the more than US$400,000 UNICEF raised from its annual ZERO Awards in Vietnam in 2013, will be used for education, healthcare, safe water supply and environmental sanitation projects.  

UNICEF Vietnam representative Lotta Sylwander estimated the programme will benefit 50,000 children in Kon Tum province.

Le Thi Kim Don, vice chairwoman of the Provincial People’s Committee, said Kon Tum will work closely with UNICEF to meet its targets of reducing numbers of children falling victim to early child labour exploitation and domestic violence, as well as those not accessing safe water and attending school.

Kon Tum has been selected to benefit from the programme as it faces numerous challenges in child care and protection. Statistics show more than 40% of its children are malnourished; 40% of the residents do not have access to safe water, and one third of households do not have standard toilets.

Since 2007, UNICEF and Kon Tum have jointly implemented a number of programmes on healthcare, nutrition, safe water, environment sanitation, education, policymaking and governance to improve the quality of children’s living conditions.

Saigontourist receives Malaysian tourism accolade

Vietnam’s leading tour operator,Saigontourist has been awarded the best travel agent 2013, along with 50 oter foreign travel companies by Malaysian Resorts World Genting (RWG) under the Genting Group.

The award was based on tourist numbers and publicity campaigns the foreign travel firms have carried out for RWG.

Founded in 1965 by Lim Goh Tong, Genting Group is Malaysia’s leading multinational corporation and one of Asia’s best-managed companies, including the development of Resorts World Genting  - a beautiful highlands resort in Malaysia.

The Genting Highlands Resort attracts a huge number of Saigontourist’s customers thanks to preferential policies, diverse tours and convenient transportation.

Vietnamese oriental medicine association debuts in Russia

The Vietnam-Russia oriental medicine association held its first congress in Moscow, Russia, on February 25 to set course over 2014-2019.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the Russia oriental medicine association and relevant Vietnamese agencies in Russia.

The association brings together nearly 50 doctors, traditional medicine physicians, and those interested in oriental medicine.

It aims to provide traditional medicine services for Vietnamese residents residing in Russia and promote Vietnamese oriental medicine abroad.

Addressing the event, Nguyen Hung Anh, first secretary of the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia, expected the association will help gather, inherit and promote the heritage of Vietnamese oriental medicine.

Vladimir Nikolaievik, a representative of the Russian oriental medicine association, expressed his hope the newly established organisation will uphold the tradition of oriental medicine to look after Vietnamese people’s health in Russia.

Border guards help to educate poor youngsters

Two years ago, 18 year old Phan Thi Muon from Thuan Phuoc Ward in Da Nang did not know how to read or write because her parents did not have enough money to send her to school.

Muon's parents, who moved from Thua Thien-Hue Province in the late 1990s, made a living from doing odd jobs around the central city.

In late 2011, they registered to join a training course for poor people organised by the central city's border guard commander and the Department of Education and Training.

The night class, which was held in a meeting hall next to the Han River border crossing post, drew the participation of 11 underprivileged students who studied under the tuition of five soldiers.

The soldiers were usually busy with their duties during the daytime, so the classes were held three evenings a week.

Most of the students can now read and write, but they still struggle with maths.

"It's been a great endeavour by our soldiers and their students over the past two years. They were living in poor conditions with little chance of escaping poverty. Some also suffer from congenital defects," said Major Ho Song Phuong, a political officer.

"They did not receive an education or proper care from their parents, so we took the time to get them back on track. Now they recognise the importance of education, and we love to share with them," Phuong said, adding that the soldiers make regular donations each week to buy books, teaching materials and gifts for the students.

"We are happy to be here. We enjoy spending the holidays with the soldiers during Tet and Children's Day. I wish I had a good book to read right now," said Muon.

Muon's father, Phan Van Huy, 40, said he had to collect pennies working as a porter, mason, restaurant waiter or cleaner to support his family.

"My wife has been sick for a long time, and she can't do anything apart from the housework. The money I earn is barely enough to pay for food, and we have no savings to pay for our children's studies," Huy said.

"We were living in a fishing boat docked on the Han River in late 1990s before we moved along the waterway from Hue," he said.

"Our children had a lucky break when the night classes started two years ago, and now they've escaped illiteracy."

Senior Lieutenant Colonel Do Van Dong from the Border Guard Commander, said the night class had adopted the city's literacy policy.

"We started adult literacy classes in 1998 for thousands of residents, mostly fishermen from the coastal districts of Hai Chau, Thanh Khe and Thuan Phuoc," Dong said

"When we completed the classes four years ago, all of them could read, write and perform basic calculations. None of them use their fingerprints instead of signing their name anymore," he said.

Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thanh Binh, from the Han River border crossing station said poor kids also received gifts and provision during the holidays.

"We assigned soldiers to four posts to help local people with difficulties. Young soldiers were sent on teacher training courses before the classes started," Binh said.

Second Lieutenant Hoang Van Son said and two fellow soldiers had to cover classes at the same time.

"We divide them into age groups and levels of education. To start with, we show them how to hold a pen correctly, then the process of teaching them how to write begins. Some of them are deaf, dumb or intellectually challenged," Son explained.

"It needs patience. We gradually get them to join in the fun or encourage them with candy. They would leave the class if we shouted at them," he said.

Senior Lieutenant Le Huu Trung said a group of three special kids attend class for just six hours a week.

"Their attention span is short so they only study for an hour at a time. We try to make the lessons lively and fun," Trung said.

He said that they have struggled to make progress with a 16 year old for almost two years, but without much luck.

"He suffered a brain defect at birth. He looks like an eight year old kid. He can only write the letter O, but we keep working with him. We hope that someday he'll be able to write easy words and do the right things in life," he said.

Political officer Ho Song Phuong said the class would take final examinations this summer.

"The better students will go up a level, and those who don't do as well will continue to receive more training," Phuong said.

"It's a hard job, but we're happy to help them and hope they will have better lives in the future."

School initiative achieves success

Chairman of HCM City People's Committee Le Hoang Quan has requested the Friendly School, Active Student Programme be carried out basing on the condition of each district in order to ensure its stableness.

The Friendly School, Active Student programme was started to raise the learning atmosphere in schools, promote effective teaching methods, increase soft skills among students and encourage teamwork.

At the workshop on reviewing the city's five-year implement of the programme held yesterday, Quan appreciated the close co-operation between Department of Education and Training with other departments and organisations in the city to effectively carry out the programme.

Tran Thi Kim Thanh, deputy head of Department of Education and Training, said that the close co-operation between those organisations and departments in HCM City has enriched activities in schools.

The education and training department, for example, has co-operated with Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to teach traditional music such as tuong (classical drama), cheo (traditional opera), and cai luong (folk song) for students.

They have also organised entertainment and sport programmes attracting the attendance of large number of students to help them relax and improve their physical health.

Many scholarship programmes for disadvantaged students to continue going to school have alsobeen carried out.

Thanh said that through the programme, more attention to the investment in building and upgrading kindergartens and schools and equipping with modern teaching aids has been paid.

The city has had 1,788 schools, kindergartens, and education centres for nigh classes since September 2008. All of them have had a green campus, standard playground, classrooms, toilets and water supplying works, Thanh said.

The city has seen the increasing of schools meeting the national standards, she said. To date, there have been 149 national standard schools in the city.

They also have applied IT in teaching and managing, she said, adding that teaching methodologies and curricula have been improved to meet teaching each individual. Many international programmes have been applied to improve students' thinking and creativity, she said.

Teams enter final round of microcontroller comp

Fourteen teams from universities, colleges and companies took part in the final round of the first Viet Nam MicroController Application Contest (VMAC) that kicked off at the National University of HCM City yesterday.

The event is organised by the Steering Board of HCM City Integrated Circuit (IC) Development Programme, the city's Department of Science and Technology, and the IC Design Research & Education Centre (ICDREC) under the National University of HCM City.

The contest, which kicked off January 15 of last year, aims to create high-quality products involving chips and microcontrollers, according to Ngo Duc Hoang, director of ICDREC.

He said the VMAC was launched in HCM City, Ha Noi and Da Nang and the challenge was open for individuals and organisations nationwide.

Participants were supplied with the cheap microcontroller SG8V1 version by ICDREC with 150,000 pieces, and contestants were challenged to offer new applications for specific products, said Hoang.

The winner will be given a cash prize of VND30 million (nearly US$1,500), while the first and second runner-ups will receive VND20 million and VND10 million, respectively.

ASEAN work to eliminate violence against women, children

The ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) has held its eighth meeting to review the progress of 24 projects and activities under the ACWC Work Plan for the 2012-2016 period.

The activities included the compilation of ASEAN best practices in eliminating violence against women and violence against children which was published and launched by the Minister of Women, Family and Community Development of Malaysia on December 12, 2013 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The ACWC held consultation sessions with the Australia ’s Global Ambassador for Women and Girls, and representatives of the Government of New Zealand, European Union, and the US on February 18, 2014 .

 During the sessions, scope and mechanisms of their respective support to the work of ACWC were discussed.

Under a Thailand’s initiative, ACWC has called on ASEAN Member States to produce posters, pamphlets, stickers and video clips on the theme “stop violence against women” to commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25.

The meeting was held from February 17-18 at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta , Indonesia .

Recently, the ACWC held a dialogue with civil society organisations from ASEAN Member States on February 19, during which joint collaboration through the ACWC’s planned projects corresponding to the commitments in the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women and Elimination of Violence against Children in ASEAN or new initiatives was explored. The participating civil society organisations also shared information on their respective areas of expertise and relevant initiatives.

Separately, an inter-sectoral meeting was held on February 20 with the participation of Chairs and/or Representatives of the ASEAN Inter-Governmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) and ASEAN bodies in charge of women’s affairs, social welfare, rural development and poverty eradication, education, labour and migrant workers, as well as trafficking in persons.

The ninth ACWC meeting is scheduled for September 29 – October 1, 2014 in Myanmar.

Fishermen to benefit from medical knowledge

A Vietnamese professor has pointed out the benefits of teaching medical knowledge to fishermen, describing this as an effective way of protecting their health, since they have to work at sea for several consecutive months in a harsh environment.

Professor Nguyen Truong Son, Director of the Vietnam National Institute of Maritime Medicine, underlined the fact that Vietnam has some 130,000 fishing vessels at present, including 30,000 working offshore. Working on often rough seas, fishermen are at high risk of head and stomach aches, physical trauma or cardiac arrest.

In such cases, if no medical staff or first aiders are present on the vessel, the fishermen’s life may be threatened. Son noted that very few vessels, both inshore and offshore, have been equipped with medical supplies or have qualified medical staff working on board.

He advised that in the short term, medical training should be given first to vessel operators. The curriculum should include general knowledge and first-aid skills such as administering injections, joint manipulation and dealing with food poisoning.

It is also a necessity to present free medicine cabinets to vessels, especially offshore ones, as well as teaching fishermen how to use pharmaceuticals in the correct way and dosage, he added.

In February 2013, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung approved a project on sea and island healthcare development until 2020. Equipping crewmembers with medical knowledge is one of the targets set.

Since the beginning of 2014, the national institute has opened training courses for fishermen of around 500 vessels in Lap Le commune, the northern port city of Hai Phong. It has also provided 100 free medicine chests and plans to give further medical supplies worth 2 million VND (over 95 USD) each to 30,000 offshore vessels.-

Red River Delta provinces seek solutions to climate change adaptation

Representatives from coastal communities in the Red River Delta gathered at a workshop in the northern coastal city of Hai Phong on February 26 to discuss solutions to adapt to climate change and mitigate the impacts of natural disasters.

Feasible solutions will be documented to be shared with localities vulnerable to climate change impacts, under a project implemented by the Centre for Marine Life Conservation and Community Development (MCD), a Vietnamese non-governmental organization.

MCD started the project in 2012 with the aim of raising awareness and changing the behaviours of target communities regarding climate change, at the same time increasing livelihood and eco-system resilience to climate change.

The project, titled “Partnership for equitable resilience to the impacts of climate change of coastal communities in Vietnam ”, covers Nam Dinh and Thai Binh provinces and Hai Phong City in the Red River Delta, with a focus on coastal communities. It will last through 2014.