Ministry inspects private health clinics, drugstores in 5 cities

The Health Ministry plans to inspect private health clinics and drugstores in five major cities this year after many violations were uncovered during last year’s inspections.

In 2013, 197 private health clinics and 66 private drugstores were suspended from operations for violating medical regulations, according to the ministry.

Many medical workers were found working without work permits, in addition, drugstores were caught operating without business licenses and selling psychotropic drugs and drug precursors without permits.

The inspectors will target Can Tho, Danang, Haiphong, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Duong Xuan An, the ministry’s deputy chief inspector, said at a recent meeting in Hanoi.

The ministry also plans to compile and submit to the Government a project to improve medical inspectors’ skills by 2020.

Speaking at the meeting, Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien ordered all health departments to inspect the bidding process for medicine and medical equipment.

Workers hospitalised for gas poisoning

Four out of twelve workers hospitalised for gas poisoning yesterday morning are still undergoing treatment at the Trang Bom District Hospital in the southern province of Dong Nai.

Eight of them were discharged from the hospital yesterday afternoon.

The patients, who were working at the CP Viet Nam Livestock Breeding Joint-stock Company in the Bau Xeo Industrial Zone in Song Trau Commune, said they started to smell gas after entering the company in the morning.

Many of them had difficulty breathing and were suffering nausea and vertigo by 10am.

Market watch seizes counterfeit vodka

The central city's market watch discovered around 7,300 bottles of fake alcohol labelled as Men's Vodka at a downtown shop on Dien Bien Phu street during an inspection yesterday.

According to the city market watch, the manager of Tuan Binh Trading and Service Company could not provide documents or invoices verifying the vodka.

The 2,600 litres of vodka is estimated to be worth around VND365 million (US$17,000).

The case is still under investigation.

Last year, the city's market watch destroyed 3,000 bottles of fake brandy and 450 litres of unbottled alcohol.

No taxis to ply on Chuong Duong Bridge

Taxis have been temporarily banned from crossing the Chuong Duong Bridge to enter central Ha Noi during the peak hours from today to prevent traffic jams.

According to a new decision by the municipal Department of Transport, taxis will not be allowed to cross the bridge from Nguyen Van Cu Road in Long Bien District between 6am and 9am every day, except on holidays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Exceptions will also be made for taxis carrying people travelling on an emergency, the elderly, the disabled and those travelling on breakdown assistance.

During the peak hours, taxis can reach the city centre via the Nguyen Van Cu Road and the Vinh Tuy Bridge.

About 20,000 automobiles and 210,000 motorbikes cross the Chuong Duong Bridge every day, according to the statistics of the Ha Noi Department of Transport.

Fake policeman arrested in Thanh Hoa

A man was detained yesterday by the Dong Ve Ward Police in the central province of Thanh Hoa after posing as a patrol policemen to solicit money from residents violating traffic laws.

Quach Van Duc, 23, was found wearing a police uniform and using a whistle to monitor traffic in front of Thanh Hoa Hospital. Duc reportedly fined a motorcycle driver VND200,000 (US$9.5) for carrying a passenger without a helmet.

Duc's behaviour soon attracted attention from local residents who asked to see his papers. He then tried to flee but was caught by local residents and the hospital's guards.

Duc later confessed to police he had conducted the fake checks on his way from Nhu Thanh District to Thanh Hoa City.

HCMC's outlying districts lack fresh tap water

More than 90 per cent of residents in HCM City's outlying districts have no access to tap water and are forced to use water from bore wells or collected rainfall.

Fewer than 10 per cent of people in the districts of Hoc Mon, Nha Be, Cu Chi, Binh Chanh and District 12 have access to tap water, according to the Sai Gon Water Supply Corporation (Sawaco).

Appearing on the Listen and Discuss talk show on HCM City Television last Sunday, Pham Van Dong, head of the municipal People's Council's Economic and Budget Division, said the quality of water from bore wells was poor.

Recently, the city's economic and budget division found that the quality of water in several bore wells in Hoc Mon District's Ba Diem Commune was contaminated by alum, he said.

Thousands of households in Hoc Mon's Ba Diem, Xuan Thoi Thuong and Dong Thanh communes have been using this bore-well water for years.

In Dong Thanh's Hamlet 1, 2, 3 and 7, where the Dong Thanh dump is located, groundwater is seriously polluted, affecting the health of local people.

Only well-off households can buy bottled water for drinking and eating.

Le Van Ton, a resident of Dong Thanh, said: "We wait for access to tap water day after day."

Nguyen Van Minh, who lives in District 9's Long Phuoc Ward, said neighbours used rain water but it now contained more dust.

When there is a shortage of rain water, tap water from tank trucks is bought at the high price of VND60,000 (US$2.8) a cu.m, he said.

About 200,000 households in the city now use well water that was deemed low-quality under city tests.

Nguyen Huu Tin, deputy chairman of the municipal People's Committee, said the city would test the quality of water resources used by local people and inform them which water resources were safe to use.

Bach Vu Hai, deputy general director of Sawaco, said the corporation planned to implement 220 water supply projects with total capital of VND2.2 billion ($104 million) in the 2014-15 period.

Some of the projects will be completed this year and the rest will have to wait for investment capital because Sawaco can only cover half of the capital for the projects, he said.

Tat Thanh Cang, director of the city's Department of Transport, suggested measures to supply clean water to people in outlying districts, including building water reservoirs to transport water to households in residential areas that are not densely populated.

In addition, water suppliers should streamline administrative procedures so that local people can use tap water at proper prices and not pay high prices for water from tank trucks.

Tin agreed with the measures suggested by the Department of Transport, saying that they would inspect the price of tap water sold from tank trucks this month.

Tin said the municipal People's Committee had assigned the corporation and the Department of Transport to draft a plan to call for new investors in the city's water supply sector.

Under the plan, Sawaco would be a water wholesaler and the investing companies would be water retailers.

Forward-thinking Nghe An ready to revamp admin work

The central province of Nghe An is working hard to build its electronic governance capabilities in the near future, in a bid to boost information technology application to the mountain of administrative work facing local authorities.

To realise its set target, the province will focus on building a data integration centre and installing an internet network on a large scale. It will also upgrade and develop communication channels between local authorities, people and enterprises operating in the province.

The application of IT in state agencies and organisation will be promoted to further foster links between them.

As planned, the local government will focus on forming a database for storing information related to people, land, housing, business units and administrative procedures. Meanwhile, an electronic information portal will be developed to provide public services.

Nghe An has seen an increasing development of IT application and communication in recent times, contributing to improving efficiency of State management and speeding up socio-economic development in the locality.

However, the infrastructure facilities and the workforce for developing the sector have not met demand.-

Lawyers ask for better legal status

The Vietnam Bar Federation (VBF) has requested the Politburo’s Resolution regarding judicial reform strategy until 2020 to be fully put in place, in which member lawyers’ role in building a State of the rule of law comes into prominence.

It made the call while holding a working session with the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Internal Affairs in Hanoi on April 7.

Currently, there are over 8,400 lawyers working across all 63 cities and provinces, with the majority in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Between 2009 and 2013, they defended more than 51,000 criminal cases, over 5,000 economic and 3,200 administrative cases.

Over 40 professional training courses held by the VBF also attracted 2,000 lawyers.

To better fight corruption, the VBF suggested perfecting the function, responsibility and organisational structure of judicial bodies, treating both lawyers and procurators on equal terms, and improving the legal status of lawyers.

Head of the Commission Thanh asked the VBF to offer detailed recommendations on how to improve its operations and minimise violations of professional ethics and laws.

The federation needs to pay attention to young and talented lawyers via intense training, he said.

He also required both sides to work more closely together during the corruption crackdown.

New rural area programme helps improve local life

The living standards of people in Ho Chi Minh City's suburban areas have improved significantly thanks to the national new rural area building programme, a recent review meeting heard.

In Xuan Thoi Thuong commune, Hoc Mon district, infrastructure and people's livelihoods have improved, with many transport projects, healthcare and cultural facilities, schools, and others operating there, said Van Thi Bach Tuyet, chairwoman of the district People's Committee.

Xuan Thoi Thuong commune is one of six communes in the city chosen to participate in the programme, the others being Tan Thong Hoi and Thai My in Cu Chi district, Tan Nhat in Binh Chanh district, Nhon Duc in Nha Be district, and Ly Nhon in Can Gio district.

The programme seeks to develop infrastructure and production, improve livelihoods, protect the environment, ensure social security, culture, and other aspects by creating jobs, providing loans, and training people.

At the meeting, Nguyen Phuoc Trung, director of the city Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the six communes have fulfilled all of the programme's 19 criteria related to transport, irrigation, housing, poverty mitigation, and political and social security among others.

The average per capita income in these communes has risen significantly, he said, adding that in Xuan Thoi Thuong commune for instance it increased to 32.2 million VND (1,524 USD) from 29.5 million VND (1,396 USD ) a year earlier.

Last year the city expanded the pilot programme to 50 other communes. Trung said it carried out more than 1,500 traffic, irrigation, electricity, and educational works and rebuilt 730 dilapidated houses at a cost of 3.9 trillion VND (184.7 million USD).

Besides, more than 7.4 trillion VND (355 million USD) was invested in agricultural development to improve people's income and reduce poverty, he said.

The poverty ratio – households with a yearly average income of below 12 million VND (568 USD) are classified as poor — has fallen from 5.77 percent in 2010 to 1.15 percent now, he said.

This year the city would ensure that at least 17 other communes fulfill a minimum of 17 of the criteria, and all other communes meet at least 15, he said.

Le Thanh Liem, deputy chairman of the city People's Committee, said the city also targets replacement of all dilapidated and temporary houses this year as part of the programme.

Trung said the city needs around 9.78 trillion VND (463.2 million USD) to invest in basic infrastructure, restructuring production, education, healthcare, and cultural activities in these areas this year.

Get-together welcomes Cuban guests

A get-together was held in Hanoi on April 7 to welcome a delegation from the Cuban Institute for Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) led by President Kenia Serranno Puig.

The guest said ICAP’s six-day visit to Vietnam from April 7 is to discuss with the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) and relevant Vietnamese agencies Cuba’s socio-economic development, foreign investment law as well as the organisation of the seventh Asia-Pacific Regional Conference for Solidarity with Cuba to be held in Vietnam next year.

Vice Chairman of the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Association Nguyen Duy Cuong and Vietnamese participants at the event affirmed Vietnam’s solidarity with Cuba to tighten traditional ties and promote effectiveness in cooperation between VUFO and ICAP in common international activities and mutual support in the coming time.

Earlier, VUFO Chairman Vu Xuan Hong received the Cuban delegation, reviewing the comprehensive cooperation between the two sides. They confirmed the two organisations’ coordination mechanisms and discussed methods for experience sharing and working to organise international peace and solidarity activities.-

Khmer groups congratulated on New Year festival

Top officials of the Steering Committee for the Southwestern Region on April 7 congratulated and presented gifts to Khmer Buddhist followers in the southern city of Can Tho as their traditional New Year festival, Chol Chnam Thmay, approaches.

They were also joined by top local officials during the visits to the local chapter of the Patriotic United Buddhist Association, the Academy of Khmer Theravada Buddhism and several pagodas.

Deputy head of the committee’s standing board Nguyen Phong Quang said he hopes the Buddhist followers and Khmer people will offer their helping hand to Can Tho on its development path.

The same day, member of the committee To Minh Gioi also handed over gifts to needy families and pagodas based in the southern province of Vinh Long, wishing them a joyful festival.

On the occasion, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan sent a letter congratulating Khmer ethnic groups.

He said he hopes they will contribute more to the great national unity for the sake of their prosperity and wellbeing.

Military team repatriates remains from Cambodia

The remains of 48 Vietnamese volunteer soldiers killed in Cambodia have been laid to rest in Vietnam since the K52 team of the Central Highlands Gia Lai province’ s Military Headquarters launched their search campaign nearly four months ago.

The team plans to repatriate the remains of 75 more Vietnamese soldiers in the dry season this year from Cambodia ’s northeastern provinces of Ratanakiri, Stung Treng and Preah Vihear.

Since 2001, the K52 team has brought home the remains of 1,230 Vietnamese soldiers from Cambodia.

Deputy PM praises localities’ efforts to ensure traffic order

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has praised authorities of 22 provinces and cities nationwide, including Bac Giang and Ninh Thuan, for taking effective measures to ensure traffic safety and reduce more than 20 percent of road deaths in the first quarter of this year.

According to the Traffic Safety Board of northern Bac Giang province, in the January-March period, 83 traffic accidents happened across the locality, killing 25 people and injuring 65 others.

Compared to the same period last year, declines were seen in the number of cases (33 percent), deaths (40.4 percent) and injuries (48.4 percent).

In the central province of Ninh Thuan, local authorities have also bettered their management of traffic situation.

It also enjoyed decreases in the number of accidents (66 cases), fatalities (19 people) and injuries (95).

In efforts to ensure traffic order, from the beginning of 2014 the two localities have carried out a number of drastic measures, including intensifying patrols on key roads, tightening the management of transportation services and vehicle capacity as well as strictly punishing traffic violators.

Activities to publicise laws on traffic safety and order have been organised regularly in order to raise locals’ awareness.

According to the National Committee for Traffic Safety, more than 6,500 traffic accidents have occurred across Vietnam so far this year, resulting in 2,427 deaths and leaving 6,427 people injured.

Traffic police have handled nearly 998,000 violation cases, collecting total administrative fines of 577 billion VND (27.1 million USD) and detaining 6,300 cars and nearly 115,000 motorbikes.-

More children receive free surgery for cleft palates

The Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Hospital in Hanoi and Operation Smile Vietnam organisation will give free medical checks and surgery to children suffer from cleft lips and cleft palates from April 15-18.

Correction surgery for cleft lips will be conducted for children as young as 6 months, while those for cleft palates require patients to be at least 18 months old.

Operation Smile Vietnam is part of a global alliance of Operation Smile Foundations and Resource Chapters dedicated to providing free treatment to children and adults suffering from cleft lips and cleft palates.

Operation Smile’s first medical mission to Vietnam took place in 1989. Two years later, a volunteer network of Vietnamese medical professionals established Operation Smile Vietnam.

Since its first medical mission, Operation Smile has provided thousands of free medical procedures to children and young adults in Vietnam, and has provided additional training to Vietnamese medical professionals.-

Dak Lak endeavours to widen health insurance coverage

Health insurance currently covers nearly 1.3 million people in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak, about 70 percent of the population.

The figure includes all impoverished and ethnic minority residents, which is attributable to local efforts in implementing universal health insurance.

Its social insurance agency has worked with the provincial Department of Health to publicise the benefits of health insurance to the community, while streamlining administrative procedures to access insurance.

At the same time, a number of local hospitals and clinics have been equipped with advanced facilities while healthcare staff have received professional training.

Dak Lak targets 74 percent and 84 percent of its population to be covered by health insurance by 2015 and 2020, respectively.

To that end, the province plans to accelerate the popularisation of insurance advantages to its people, particularly households nearing the poverty line, students and labourers, and improve the quality of medical services.

It will also consider permitting the purchasing of health insurance for whole households and the use of the local budget to help families close to the poverty line to buy insurance.-

Calculator 2050 helps Vietnam respond to climate change

Vietnam will have a modern tool to measure its greenhouse gas emissions, helping it to effectively respond to climate change, according to the Vietnam Investment Review.

Last week saw the launching of a project called Calculator 2050 used for calculating the country’s greenhouse gas emissions until 2050.

Calculator 2050, an open-source tool built by the UK and planned to be produced by late this year, will allow anyone with an internet connection to explore how Vietnam can pursue low carbon growth over the coming decades whilst providing enough energy to meet the county’s needs.

Specifically, this tool will help Vietnam measure how far renewables satisfy energy demand in the future, how much fossil fuels will need to be imported in the future.

The tool will also help Vietnam select pathways to achieve the percentage of reduction target, and know whether Vietnam can reduce emissions with high levels of economic growth. Besides, it will also help Vietnam calculate the cost of emissions and the energy supply by 2050.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoIT) and cross-sector experts will work closely with the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) to produce a Calculator 2050 version for Vietnam.

DECC is providing nearly 138,000 GBP (230,000 USD) from its International Climate Fund to support the MoIT as well as training and support throughout the project.

The goal is to facilitate a discussion across Vietnam on the low carbon development options available, and to use the results of this work to inform the decisions of policy makers.

“The 2050 Calculator has won many awards in the UK for its ability to engage policy makers and the public around our challenge to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. We’re delighted to be able to share this work with the Vietnamese government using UK funds to promote low carbon growth,” British Ambassador to Vietnam Antony Stokes was quoted as saying.

“We look forward to presenting an open source version of the Vietnam 2050 Calculator in 2014, and hope it will make a significant contribution our national debate on green growth and climate change response,” said Nguyen Van Thanh, vice head of the MoIT’s Industrial Safety Techniques and Environment Agency.

Rare bovine filmed in central forest

Experts have confirmed that the bovine found in the buffer zone of the Sao La Reserve Park in the central province of Quang Nam is a kind of rare bull listed as a vulnerable animal needing urgent conservation.

According to Nguyen Manh Ha, an expert at the Centre for Natural Resources and Environmental Studies of the Hanoi National University, the mature male has the scientific name Bos Gaurus.

The animal, which weighs nearly one tonne with black fur and a long horn, was filmed in Song Voi village in Zo Ngay commune, Dong Giang district by a local teacher on April 4. The recording was then sent to the local authorities for verification.

Protection measures are being increased to protect the rare animal from hunters.

The species is native to South and Southeast Asia. It was listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of threatened species in 1986. Its numbers are likely to have fallen by well over 70 percent during the last three generations.

Quang Tri, Salavan unveil new cooperation programme

The central Vietnamese province of Quang Tri and its Lao counterpart Salavan on April 7 signed a 2014-2016 cooperation document in the areas of politics, economics, culture and education.

The signing ceremony took place in Quang Tri during talks between the two provinces’ leaders.

Both sides agreed to strengthen comprehensive cooperation in all fields and create the best conditions for their agencies, localities and businesses to meet and exchange experience.

They will explore each other’s potential and strength to put forward cooperation initiatives in order to boost the special friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two provinces.

They will also closely coordinate with their ministries and agencies in building and developing the La Lay International Border Gate, serving international development and integration.

The two provinces will accelerate exchanging information and experience in security and defence and work closely together to address issues related to land management, marriage without registration, civil status registration and citizenship application of borderline people.

At the meeting the two sides reviewed the results of cooperative efforts during the 2011-2013 period and noted that creditable improvements have been made in education, human resources training, science and technology, health care, and border affairs.

Nine hamlets along the Quang Tri-Salavan borderline have established twin relationships and 31 out of 33 planned landmarks demarcating the border have been completed.

The Quang Tri Electricity Company has supplied more than 160 million kWhs worth US$10 million to Laos. Quang Tri has also helped train 70 Salavan officials, contributing to the development of the social welfare of the region.

Ministry of Education coordinates with Petro Group

The Ministry of Education and Training and the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) signed a memorandum of agreement for 2014-2018 on April 7.

PetroVietnam will annually donate to construct kindergartens and junior school dormitories in northern provinces, highlands provinces, and southwest provinces.

The company will also build housing structures for education staff working in poverty. Winners of local and international Olympiad chemistry and science contests will receive prizes from the company.

The ministry will coordinate with the company to train employees for petroleum industry work. They will also coordinate to upgrade two Vietnam Petroleum Institute facilities.

Education sector incorporates an anti-corruption program in curriculum

The Ministry of Education and Training will be incorporating an anti-corruption educational program.

This initiative was issued by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

The program will incorporate four sections covering all types of corruption for high school and university students.

The pilot program was taught in eight senior high schools and three universities for the 2013-2014 academic year. The schools are located in Hanoi, Nam Dinh Province in the North, Ho Chi Minh City, and Ben Tre Province in the Mekong delta.

The curriculum will be incorporated into citizenship education for citizens.

Schools and universities can reference lessons online via E-Learning to design its own curriculums.

National Chemistry Contest kicks off

The 8th National Chemistry Contest held in Can Tho University attracted participation of 198 university and college students on April 6.

The annual contest is hosted by the Vietnam Chemistry Association and Can Tho University to promote chemistry students to enhance their research skills for further industrialization and modernization.

Contestants will compete in two sections: a 180-minute theory test, and a 180-minute experiment.

There will be 18 first-place prizes, 39 second- place prizes, and 44 third-place prizes.

There are three times more schools and four times contestants this year than the first contest, said Mai Ngoc Truc, deputy head of the Vietnam Chemistry Association.

The event takes place April 6-9.

Vietnam to participate in Go Green in the City 2014 global contest

Nguyen Thi Thuy Duong and Dang Mai Anh from HCMC Foreign Trade University will represent East Asia in the Go Green in the City 2014 contest in France in June 2014.

The team, Energy Bank, triumphed over contestants from Cambodia, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan (China), and Thailand at the East Asia regional semi-finals in HCMC on April 4-7.

Vietnam team triumphed at regional energy challenge

Schneider Electric called out students of the Foreign Trade University in HCMC as the winners of its ‘Go Green in the City East Asia Regional Challenge’ final taking place in this city last Friday for their viable project entitled “Energy Bank”

The group of Nguyen Thi Thuy Duong and Dang Mai Anh outperformed other teams from Cambodia, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. As winners, they have been given the ticket to compete at the ‘Go Green in the City 2014’ global competition in French capital Paris in June this year.

The Energy Bank project was picked with an initiative called “Energy bank for smart city” which presents a banking concept applied to energy management to ensure the stability of energy demand and also to encourage the spirit of “The more you save, the better you earn”.

Schneider Electric launched the ‘Go Green in the City’ globally in 2009 and in Vietnam last year to challenge business and engineering students to present their own solutions to innovative and intelligent energy consumption. Working in teams of two members with at least one female in the team, students will devise viable solutions for energy management sectors critical to cities, such as home, university, retail, water and hospital.

Schneider Electric said that this year, more than 12,000 students from 462 universities across the globe had participated in the challenge, which is based on the fact that energy scarcity is now becoming a worldwide concern.