Talks on HIV/AIDS, prostitution prevention and fighting

A talks on HIV/AIDS and prostitution prevention and fighting was held in Ha Long on October 16, involving over 150 participants from 10 provinces and cities and international organizations.

They discussed current policies on prostitution prevention and fighting and proposed measures to effectively deal with the wide spread of HIV/AIDS. They recommended adjusting the current legal system and building effective management models and coordination mechanism for law enforcement agencies and social services suppliers to comprehensively prevent and fight prostitution.

Delegates agreed that prostitution is a social issue that needs to be dealt with by diverse measures, including disseminating information and education to raise public awareness of social policies and welfare programmes to ensure stable incomes for citizens, especially youths.

International delegates pledged to further support Vietnam in fighting prostitution and HIV/AIDS, in line with current legal policies.

Monsoon set to drench northern, central regions

A monsoon was forecast to effect the northern and central parts this Wednesday, bringing scattered heavy rain and storms before moving southwards, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

The spell may last until the weekend, with temperatures expected to fall from 4-7 degrees Celsius.

Strong winds were also forecast to hit the Bac Bo (Tonkin) Gulf and the northern part of the East Sea, causing rough seas.

Hand-foot-mouth disease hits Mekong Delta

Nearly 1,300 patients in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang have been infected by hand-foot-mouth disease since the beginning of 2012, trebling last year‘s figure.

More than 80 percent of the patients are children under three years old, and over 84 percent are those under five.
Infections were confirmed in 74 communes, with all samples testing positive for the EV 71 type virus.

Provincial authorities are worried about a possible outbreak of hand-foot-mouth epidemic if the deadly disease is not kept under control in the coming days.

Local hospitals and clinics claim to be short of staff to provide intensive treatment for hand-foot-mouth patients.

In addition, more than 520 patients have contracted dengue fever over the past nine months.

Hau Giang’s healthcare sector is sterilizing the infected areas, intensifying preventive measures, and raising public awareness of personal hygiene and environmental sanitation.

Clear recourse sought for mistakes by State

Individuals and organisations suffering from damage caused by State officials are facing difficulties claiming compensation, according to Nguyen Thanh Tinh, director of the Ministry of Justice's State Compensation Department.

Tinh said that the 2010 State Compensation Liability law had been implemented with the aim of creating a legal mechanism for victims of errors or mismanagement by State officials to claim damages. While people unjustly affected by administrative or legal mistakes have been able to claim for compensation, many have faced difficulties due to a lack of clarity on how liability is determined. The valid amount of time in which it is acceptable to make a claim following an incident is also a problem.

Involved agencies have reportedly been confused by the compensation and payment procedures and reimbursement responsibility, Tinh added.

He suggested that documents clearly explaining how to implement the law are needed so that people can exercise their rights better. He also urged concerted efforts from ministries, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Prosecuracy to better the skills of staff to improve the service received by the public.

According to reports from ministries and localities there have been 168 State compensation cases in law courts since the 2010 law took effect. Fifty four of these cases related to administrative management, 90 others related to legal procedure proceedings and 24 related to civil law enforcement.

So far, 122 out of 168 cases have been solved and liable agencies have paid compensation of over VND16 billion (US$770,000).

Out of 64 cities and provinces nationwide, 24 reported no cases. However, an initial review in the provinces and cities has shown that many people were unaware of the law and their rights.

Nasal spray warning sparks cancer scare

The Ministry of Health's Drug Administration has stopped the circulation of some Calcitonin-containing nasal sprays to treat osteomalacia following cancer warnings.

The European Medicines Agency released the warning that prolonged use of medicine containing Calcitonin, which belongs to the calcitonin-like protein family found in fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals, may cause cancer.

The administration has also requested companies that trade in the medicine to report the effects and safety of the drugs.

Stranded fishing vessel brought to safety

Ten fishermen from the central city of Da Nang were rescued by local lifeguards yesterday following two days floating at sea after their vessel's engine broke down about 50 nautical miles from the coast.

After receiving an SOS call, the lifeguards kept in touch with the vessel DNa 90303 and called for assistance from other fishing vessels working around the area.

Rescue services in the southernmost province of Ca Mau also salvaged the bodies of three sailors and are continuing their searching for other missing fishermen whose boat was allegedly crashed into by an unidentified vessel. Nine other fishermen on board were rescued by locals soon after the accident.

Electronic medical management not up to expectations

There are still many drawbacks to electronic medical management across Viet Nam, according to medical experts at a conference held in Ha Noi yesterday.

Experts agreed that low financial resources, poor capacities of human resources and no access to internet at the grassroot level were major reasons.

Nguyen Cong Khan, director of the Ministry of Health's Department of Science and Training, said applying information technology in medical management could connect all hospitals nation-wide and would thus help manage patients and ease hospital overcrowding.

Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly Committee of Social Affairs Nguyen Van Tien pointed out consequences caused by the shortage of information technology in many provinces.

He said in the committee's business trip to the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai three months ago, the local authorities reported they had bought health insurance cards for the poor, ethnic minorities, invalids and children with the State budget.

However, the province did not have internet system to monitor the work, thus they found that 10,000 cards were superfluous, which meant that more than 10,000 people had two or three health insurance cards, he said.

Meanwhile, Chu Hong Thang, deputy director of the Thai Nguyen Department of Health, said Thai Nguyen was the first province in the country to apply information technology in medical management, and the results were highly encouraging.

The province has used the internet in medical management since 2000. So far five out of eight provincial hospitals and eight out of nine district hospitals use the internet in managing.

In 2008-09, the Population Council and the provincial Department of Health implemented a pilot project using information technology in managing medical information.

The project applied the health management software HMIS in all of 181 commune medical clinics in the province.
However, the work met a lot of obstacles due to the lack of knowledge and skills on information technology among local commune officials.

"Many officials had got used to managing by records, books and documents, and they hesitated to study new technology," said Thang.

Moreover, some commune medical clinics had power cuts or particularly remote areas could not access the internet.
Thang said to make it work, the most important thing was that leaders of medical clinics must be enthusiastic in the work and have synchronous plans to train medical workers.

Cops bust three major drug trafficking rings

Police have recently seized four kilogrammes of heroin, over 800 ecstasy pills, US$7,200, YUAN4,000 ($640) and VND295 million ($14,000) in cash from three drug trafficking rings in the northern port city of Hai Phong and the provinces of Son La and Lao Cai.

Nguyen Thi Lan, 47, now residing in Son La, was caught red-handed at a Hai Phong bus station carrying 3.5 kilos of heroin, 873 ecstasy pills, and a fake identity card.

Lan admitted to trafficking drugs to sell to an anonymous buyer in the city.

The Hai Phong city's police force said that further investigations were being carried out, and an arrest warrant had been issued for the alleged ringleader, Song A Khai, 44, from Son La.

The second case saw the arrest of Sung Seo Cau, 36, and his wife Giang Thi Cu, from Bao Thang District in Lao Cai.

According to the chief of police of Bao Thang District, Colonel Nguyen Van Tuan, the couple were arrested while transporting 100 grammes of heroin.

Earlier in the same district, Nguyen Thi Minh, 32, from the northern province of Vinh Phuc, and his accomplice Sung Seo Pao, 44, were arrested after buying VND95 million ($4,500) worth of heroin.

Investor ordered to fix spillway, pay compo

Authorities have instructed Truong Son Hydroelectric JSC, the main investor of the Dakrong 3 Hydroelectric Plant in central Quang Tri Province, to repair the plant's spillway after it ruptured on October 7.

The dam was first tested on September 27, but a 25 metre long and 6 metre high part of its spillway broke following heavy rain and floods that swept away freshly laid concrete on the morning of October 7.

Inspecting the scene, Deputy Chairman of the district's People's Committee Pham Van Hung said that the problem had badly affected local people, and investors had not reported the problem to local authorities.

Losses are estimated at around VND20 billion (US$950,000).

The company was reported to have lied about the problem and had violated regulations by filling the reservoir before compensation and relocation procedures were finished, said Hung. Truong Son Hydroelectric JSC would have to repair the problem and compensate local people, according to Hung.

The company should also draft a storm and flood prevention plan for the rainy season, added Hung.

Chairman of the board of directors at Truong Son Hydroelectric JSC Mai Van Hue said that the company was in the process of repairing the damage part of the dam.

The plant is expected to be connected to the national grid by the end of this year.

VNN/VOV/VNS