US$21.4 billion to build North-South high-speed railway

Vietnam should early complete the feasibility study into the North-South high-speed railway construction project and submit it to the National Assembly for approval in 2013.    

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) made the proposal at a meeting with the Vietnam Railway Corporation (VRC) in Ho Chi Minh City on September 17.

JICA said Vietnam would rather start building the high-speed railway line, first on two sessions between Hanoi and Vinh (around 300km) and between HCM City and Nha Trang (around 370km) with an average speed of 300km/h at cost of US$21.4 billion.

Judging by the current railway system in Vietnam, JICA proposed increasing the number of trains from 32 to 50 and reducing traveling time from 28 hours to 25.4 hours. Cost for this sub-project is around US$1.8 billion.

Oil curdling spreads over Binh Thuan coastline

Oil curdles on the water recently appeared along six kilometres of coastline in central Binh Thuan Province's Phu Quy island district, Vietnam News Agency reported today.

Ha Song Lo, the district's Deputy Party Secretary, said the oil curdling had drifted on the shore early this week, causing heavy pollution in the area and difficulties in travelling for local residents.

Lo said the curdling became denser with every passing day. The oil particles are black and as big as a finger, spreading from Phu Quy Port to Ngu Phung Commune.

He said experts from provincial Natural Resources and Environment Department were investigating the cause and hoped to find a solution soon.

Two more quakes jolt Quang Nam Province

Early on Monday morning, two more earthquakes shook houses and caused panic among residents in Bac Tra My District in the central province of Quang Nam, said Dang Phong, chairman of the District People’s Committee.

The first quake of mild intensity occurred at 0.37am followed by a stronger one at 5am.

The two earthquakes did not cause damage to lives or property but caused enough panic among local residents, who have been living in fear of recurring earthquakes, now happening much more frequently.

Dinh Van Thu, deputy chairman of the People’s Committee in Quang Nam Province has sent a report to the Prime Minister and related ministries and central departments on the two earthquakes that occurred on Monday.

The People’s Committee in Quang Nam Province has instructed local authorities in Bac Tra My, Nam Tra My, Tien Phuoc, Hiep Duc and Phuoc Son Districts to move quickly to assist residents repair cracks in their houses and spread awareness of prevention measures that locals can undertake to minimize damage from future earthquakes.

District authorities should also inform residents on measures that the province is implementing to deal with the earthquakes to set their minds at rest.

On the other hand, the provincial People’s Committee has requested the Prime Minister to have the safety of Song Tranh 2 Hydropower Plant examined, including water accumulation at the plant’s reservoir during the stormy season each year.

The province also requested the Prime Minister to instruct the Ministry of Science and Technology to immediately conduct a study of the recurring earthquakes in Bac Tra My District and surrounding areas and install an earthquake observation system in the district.

The Institute of Science and Technology and authorized organs should be asked to issue a conclusive report on the status of the recurring earthquakes in the province. Also, Vietnam Electricity must implement measures to cope with flooding in the lower lying areas below the Song Tranh 2 Hydropower Plant, in event of a dam breach.

Ministry bans exaggerated promotions of supplement foods

Recently there have been highly exaggerated advertisements of supplement foods in newspapers, on television and Internet as ‘miracle’ foods that has only raised misunderstandings in the minds of people.

As a consequence, the Ministry of Health has proposed that these need to be checked and verified by health workers before being introduced to the general public.

The ministry has sent a proposal to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to add these requirements onto the Advertisement Law that will take effect from January 1, 2013.

According to the proposal, before any advertisement of a private traditional medicine clinic or supplement food item is released in the media, the contents and all ingredients of such products must be checked by health inspectors.

Food producers have been banned from exaggerated advertising of an item and from using images of reputable health experts to promote their products.

According to the Food Safety and Hygiene Department, food contents must be checked by the health watchdog before releasing to the media.

Violating regulations on food advertising has recently become one of the most common types of violations in the field of food safety, according to the Department of Food Safety and Hygiene.

In addition, the health ministry prohibits doctors from prescribing nutritional additives known as supplements that actually have no medicinal attributes.

Any medical worker or hospital disregarding the ban issued by the Ministry will face harsh penalties.

 Strokes increasing among younger generation

According to the Department of Health in Ho Chi Minh City, 19 million people suffer from a stroke each year and more than 1,000 people succumb to the disease, with more and more young people adding to the number.

Nguyen Van Binh, 40, a patient from the southern province of Binh Duong, said one morning when he woke up he felt breathless and his limbs felt paralyzed and after attempting to walk a few feet he just collapsed unconsciousness.

His relatives rushed him to the People Hospital 115 in HCMC on September 15, but the sudden stroke has left him with a twisted mouth and paralyzed on the left side.

Similarly, housewife Nguyen Thi Phuong, 41, from To Hien Thanh Street in District 10, said she first suffered high blood pressure on September 14, but her family thought she was suffering from an apoplectic fit.

However, doctors at the People Hospital 115 did a CT scan and diagnosed a stroke, with blockage in blood vessels of the brain - - a condition that could have easily killed her or rendered her totally paralyzed.

From the 160 inpatients being treated in the Hospital’s Blood Vessel Disease Ward on September 17, it was noted that 16 were young people of around the age of 40. In other hospitals in the City like Nguyen Trin Phuong, Cho Ray and Medicine University, stroke patients are in large numbers.

Dr. Tran Chi Cuong of the Medicine University Hospital said the disease used to be common among elderly people, however nowadays it takes a toll on younger people.

Each month, the hospital receives 50 stroke patients from 20 and 30 age groups, said Dr. Cuong.

Stroke is the third most severe cause of death after heart attack and cancer.

In Vietnam, each year 200,000 million people suffer from a stroke, and 11,000 succumb to the disease or suffer part paralysis of the body.

As per statistics, every 45 seconds at least one person in the world suffers a stroke, while every three minutes one person dies of the disease, which has also affected 20 percent of the world population.

Experts say that the rate of young people suffering from a stroke is increasing from 1.7 percent to 3 percent and male numbers are four times more than females. Even a minor stroke, which is seemingly harmless, can leave a patient dead or disabled.

Experts added that bad living habits are one of the causes of the disease among most males. Most stroke male patients smoke and drink. Females were hit by stroke because they lived under stress of office work, house chaos and caring for children.

Doctors in Cho Ray Hospital conducted a survey that proved that industrial lifestyle caused a high number of people to suffer a stroke at an early age.

Despite the danger signs of the disease, many people do not recognize symptoms of the disease and their family members misinterpret the signs and begin home treatment of the disease with traditional methods such as rubbing of coins or acupuncture and ignore the vital early treatment hours that can save a life.

Rains cause severe flooding in Binh Phuoc, Dak Nong Provinces

Torrential rainfall over the last few days in Dong Xoai Town in the southern province of Binh Phuoc and the central highland province of Dak Nong has caused severe flooding in the area, forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate their homes.

More than 200 houses in Dong Xoai Town have been inundated, causing damage of more than VND2 billion (US$96,000).

Floodwaters have now receded and local authorities are helping residents to once again normalize their lives.

Pham Huu Hao, head of the Department for Flood and Storm Prevention in the central highland province of Dak Nong, said that torrential rainfall has caused flashfloods which swept away two people in Dak Glong and Tuy Duc Districts.

Authorities in the two districts have released funds from their budgets to assist families of victims, build temporary bridges for students to go to school, help residents rebuild houses and provide them with seedlings.

Fire damages ancient pagoda in Soc Trang Province

On September 15, a fire reduced to ashes several items of worship, including a Buddha statue dating back hundreds of years, at a pagoda in Cu Lao Dung District in the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang.

Police authorities reported that the fire was caused by huge candles that are normally lit for worship, some weighing as much as 9-10 kilograms.

At the time of the fire many candles were burning and one of them fell down onto other candles which then caused the fire to spread, quickly engulfing all the wooden furniture inside the pagoda.

The roaring flames took more than two hours to quell, tackled by   hundreds of locals and members of the pagoda who used large volumes of water to douse the flames.

The inferno completely charred the ancient wooden Buddha statues in the main hall of the pagoda, altars, and other articles used for worship.

Most Venerable Tang No of the Patriotic Monk Association in Soc Trang Province said this is the third pagoda that has been destroyed within one month in the province.

During prayer, candles are lit in pagodas in the province as this month the Khmer people enjoy a three-month-long traditional festival called Chol Vosa, to pray for good weather, peace and a happy family.

People buy Vosa candles, which are large candles that last the duration of the festival, and offer them to the monks. The festival lasts from June 15 to September 15 of the lunar month, hence the high risk of fires in pagodas.

On August 13, fire destroyed furniture in the sanctum of the 800-year-old Tac Gong Pagoda in My Xuyen District in Soc Trang Province, one of the country’s most ancient pagodas. On August 26, another fire cause substantial damage to the 300-year-old Bung Coc Pagoda in the same province. All the fires were caused by fallen candles.

Landslide threat constant in Dong Thap Province

Thousands of households living in landslide prone areas in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap are worried for the safety of their lives and property, as landslides have broadened further into the mainland along the Tien River.

The worst landslide area is in the island commune of Tan Binh in Thanh Binh District, where the entire 4m long tarmac road, the main traffic route in the commune, has become badly eroded with several sections having been swept away.

Dang Van Ben, a resident in the commune, said that in 2011 the Tien River bank stretched to 30m from the road. But after a few landslides, the road has remained mostly cut off and landslides continue to broaden further towards his house and his neighborhood.

In the last few days, floodwaters have surged to levels that have made us restless all night long, keeping us awake and aware of dangers, he said.

Landslides have swept away several houses along the riverside, forcing local residents to move their houses further into the mainland, many times now. Now they seem to have reached a dead end with no further land available to move onto.

Many people also do not have money to buy another property and therefore just set up temporary huts on landslide prone areas to survive with a roof over their heads.
 
The worst landslide occurred in Tan Binh Commune from July to September last year, burying more than 200 houses.

Dao Van Lia, deputy chairman of the People’s Committee in Tan Binh Commune, said that the landslide stretched nearly four kilometers, endangering 250 households.

The province has more than 100 landslide prone spots along 17 kilometers of river banks. A total of 5,000 households are in dire need to evacuate, however the province has difficulties in providing capital for resettling people.

The project to build flood-proof residential camps has completed its first phase, relocating almost 37,000 households. 46 camps in the second phase are under construction to relocate more than 8,000 households.

However, the number of households in need of relocation has kept increasing by the thousands every year, making it unaffordable for the province to build enough resettlement houses for residents.
 
Dong Thap Province has now decided to extract VND60 billion (US$2.88 million) to build a 16 hectare resettlement area to accommodate 300 households in Tan Binh Commune.

The province is still short of capital and awaits Government assistance to build four more resettlement areas to move thousands of households.

New hospital fees affects 36 percent population: Health Minister

At a press conference in Hanoi yesterday, health minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien stated that the new revised hospital fees will affect almost 36 percent of the entire country’s population.

The minister stated that this 36 percent comprises of people who have not yet purchased health insurance. Those who are supported by the Government include the poor and impoverished, beneficiaries of social policies, ethnic minority people and children less than six years of age.

For around 6.6 million people whose economic condition is close to the poverty line, the Government has decided to raise rate of health insurance premium to 70 percent. Province leaders are encouraged to give support to these people depending on state budget of each province.

The minister announced that along with new revised fees some policies to support the public have been implemented by the ministry. For instance, patients now save time as overloading in central hospitals has improved, such as in Bach Mai and K Hospital.

The Ministry of Health will also propose to the Government to raise rate of health insurance premium for farmers working in the field of agriculture, fishery, forestry and salt to 60 percent from the current 30 percent--to share their burden and encourage them to buy health insurance. If the proposal is approved, the new rate will apply in 2013.

Virulent bird flu strain emerges

A highly-virulent, newly-mutated bird flu H5N1 strain is likely to spread from North Vietnam to the South at a menacing pace, warned deputy head of Animal Health Department Pham Van Dong.  

Speaking in Hanoi on September 19, Dong noted the outbreak of this strain started in July and has so far attacked seven Northern provinces plus the central province of Quang Ngai.

To prevent further spreading south, the ministry has ordered provinces to strengthen inspection and control activities.

It also asked local authorities to clamp down on illegal poultry imports and to tighten inspections of trans-border poultry loads destined for Vietnam.

At the same time, vaccination and disinfection activities should be strengthened in affected areas.

Regarding the blue-ear pig disease, although there has been no new discovery, it is still wreaking havoc in the provinces of Dak Lak and Bac Can, but is currently under control in Cao Bang and Can Tho provinces.

WHO conference to open in Hanoi

Hanoi will host the 63rd session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for the Western Pacific on September 24-28.

This was announced at a press briefing in the capital city on September 18.

The conference is expected to attract delegates from 37 countries and territories to discuss the rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases, malnutrition, violence and injury prevention, neglected tropical diseases, tobacco control, HIV prevention and treatment, measles elimination, the health-related Millennium Development Goals and health financing.

It will provide a forum for Vietnamese and international policy makers and experts to share experience, discuss urgent health issues in the region, make policies and adopt WHO action plans in the coming years with the aim of improving health care services in the region.

Through the conference, international organizations and foreign countries will know more about Vietnam’s health care services.

Vietnam, Switzerland increase tertiary education cooperation

A tertiary education forum between Vietnam and Switzerland opened in Hanoi on September 19, attracting representatives from seven Swiss universities, 20 Vietnamese universities, and 15 Swiss businesses.

The forum aims to promote cooperation between the two countries’ universities and education institutions.

It offered a chance for education organisations to discuss the development of private education, and necessary management skills for students who want to work at foreign invested companies in the context of globalisation.

Educators also touched upon topics such as technique-infrastructure, finance-banking, management administration, and other services.

A survey recently conducted by the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) shows that most graduates from universities and vocational schools have yet to meet business requirements for professional skills. In addition, many businesses, including 44 percent of foreign invested, have to run onsite training courses for new employees.

Deputy Minister of Education and Training Tran Quang Quy said Vietnam will draw up a national standard training programme, increase links between schools and businesses, popularise English teaching, and standardise training syllabus at the tertiary education level.

He underlined the need to upgrade facilities, and increase investment in information and communication technology to renew teaching methods towards e-training.

Severe floods sweep two away in Central Highlands

Flooding from prolonged heavy rains swept away two people in Dak Glong and Tuy Duc Districts of Central Highlands Dak Nong Province, according to the provincial Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control.

The floods, described by the fiercest in over a decade, swept away 14 temporary bridges and caused damage totaling hundreds of millions of Vietnam Dong.

Local authorities have allocated funds to support the affected families and set up pontoon bridges.

Thai friends present scholarships to poor pupils

The Thai Business Association (TBA) and the Vietnam-Thailand Friendship Association (VTFA) presented 40 scholarships worth VND1 million each to outstanding but poor pupils in Ho Chi Minh City on September 18.
    
The money was raised by Thai people on the 83rd birthday anniversary of Thai King last year.

Over the past 10 years, the TBA and the Thai Consulate General in HCM City have granted many scholarships to poor students and pupils and worked with the VTFA to organize contests on Thailand’s land and people and its friendship relations with Vietnam.

The TBA’s Vice Chairman in HCM City, Prasit Keeratitrakun said the association often raises funds for charity and is very happy to offer scholarships to poor students for the benefit of social development.

A man killed by swine infection

A 51-year-old resident, of Hanoi's Tay Ho District, has died from septic shock after being infected with Streptococcus suis in Hanoi.

His death was confirmed on September 9 after two days of treatment at the Hanoi-based National Hospital of Tropical Diseases.

He was reported to be in a coma and haemorrhaging under his skin after eating raw pig's blood soup

Streptococcus suis is a gram-positive coccus that can cause pneumonia, meningitis, septicaemia, and arthritis in pigs. It can transmit to humans through close or direct contact with infected pigs and pork products.

Vietnamese, RoK, Chinese journalists share experience

A conference opened in Seoul on September 17 for 50 journalists from Vietnam, the Republic of Korea (RoK) and China.

Present among them was a delegation from the Vietnam Journalists’ Association (VJA) led by its President Nguyen Huu Thuan, who is also Editor-in-Chief of Nhan dan (People) newspaper.

In his opening speech, President of the RoK Journalists’ Association Park Jong-ryul said that the conference offers an opportunity for the three countries’ journalists to share views, tighten solidarity and look towards better prospects for future cooperation.

For his part, Thuan said that Vietnamese journalists have provided timely information to international friends on Vietnam’s national construction and development as well as traditional cultural values, helping boost the country’s intentional integration and improve its position in the region and the world at large.

They want to share experience with their foreign colleagues in order to improve the professionalism of the Vietnamese press, he stressed.

The conference is scheduled to last until September 22.

Blood-sucking bug not major killer: scientists
 
Scientists have confirmed a blood-sucking bug recently found in Viet Nam is not the same species that has been wreaking havoc in Latin America, spreading a deadly virus likened to AIDS.

The welcome news comes following a two year research project carried out by the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources' Entomology Department, which confirmed the Vietnamese bug doesn't carry the fatal Chagas disease, described by international scientists as the "New AIDS of the Americas."

The conclusion was released after the institute conducted a range of tests for nearly 100 blood-sucking bugs in the research, said Truong Xuan Lam, head of the Institute.

People should not to worry by reports that the blood-sucking bugs have re-appeared in cities of Ha Noi, HCM, Da Nang and central Binh Dinh Province, he said.

There was widespread panic earlier last week, when a four-year-old girl suffered a high fever, itching and sharp pain after being bitten by a blood-sucking bug in Ha Noi's Long Bien District.

She recovered two days after taking medicine, according to her father.

Explaining the case, Associate Professor Nguyen Van Chau, from the National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology said the high fever was caused by the blood-sucking bug's venom.

This bug however, rarely transmits diseases and causes a red spot similar to that from a bee or mosquito bite, Chau said.

Recently, there have been reports of blood-sucking bug sightings in a number of areas, including Cau Giay District's Mai Dich Ward and central Binh Dinh Province.

According to Lam, people are advised to clean their beds, wardrobes, house, and area surrounding the house, to avoid being bitten by the blood-sucking bug, he said.

If someone is bitten, they should wash the spot with soap, avoid scraching the wound and head to the nearest health clinic, Lam said.

The blood-sucking bug first appeared in Viet Nam during the late 70s; however it re-appeared in large numbers in 2010.

According to a new research by US-based PLoS (Public Library of Science) Neglected Tropical Diseases, Chagas disease, caused by parasites transmitted to humans by blood-sucking bug is potentially "the new AIDS of the Americas".

The research into the disease has found similarities to the early spread of HIV. It is difficult to detect and has a long incubation period.

It's estimated there are approximately 10 million people living with Chagas disease worldwide, including nearly 300,000 cases in the US.

Da Nang warns of dengue outbreaks in wet season

The central city has seen 97 cases of dengue fever since early this year, the city's Preventive Medicine Centre director Ton That Thanh told Viet Nam News today.

He confirmed that patients in 40 communes and precincts of the three biggest districts (Hai Chau, Hoa Vang and Cam Le) had contracted the disease since January.

He warned that the number of patients would increase between now and November.

"Dengue fever outbreaks usually occur in September and November when the rainy season has begun in the central region. We have raised awareness of disease prevention among local people and cleaned water containers as well as drainage systems," Thanh said.

"The centre has made efforts to prevent diseases from spreading in the wet season," he said.

Thanh also added that the city saw 4,600 cases of dengue in 2010, although this figure was reduced to about 90 last year.

"We have gotten the disease under control by spraying chemicals in the city's worst-affected areas and encouraging local people to clean their neighborhoods every Saturday."

The city has started the prevention programme recommended by the Ministry of Health on curbing outbreaks of avian influenza, hand-foot-and-mouth disease and dengue fever.

The city health department has provided free soap to households to curb hand-foot-and-mouth disease, cholera and diarrhoea since July.

According to the health ministry, the country has seen 43,220 cases of dengue fever, of which 35 were fatal, 80,000 cases of hand-foot-and-mouth disease, and four cases of avian influenza type A-H5N1.

Man prosecuted for falsifying visa, appropriating $80,000

Police in northern Hai Phong City have prosecuted Vu Trong Thang, 49, of Le Chan District, for appropriating property by making fake visas for 12 people to go overseas.

The suspect admitted to the police that he established two fake companies – Trong Hoang Tourism and Import/export services Joint stocks Company and Son Quynh Ltd Co – to offer visa services. His victims are poor farmers who sold their land or borrowed money with a high interest rate so they could work overseas.

Seven of the twelve victims are already in Malaysia, while the rest have paid for his servcies but have yet to depart. The plan was for them to stop over in Malaysia and then fly to countries like England, Australia, Japan and South Korea. The suspect received nearly VND1.7 billion (US$80,000).

The crime was uncovered after one of the victims - Le Van Truong, 25, of Hai Phong City – was found using a fake visa by Malaysian police when in the country last May.

Clinic developer runs out of cash

Work on the 1,000sq.m Tan Thinh Clinic in the northern mountain province of Yen Bai began three years ago, but it's still not finished.

The clinic, which was meant to open a year ago, is to serve residents in Tran Thinh, Dai Lich, Cat Thinh communes and Tran Phu Town in Van Chan Commune.

Instead, they are still crammed into "temporary" space in a 30squ.m village hall.

When finished, the new clinic will cost VND8.5 billion (US$404,700) provided by the State budget. It is being built by Duong Thinh Investment, Construction and Infrastructure Development Co Ltd.

Every day, dozens of people have health checks in the temporary clinic, which is staffed by a total of 11 doctors and nurses.

Head of the clinic, Ha Van Thanh, said while the village hall was cramped, medical staff had no option but to use it for examining patients, giving injections, changing dressings and pre-natal check-ups.

Work on the new clinic stopped at the beginning of last year. No clear reason was given.

At present, as a Viet Nam News Agency correspondent has observed, 60 per cent of the construction work has been completed, but grass grows luxuriantly inside the building and there are cobwebs everywhere.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Duy Thong, a construction manager with Yen Bai Department of Health, said the contractor had pledged to finish the roofing, flooring and doors, but nothing had been done.

Twice this year, a provincial committee handling investment and construction management, has invited the builders to meetings.

At the last meeting, Na promised to complete construction of the main rooms of the clinic and open to public before the end of October.

That's only eight weeks away and no one is holding their breath.

Pregnant women avoid provincial hospital

Pregnant women in the central province of Quang Ngai are avoiding the provincial hospital following a number of maternal fatalities recently.

Nguyen Van Tru from Nghia Hanh District took his wife to Da Nang Hospital to give birth, and said that all the pregnant women in his neighbourhood were doing the same, even though it was more than 100km away from their hometown.

Since the beginning of this month, three women from his commune have given births in Da Nang.

It cost him around VND10 million (US$470) for his wife to give birth in Da Nang City, including hospital fees, travel expenses and daily meals, whereas it would have been just VND1 million ($47) at Quang Ngai Hospital.

"It's quite expensive, but it was our first baby, so safety was paramount," he said.

An ambulance driver who wished to remain anonymous said that every day, all kinds of cars and buses were parked outside the provincial hospital waiting to take expectant mothers to Da Nang.

If a pregnant woman wanted to switch hospitals, she would need to get the go-ahead from doctors, but some insist on going to Da Nang after completing prenatal check-ups, despite not having the necessary paperwork, he said.

On peak days, some of the ‘ambulances' travel three times between Quang Ngai and Da Nang.

A doctor from Quang Ngai Hospital's Obstetrics Ward said that 60 per cent of the women who had prenatal check-ups at the hospital wanted to move to Da Nang Hospital, and every day, at least 20 left for the city.

Talking about the problem, director of Quang Ngai Hospital Nguyen Xuan Men admitted that the hospital had its limitations.

"The biggest problem is the workforce," he said.

The obstetrics ward has 14 doctors, but they are often out on training courses or field trips, and like other hospitals in central areas, we lack equipment and medicine.

Quang Ngai Hospital provided a wide range of health services, not just obstetrics, so many wards did not receive enough attention, said Men.

Due to the lack of equipment and medicine, hospital staff are unable to save premature babies that weigh less than 1.7kg, but central hospitals now have the facilities to care for new-borns that weigh just a few hundred grammes.

The hospital plans to hire more doctors, and is investing in a four-dimensional ultrasound machine to improve the quality of prenatal check-ups.

Doctors from the HCM City-based Tu Du Hospital had been invited to train local doctors, and some of our employees would be sent to Tu Du Hospital to study, Men said.

The hospital has assigned a deputy director to supervise the obstetrics ward, and monitor health examination standards and medical ethics.

Chairman of the Quang Ngai People's Committee Cao Khoa said a project to build an obstetrics and paediatrics hospital with 250 beds was in progress, and was likely to be completed by 2015 at a cost of VND200 billion (US$9.5 million).

Three women had died during labour in the hospital this year, according to statistics from the hospital.

‘Innovative universities' to play role in education reform

The model of innovative universities being developed and applied in several countries can help reform higher education in Viet Nam, says Deputy Minister of Education and Training Bui Van Ga.

Addressing a workshop on "Researching and Developing Innovation University Models" held in HCM City last Saturday, Ga said his ministry was encouraging domestic universities to look for many different models to improve the quality of training they provide.

They should look at developing the Innovative University, he suggested, adding that it (the model) would be suitable with the policy on diversifying university models mandated by the Education Law which would come into effect in next year, he said.

It would help universities train high-quality students being able to meet enterprises' demands, he added.

Professor Hoang Van Kiem of the Nguyen Tat Thanh University, which organised the workshop, explained that innovative universities adapt to changing environments easily.

"They will develop their creative capacities in teaching, research and management through IT advance," he said.

The model innovative university was one model built on smart IT infrastructure, Kiem said.

The idea of building innovative universities originated in Finland in 2005 and had since spread to several countries in the European Union, he added.

A group of Finnish academics co-operated with the best universities in the world like Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Cambridge to set up a model for innovative university, he said.

Other leading countries have joined the fray with India approving the establishment of 14 innovative universities, Kiem said.

Phan Thanh Binh, director of Viet Nam National University-HCM City, noted said that this model would require universities to have considerable autonomy, which was given to very few institutions in the country. Hence it would not be easy for all universities to build and apply this model, he said.

Toxic wine accounts for poisoning fatalities

Contaminated wine causes more than a quarter of food poisoning deaths each year, according to the Viet Nam Administration of Food Safety, Ministry of Health.

The surprise figures show toxic wine accounts for 26 per cent of deaths, despite only making up 3.4 per cent of all food poisoning cases.

The administration's statistics also show that 62 per cent of traffic accident victims have a high concentration of alcohol in their blood, while high alcohol levels are also present in 34 per cent of traffic fatalities.

Housing survey to get tough

A multi-ministry team will inspect real-estate projects in cities and provinces across Viet Nam next month to determine which to close down.

Ministry of Construction Deputy Minister Nguyen Tran Nam said representatives from construction, finance, government office, investment and planning and natural resources and environment ministries would take part.

Nam said inspectors would examine on-going and delayed projects, deciding which to close down and which to be allowed to continue or be restructured.

He added that many property investors had developed luxury residential projects with the co-operation of local authorities who had ignored real market demand.

Many developers built luxury complexes in areas with poor infrastructure and social services, such as lack of safe water, schools and markets. This was why no one was interested in buying their properties, Nam said.

Selling plots of land to attract capital from housing developers created over-heated land prices and a fake increase in demand.

Experts said developers should build small apartments for first-home buyers rather than targeting the rich and speculators.

Heart surgery saves baby
 
A baby girl nearly five months' old has been saved by new and complex heart surgery known as the Norwood procedure.

It was used in Viet Nam for the first time, according to Nguyen Thanh Liem, director of the National Hospital of Paediatrics on Monday.

The baby, Lu Tra My from south-eastern Binh Phuoc Province, was born with a fault in the left side of her heart. Doctors said she needed urgent attention if she was to survive.

My was operated on within 24 hours after being flown from HCM City to Ha Noi.

Doctors said the procedure was the most complex type of heart surgery and required a high level of expertise.

According to Trinh Xuan Long, head of the hospital's Quality Management Department, the expenses for My's treatment totalled VND600 million (US$28,500), but her family would pay only VND130 million ($6,200) because the rest was covered by medical insurance.

Statistics office to improve data system

The United Nations pledged to help Viet Nam sharpen up its gathering of statistics at a meeting in Ha Noi yesterday.

The UN's Population Fund (UNFPA) and Human Settlement Programme (UN HABITAT) will help Viet Nam improve its collection of statistics pertaining to population, reproductive health and gender figures so that precise socio-economic plans can be made.

The work will be given a budget of over US$5.97 million, including $4.5 million provided by UNFPA.