HIV tester confiscated on quality queries

The Drug Administration of Viet Nam has suspended the circulation of 14 batches of a product used in quick tests for HIV-1 and HIV-2, SD Bioline HIV-1/2 3.0 because of its low quality.

The authority called for the confiscation of the product. The World Health Organisation found low-quality material in four other batches and recommended they also be recalled.

PM tells health sector to aim for perfection

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has urged the health sector to continuously perfect the country's healthcare system, particularly preventative medicine and all practices at the district and grassroots level.

Medical workers give health checks to residents in Lai Chau northern mountainous province. The health sector is expected to perfect the country's healthcare system, especially at the grassroots level. (Photo: VNS)

"Health examination and treatment systems should be continuously reformed to ensure equity and effectiveness for people," said Dung.

Specifically, the sector should restructure the operational and financial mechanism at State-owned medical units while bringing health insurance to all people, he added.

Dung also asked the sector to adopt "drastic and comprehensive" measures to abate the hospital overload so that patients do not have to share ward beds.

The Ministry of Health, relevant ministries and the people's committees of Ha Noi and HCM City were requested to submit a scheme to the Government to reduce hospital overload.

"Priorities should be given to Central-level general hospitals, speciality hospitals for paediatrics, obstetrics, cancer and the heart in Ha Noi and HCM City," said Dung.

The health sector was also asked to improve its human resource training; actively carry out effective measures for disease and pandemic prevention and elimination; and mobilise more financial resources to involve people in health care activities.

At the event, health minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said that the sector has faced many challenges in combating the return of infectious diseases, emerging diseases, hospital overload at central hospitals, and a shortage of qualified human resource, especially in mountainous and remote areas.

Health sector statistics reveal success in meeting National Assembly targets of 2011 on the number of hospital beds per 10,000 people (21.1); the under-5 malnutrition rate (16.8 per cent); the birth rate (0.2 per thousand) and rate of solid medical waste treatment (over 82 per cent).

Outbreaks of many dangerous diseases like avian flu H5N1, dengue fever, hand-foot-mouth were controlled and eliminated last year. More than 90 per cent of children under one and 80 per cent of pregnant women were vaccinated under the National Expanded Immunisation Programme.

The HIV/AIDS transmission rate in the community was reduced to under 0.3 per cent of population.

More than 80 per cent of commune medical clinics met national medical standards regulated by the Ministry of Health. Doctors worked in 72 per cent of communes and more than 95 per cent of communes have a midwife or physician.

Last year, the health examination and treatment systems received more than 28.3 million patient visits, including over 17.7 million inpatients nation-wide.

State President Truong Tan Sang awarded the title of People's Physicians to 72 outstanding professors and doctors on this day.

Crime gang leader jailed for forgery

Tran Quang Minh, from HCM City's Go Vap District, was sentenced to six-years' imprisonment for forging documents so that people could illegally enter South Korea by the People's Court of southern Ninh Thuan Province on Wednesday.

The court was told that Minh and six accomplices from Quang Binh and Khanh Hoa Provinces provided papers allowing 34 people to leave the country illegally. They collected a total of US$73,000 for their efforts.

Two of Minh's accomplices were sentenced to two-and-a-half years' jail and the others given probation for the same period.

Denmark funds rural development project in Dak Lak

The Government of Denmark has provided an additional VND40 billion for the Central Highland province of Dak Lak in 2012, to improve the agricultural sector and develop rural areas.

The project aims to help the province’s agricultural sector develop steadily and increase profits quickly, improve people’s standard of living, upgrade the water supply system to meet daily demand, and raise the sector’s management capacity.

Remote districts with poor infrastructure, such as Krong Bong, Lak, M’Drak and Ea H’leo, will most benefit from the project.

Last year, Denmark financed VND14.6 billion to develop the agricultural sector in remote areas.

Roundabouts to ease traffic in HCM City

Construction of two roundabouts on a section of National Highway 1A in HCM City's western Binh Tan District began yesterday, Feb 23.

They are being built at the highway's intersection with Provincial Road 10 and Provincial Road 10B.

Also being built are a 20km barrier separating theanes meant for large and small vehicles, and two flyovers of 802m and 680m.

The IDICO infrastructure investment company is undertaking the VND700 billion (US$33 million) work on a build-operate-transfer basis.

The construction is expected to ease the flow of traffic between the city and the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta.

Three killed in Ca Mau gas explosion

A gas explosion occurred in a boarding house in the southernmost province of Ca Mau on February 22, causing three deaths and leaving three others with serious burns.

The three dead victims were Nguyen Van Lam (born in 1971), Nguyen Hoai Em (1986) and Huynh Pham Phuoc Hao (10-month-old).

Hao’s mother Pham Kim Nhi (born in 1988), Huynh Van Dung (1963) and Do Hoang Giao received extensive burns.

The incident happened in the afternoon when Dung, who rented the house, gave a party, inviting his neighbours Giao, Em and Lam to join him.

At 6.30pm, local people heard a big explosion and found the flame flared up and burnt down all the utensils in the house before it was extinguished 15 minutes later.

Twenty-five fire fighters from the provincial Fire Brigade were mobilized to put off the fire.

Initial investigation showed that the explosion was caused by the transfer of gas from a 13-kg cylinder into a mini gas cylinder to cook the meal.

Dung was said to illegally provide the gas filling service to local people.

VNN/VOV/VNS