Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on April 28 attended a hybrid ceremony in the south central province of Ninh Thuan to inaugurate the Cam Lam-Vinh Hao expressway and open the Dien Chau-Bai Vot expressway in the north central province of Nghe An to traffic.

They are the two components of the North-South Expressway project.

The 78.5km Cam Lam - Vinh Hao Expressway, running through the three coastal provinces of Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, and Binh Thuan, was invested with over 8.92 trillion VND (nearly 352 million USD) in the form of public-private partnership (PPP) and has a designed maximum speed of 90km per hour. It shortens the travel time from Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s largest economic hub, to Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa) to about 5 hours by car, instead of 8 hours as before.

Meanwhile, the 50.5km Dien Chau-Bai Vot section runs through the two central provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh. The 11-trillion-VND expressway can shorten the travel time from Hanoi to Vinh city of Nghe An to just over 3 hours by car.

The two new roads help increase the total length of the currently operational expressway to 1,226 km out of the planned 2,064 km length of the North-South Expressway from Huu Nghi border gate in the northern province of Lang Son to Nam Can town in the southernmost province of Ca Mau.

Addressing the event, the Prime Minister emphasised that developing a synchronous and modern infrastructure system is one of three strategic breakthroughs, receiving special attention and direction from the Party and State.

In particular, the expressway system plays a very important role, especially in connecting and improving transportation capacity to serve production, business and daily life, thus helping attract investment, and boost socio-economic development, and ensure national defence and security for localities, regions and the whole country.

He requested the Ministry of Transport to preside over and coordinate with ministries, sectors and localities to guide the operation and exploitation of expressways to ensure safety and efficiency.

On the same day, the Government leader visited Labour Hero Ho Thi Luom, born in 1932 in Phuoc My ward, Phan Rang - Thap Cham city - a resilient and creative person who helped the salt production team at the Vinh Ngoc Salt Factory (Nghe An) always exceed output and have the highest productivity in the salt industry./.

Châu bags silver at World Cadet Rapid and Blitz Championship

Việt Nam secured its first medal at the FIDE World Cadet Rapid and Blitz Championship 2024 in Durres, Albania on April 27.

After competing in 11 matches, Nguyễn Vũ Bảo Châu achieved 8.5 points, securing the second-place position in the girls U8 class.

The little master won eight games, drew one and lost two in the rapid chess event, earning a silver medal.

Alisha Bissaliyeva of Kazakhstan clinched gold with 9.5 points and Nina Bos of Poland earned bronze with eight.

All other Vietnamese failed to make top three.

Players will take part in the blitz event on April 29, also the last day of competitions.

Việt Nam send 15 competitors to the Albania championships. They take part in the boys; and girls' U8, U10 and U12 categories. They are against rivals from 42 countries and regions.

The Vietnamese coaching board set a target of having medal from this first international tournament of the year.

After Albania, Việt Nam will take part in the FIDE World School Rapid and Blitz Championships 2024 in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan from August 1-8. 

City launches cultural, tourism activities to celebrate Liberation Day

HCM City is introducing a series of cultural and tourism activities during the holidays that mark the 49th anniversary of Southern Liberation and National Reunification Day (April 30) and International Labour Day (May 1).

The city is collaborating with the Việt Nam Photographers’ Association to host two photo exhibitions titled Tổ Quốc Bên Bờ Sóng (The Country by the Edge of the Waves), and Thành Phố Hồ Chí Minh – Vì Cả Nước, Cùng Cả Nước (HCM City – For the Nation, With the Nation) on Nguyễn Huệ Pedestrian Street in District 1.

The “Tổ Quốc Bên Bờ Sóng” exhibition showcases 154 photos chosen from a photo contest highlighting Việt Nam’s seas and islands.

The photos feature the beauty and potential of Việt Nam’s seas and islands, and the people and soldiers living there, as well as highlight the guidelines and policies of the Party and the State.

Meanwhile, another exhibition displays 80 photos of soldiers and people during the resistance war that liberated the country in 1975.

On display are images of HCM City’s economic, social and cultural development.

In addition, tourism areas and theatres in the city offer new programmes to serve residents and tourists during the five-day holiday.

The Sài Gòn Botanical Garden and Zoo is hosting a food festival introducing 150 traditional dishes from different regions until May 1.

The zoo also offers many activities for children such as health checks for elephants.

The Củ Chi Tunnels Historical Site will offer new tours and action sports activities for visitors during the holiday.

Among them is a tour called Trăng Chiến Khu (Moon at the Military Base) with activities such as learning about sand tables, and watching a 3D film about the resistance war.

The play portrays the career of national hero Nguyễn Trung Trực, who gathered local farmers to fight against the French colonialists in Tân An and Rạch Giá (now Kiên Giang Province) from 1861-1868.

The show takes place every Saturday and Sunday at Gia Định Park in Gò Vấp District.

The IDECAF Theatre will premiere the children’s play Cuộc Phiêu Lưu Của Thuyền Trưởng Sinbad – Huyền Thoại Mắt Thần (The Adventures of Sinbad – Legend of God’s Eyes) at Bến Thành Theatre in District 1 on April 30.

IDECAF continues to stage the historical play Tả Quân Lê Văn Duyệt (Field Marshal Lê Văn Duyệt) at Thanh Niên Theatre to serve audiences during the holiday. 

Intense heatwave sweeps nationwide

The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting predicts that there will be widespread hot and intense heat across the country for at least two more days, until April 30. After that, the heat is expected to gradually ease starting from May 1.

This prolonged heatwave poses an increased risk of natural disasters, especially at level 1, with specific regions like Sơn La, Hòa Bình, and from Thanh Hóa to Phú Yên facing a level 2 risk.

On April 28 and 29, the provinces of Sơn La, Hòa Bình, and Thanh Hóa to Phú Yên will experience exceptionally intense heat. Temperatures are expected to commonly reach 39-42 degrees Celsius, and in some areas, exceed 42 degrees Celsius. Relative humidity levels are forecasted to range from 30-35 percent.

Likewise, the northern, central highlands, and southern regions will experience scorching and intense weather, with temperatures ranging from 36-39 degrees Celsius, occasionally exceeding 39 degrees Celsius. The humidity is expected to be between 40-45 per cent.

From Khánh Hòa to Bình Thuận provinces, hot weather is expected to range from 35-37 degrees Celsius, with some areas exceeding 37 degrees Celsius. Humidity typically ranges from 45-50 per cent.

Meteorological experts are warning about the potential hazards that can arise from intense heat and low humidity. These hazards include an elevated risk of explosions and fires in residential areas due to increased electricity usage, as well as an increased likelihood of forest fires.

Prolonged exposure to high temperatures can lead to dehydration, exhaustion, and heat strokes.

It's important to note that forecasted temperatures may vary from actual outdoor conditions by 2-4 degrees Celsius or more, depending on factors like surface materials such as concrete or asphalt.

To mitimise the adverse health effects of the heatwave, medical professionals recommend preventive measures such as staying hydrated, maintaining a nutritious diet rich in fruits for adequate vitamin intake to boost immunity, and avoiding sun exposure between 11am and 3pm, especially for those sensitive to extreme weather conditions. 

Yến brings home Asian U20 silver, qualified for world championships

Trần Thị Nhi Yến earned two silvers at the Asian U20 Athletics Championship which closed on April 27 in Dubai, the UAE.

Yến finished second in the women's 100m event in a time of 11.40sec, setting her personal best, a new national youth record on April 26.

The result is only 0.7sec short of the Việt Nam record (11.33) and much faster than the world U20 championship standard of 11.78. 

Yến and Chinese Chen Yujie quickly ran away and separated from all other rivals. They set up a race of two in 90m. Chen was the better one as she crossed the finish line in a time of 11.32 for the gold.

They both qualified for the world championship in August in Lima, Peru.

Later, she was second in the women's 200m event, clocking 23.48sec. She was behind Liu Yingland of China who won with a time of 22.94. Thai runner Jirapat Khanonta was third, on 24.34.

All three will see each other against at the world championship in Peru.

At the 32nd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) held in Cambodia back in 2023, she bagged a bronze medal in the 100m and a silver medal in the 200m events. 

Yến also finished sixth at the Asian Championships 2023's 100m. At the 2023 Asian Games she was eighth in the 100m and seventh in the 200m on her debut.

Apart from Yến, Việt Nam also have Lê Thị Tuyết Mai qualified for the Lima tournament in the women's 400m hurdles. Although Mai did not enter top three, her result of 1:00.81  in the qualification was better than the standard time of 1:01.00.

Việt Nam sent six competitors to the Asian championship. They competed in the 100m, 200m, 400m, and long jump events. 

Heart screening, flu vaccination programme benefits needy people in central region

A programme on screening for congenital heart diseases and administering flu vaccines for disadvantaged people was launched on April 26, targeting the central province of Quang Binh and the Central Highlands provinces of Dak Lak, and Lam Dong.

The programme aims for the early detection and timely treatment of poor children with congenital heart diseases, while also contributing to preventing dangerous diseases and ensuring the well-being of children and people in disadvantaged areas.
 
In Quang Binh, it is being implemented throughout the province. Screenings for more than 3,500 children in Quang Ninh district’s communes of Truong Son, Truong Xuan, Xuan Ninh, and Gia Ninh took place between April 23 and 26, identifying 22 with congenital heart diseases. Meanwhile, 300 doses of flu vaccine were given to children and the elderly in the district’s Truong Xuan commune.

As part of the programme, the VinaCapital Foundation and Sanofi Vietnam will organise heart screenings for children and administer 500 doses of flu vaccine to people with difficult circumstances in Dak Lak and Lam Dong.

Between 2007 and now, the programme has provided free heart screenings for more than 370,000 children in 49 provinces and cities nationwide.

4.0 magnitude quake jolts northern Tuyen Quang province

An earthquake measuring 4.0 on the Richter scale hit the northern border province of Tuyen Quang on April 27, and fortunately it caused no casualties.

The quake occurred at 16:16 in Yen Lam commune of Ham Yen district, with epicenter at a depth of about 10km, according to Nguyen Xuan Anh, director of the Institute of Geophysics of Vietnam.

It caused no casualties, said local authorities.  

People living in neighbouring provinces such as Yen Bai and Ha Giang also felt the tremors for several seconds.

The quake occurred in a place on the Song Lo (Lo River) fault that is more than 650km long and lies in parallel with the Red River and Chay River faults.

Along the fault, many earthquakes measuring between 4 - 4.9 on the Richter scale have been recorded.

Five workers injured as bus turns turtle on National Highway 1

Five workers were injured when a bus lost control and turned turtle on National Highway 1, running across Long An province, on April 27.

The accident happened at around 16:30 at a road section in Binh Thanh commune of Thu Thua district, and the bus with approximately 40 workers on board was travelling from Ho Chi Minh City to a locality in the western region.

By steering left to avoid a motorbike suddenly crossing the road, the bus lost control, climbed onto the median strip and flipped over in the opposite lane.

Workers trapped in the bus panicked and screamed. Local people nearby broke the windows and brought them out.

Five workers were slightly injured and were taken to hospital for medical examinations.

Traffic police rushed to the scene to regulate traffic and investigate the cause of the accident.

Cyprus-flagged ship Captain Antonis runs aground in Vung Tau

The Maritime Administration of Vung Tau city in southern Vietnam on April 27 that it has rescued the Cyprus-flagged ship Captain Antonis which ran aground near Vung Tau estuary on April 26.

The vessel, spanning 230 metres with carrying capacity of more than 82,000 tonnes, was carrying 68,000 tonnes of corn and wheat.

However, when moving into the anchorage to wait for quarantine procedures at 15:30 p.m., it ran aground near Vung Tau estuary.

Receiving the news, the Maritime Administration of Vung Tau and local authority immediately mobilised rescue teams to head to the scene.

It took 10 hours for the team to get the ship out of its predicament.

PM inspects drought combat in Ninh Thuan

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh surveyed the drought situation in Ninh Son district, inspected the Tan My irrigation project and directed the work of preventing and combating the impact of prolonged heat and drought in the south central province of Ninh Thuan on April 28.

Seeing with his own eyes the drought situation on the large My Son field and checking the operation of the Tan My irrigation system, considered the most modern in Vietnam at present, the Prime Minister stressed that in the coming time, it is forecast that more heat waves will come at greater intensity than the average of many previous years.

He requested Ninh Thuan to closely monitor the situation and implement measures to promptly and effectively respond to natural disasters and extreme weather, especially heat and drought, to minimise damage to production and impact on people's lives.

Ninh Thuan province must effectively operate irrigation systems to proactively store water to ensure that it meets the minimum need for crops when water shortage occurs, and at the same time, survey and identify areas at risk of water shortage to proactively carry out solutions to ensure water supply for local residents.

It is necessary to dredge canals and reservoirs to restore and increase water storage capacity, and efficiently operate the Tan My irrigation system and other irrigation works to coordinate water supply and best meet the requirements for production and daily life, and prevent water loss and waste, Chinh said.

He asked the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to focus key resources on developing irrigation lakes and keep updated on the drought situation in residential and farming areas to effectively support localities in drought prevention and control.

The Government leader affirmed that the Party and State will pay attention to removing water-related problems for Ninh Thuan./.

PM directs Ninh Thuan to tap on strengths for sustainable development

The south central province of Ninh Thuan must capitalise on its standout strengths, opportunities and competitive edge so as to develop comprehensively, rapidly and sustainably, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said on April 28.

Attending a conference to announce the province’s master plan during the 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2050, and promote trade and investment, PM Chinh highlighted Ninh Thuan's numerous strengths for development, including a uniform transport system, huge tourism potential with stunning beaches and intact Champa architectural relics, large fishing grounds and great potential for renewables.

He hailed the local party organisation, administration, people and enterprises’ efforts to carve out robust socio-economic achievements over the past time, with the GDP growth during 2010-2023 reaching 8.6% per year, higher than the country’s average, and local livelihoods improved, while pointing out several challenges facing the province such as extreme natural conditions, drought, limited investment, infrastructure lacking connectivity, and human resources failing to meet requirements of the socio-economic developments.

The Government leader underscored the five breakthroughs for development as named in its master plan, which are renewable energy, tourism, processing, manufacturing, hi-tech agriculture and realty, requesting the province to mobilise and effectively use all legal resources to bolster traditional growth locomotives, create new ones, and enhance investment in human resources.

PM Chinh asked the province to carry out its master plan in line with the national, regional and sectorial planning, push ahead investment strategic in infrastructure to respond to climate change, and prioritise resources to harmoniously develop sea-based economy, urban economy, tourism economy and heritage economy in the green, digital and circular direction.

Along with bolstering economic cooperation with localities in the vicinity, Ninh Thuan must pay due attention to developing high-quality human resources and giving priority to potential areas such as tourism and renewables, he said, asking the province to enhance capacity for climate change adaptation and environmental protection, improve investment climate, and make meticulous preparation for attracting large and potential investors.

“Ninh Thuan should popularise its master plan to garner support from local people, enterprises and investors”, he stressed, instructing provinces, cities, ministries and sectors to assist Ninh Thuan to effectively implement its master plan.

Under the province’s master plan, Ninh Thuan will become an upper-middle income province in the country by 2030, and a locality with comprehensive, fast and sustainable development and diverse economy by 2050.

At the conference, Ninh Thuan province introduced its potential, strengths, incentives, and priorities for development to domestic and foreign investors, aiming to call for investment in 55 projects in the five priority domains of renewables, high-quality tourism, processing and manufacturing, smart agriculture and real estate.

On the occasion, the province also presented investment policy certificates and investment licences, and signed MoUs on developing 14 large projects worth more than 120 trillion VND (4.73 billion USD) with investors./.

Vietnamese Karate athletes top regional championships

Vietnamese athletes dominated the 11th Southeast Asian Karate Championship which closed in Bangkok, Thailand, on April 27.

During five days from April 22-27, competitors took part in both kata (performance) and kumite (combat) categories for cadets, juniors, U21 and national senior team events.

The Vietnamese team won 21 golds, 21 silvers and 32 bronzes, nearly two times more than the second-placed team, Thailand (13 golds, 16 silvers, 31 bronzes).

Indonesia was third with 10 golds, eight silvers and 13 bronzes.

This competition gathered more than 400 athletes competing in 55 events of both kata and kumite. /.

Khanh Hoa province seeks tourism partners in Thailand

The south central coastal province of Khanh Hoa introduced its tourism potential to potential partners in Thailand at a conference held in the Thai capital Bangkok on April 26.

At the conference, Vietnamese Ambassador-designate to Thailand Pham Viet Hung said there is great potential of tourism cooperation between Vietnam and Thailand, citing statistics that nearly half a million Thai tourists visited Vietnam and 900,000 Vietnamese travelled to Thailand last year.

He held that the signing of MoUs on tourism linkages at the conference will help promote cooperation between the two countries in the field.

Vice Chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce Pairat Burapachaisri took note of Khanh Hoa’s advantages, particularly its Nha Trang city, a popular beach destination for foreign holidaymakers.

Saranya Sakontanarak from the Thailand-Vietnam Business Council also said Khanh Hoa is home to many quality tourism destinations, meeting the needs of various segments of tourists. She urged Thai businesses to explore investment opportunities in the Vietnamese province.

On the occasion, the Nha Trang-Khanh Hoa tourism association signed an MoU on cooperation with the Thai Tourism Association./.

All-out efforts needed to get IUU yellow card removed: Minister

Competent ministries, sectors and localities should continue efforts to lift the European Commission’s “yellow card” against the Vietnamese seafood products for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, as an inspection team of the commission will visit Vietnam soon, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan.

He told the Vietnam News Agency that under a directive recently issued by Party Central Committee’s Secretariat, the whole political system is engaged in the fight against IUU fishing.

All of the EC’s recommendations on IUU fishing were included in the Law on Fisheries. However, the enforcement of the law has shown several challenges due to limited human resources of the fishery sector and loose coordination between localities in informing authorities of violated fishing vessels. 
 
Hoan said he has required the Directorate of Fisheries and the Vietnam Fisheries Surveillance Force exercise management based on marine spaces instead of locality and keep a close watch on the journey of fishing boats be they leave and land at port in any locality.

With a view to successfully removing the yellow card in the EC’s next inspection, Hoan stressed that the country must thoroughly deal with the three major issues, namely fishing vessels infringing on foreign waters, boats turning off their VMS device, and vessels without registration and fishing licences.

He called on localities to take drastic measures and mete out strict punishment to any violations.

“Clamping down on IUU fishing is an initial step for Vietnam to restructure its fisheries, making the sector become more transparent, responsible and sustainable”, he said./.

Argentine press features Vietnam’s victory on April 30, 1975

The Argentine press on April 26 ran articles highlighting the Victory of April 30, 1975 - the Liberation of the South and National Reunification Day of the Vietnamese people.

The ABC Mundial newspaper recalled that on that day 49 years ago, at 11:30, the flag of the liberation army flew on the roof of the Independence Palace, marking the complete collapse of the US imperialism and its puppet government in South Vietnam, as well as the complete victory of the Ho Chi Minh campaign.

Since then, Vietnam has been determined to move forward on the path of national reconstruction and development, and has achieved impressive economic growth and opened its door to the world over the past recent decades.

Although the scars of war remain, Vietnam is steadily building a prosperous future. Today, it is a key country in Southeast Asia, with a growing economy, expanding international relations and a resilient spirit that always inspires the world, wrote the newspaper.

The website of the Radio Argentina also published an article by journalist Gaston Fiorda about his feelings when interviewing Vietnamese veterans who participated in the general offensive in 1975, during his recent visit to Vietnam.

According to Fiorda, who has researched Vietnamese history for many years, nearly 1 million soldiers, more than 2 million Vietnamese civilians and more than 58,000 American soldiers died in the war. However, the Vietnamese people have overcome hatred, strived to rise from the ruins of war, build a country of development, peace and extensive integration with the world./.

Vietnam, Germany eye stronger legal, judicial cooperation

A working delegation from the Ministry of Justice led by Deputy Minister Mai Luong Khoi paid a working trip to Germany recently in the framework of Vietnam – Germany legal and judicial cooperation under the joint statement signed in 2008.

At a working session with the Federal Ministry of Justice, Khoi and Parliamentary State Secretary at the ministry Benjamin Strasser reviewed the cooperative activities between the legal and judicial partners of Vietnam and Germany under the cooperative programme during 2022-2025.

Regarding the cooperative plan in 2024, the two ministries will join hands to roll out specific and effective activities, including enhancing capacity for legal officials, judicial training and digital transformation in the field.

Strasser spoke highly of the achievements that both sides have attained, and said his ministry will continue coordination with the Vietnamese side to fully carry out cooperative activities in 2024, and work with the German Academic Exchange Service to support high-quality human resources training at the German Law Centre established at the Hanoi University of Law.

Meanwhile, General Director of the German Foundation for International Legal Cooperation (IRZ) Alexandra Albert affirmed continued support for the Vietnamese ministry in learning international experience in relevant areas.

Deputy Minister Khoi also had a meeting with Minister of Justice of Hessen State Christian Heinz, during which the two sides agreed to continue implementing their Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two ministries in November 2022.

At the event, experts from the German side shared experience in building and carrying out the state’s e-justice programme with the Vietnamese ministry.

At a working session with vice chairman of Hessen state parliament’s legal commission Frederick Bouffier, Khoi briefed the host on the cooperative results in the legal between Hessen and Vietnam.

Bouffier, for his part, affirmed legal cooperation is important, which contributed to the cooperation between the two countries.

President of the World University Service of Germany Kambiz Ghawami suggested both sides organise workshops to share experience of German and Hessen state in law enforcement and digital transformation in legal and judicial fields as the two countries are celebrating their 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2025.

During the trip, the Vietnamese Justice Ministry delegation also had working session with officials of the German Federal Chamber of Notaries (Bnotk), the Federal association of German, Mitte district court and Wiesbaden district court, the Vietnamese Embassy in Berlin and the General Consulate in Frankfurt./.

Hà Nội proposes allowing car parking on roadways, sidewalks, and under bridges

The Hà Nội Department of Transportation has proposed to the Government and the Ministry of Transport (MoT) to allow the city to continue utilising roadways, sidewalks, and under-bridge spaces for parking vehicles, particularly cars. 

The city has witnessed a significant rise in the number of personal vehicles.

In 2023 alone, there were 6,000 newly registered cars, reflecting an average growth rate exceeding 5 per cent. 

Despite urban transportation land planning indicating that the static transportation area within the city should occupy 4 per cent of the urban land area, the current figure stands at only 0.6 per cent. 

However, due to unattractive investment conditions, the immediate establishment of a static transportation system to meet citizen needs was deemed infeasible, Nguyễn Phi Thường, director of the Hà Nội Department of Transportation, said at a recent conference on assessing traffic safety in the first quarter and outlining tasks for the second quarter.

The assessment of the situation concerning illegal and unregistered passenger coaches operating on fixed routes presented a challenge. 

The director proposed that the MoT consider revisions to the draft Road Law, aimed at establishing a clear differentiation between various types of transportation to prevent transport entities and drivers from exploiting legal loopholes. 

He also recommended the incorporation of new transportation modes to address public travel needs while maintaining traffic order and safety, safeguarding tax revenue, and protecting passengers' legitimate rights.

Hà Nội urged the MoT to advise the Government on tightening regulations for commercial passenger transport violations. Entities and individuals found repeatedly violating regulations would face revocation of their business licences.

According to the report released by the Hà Nội Department of Transportation, the city witnessed 385 traffic accidents in the first quarter of this year, resulting in 175 fatalities and 313 injuries. Compared to the corresponding period in 2023, there was an increase of 106 cases in traffic accidents, with 16 additional fatalities and 130 more injuries.

In the first three months of 2024, the city transportation agency concentrated its efforts on addressing congestion, accident-prone locations, and potential accident sites. 

Health ministry orders improvement of medical service quality, risk prevention

The health ministry has urged medical facilities to improve their management and quality to raise patient safety and satisfaction, as well as minimise risks of medical incidents.

The official document is issued following inspections on patient quality and service quality conducted by the Department of Medical Service Administration under the Ministry of Health (MoH).

Hospitals under the MoH, provincial and municipal health departments, ministries and universities are required to take measures and be responsible for improving quality and safety at their facilities, preventing and classifying incidents and conducting reports per Circular 43/2018/TT-BYT.

They should also review and identify safety concerns that can affect patients and medical workers and promptly address them.

Other areas of focus include periodic reviews of technical procedures and standards, especially in classifying emergency cases, infection control as well as medication, equipment and supply management in emergency rooms, intensive care units and surgical departments.

Identified risks should be compiled into a mandatory incident reporting list for each facility, including the specifics for each medical speciality, procedure, department and unit function.

In the appendices to this list, the MoH requires that medical facilities accurately identify the patients to avoid confusion in providing services, prevent risks due to miscommunication, and regularly monitor medical records and consultation procedures as regulated.

Health facilities must also comply with principles on surgical safety and related checklists as specified in MoH Decision 7482/QĐ-BYT dated December 18, 2018.

Medical facilities must also conduct training on patient safety and enhance medical staff’s sense of responsibility, including new recruits and interns, in medical incident and risk reporting.

They should also raise awareness for cooperation among patients and their caretakers regarding this matter.

Inspection and supervision must be strengthened for periodic compliance reports on regulations on medical incident prevention and patient safety. Inspectors and supervisors are responsible for reporting to the unit’s management level.

In case of a medical incident, managers of the unit must immediately act upon receiving reports and allocate people in charge to contact and calm the patients and their caretakers while proposing appropriate solutions to the issues.

They must also provide support to medical practitioners involved in the incidents, avoiding emotional influence and premature conclusions on individual oversight without taking into account systematic errors.

The MoH also issues a guideline to differentiate between medication errors (ME) and adverse drug reactions (ADR).

Reviews should be conducted to detect common medication-related incidents in each stage, such as prescription, distribution, use and during monitoring period. 

Mekong Delta provinces launch solutions to combat drought, saltwater intrusion

Despite possessing an intricate river system, people and agriculture in the Mekong Delta are facing severe drought and saltwater intrusion.

Kiên Giang and Cà Mau provinces are two coastal provinces severely affected by drought and salinity. Dry canals cause many traffic routes to collapse and separate. People's lives are turned upside down due to water shortages, traffic isolation and production stagnation.

Lê Trung Hậu, a farmer in Cà Mau Province's Trần Văn Thời District, said, "saltwater intrusion has encroached deeply into the mainland causing my 10 hectares of rice ready to be harvested to die due to salinity. I lost about VNĐ200 million (US$8,000).”

Not only that, about 10 days ago, due to prolonged extreme weather, many arterial roads in Khánh Hải Commune collapsed and became impassable, Hậu said.

Similarly, Trần Sáu, a farmer in Khánh Hải Commune, said traffic was cut off, making it impossible for traders to come and buy coconuts from him. "If no traders come in to buy next week, thousands of my coconut trees will die due to saltwater intrusion."

Besides facing salinity intrusion, people in Cà Mau also face the risk of lack of water for daily life and irrigation because the Government's salinity prevention sluice gates have been closed to limit the rate of saltwater intrusion, causing the water level in the canals to drop dramatically, and some canals have even dried out.

Cà Mau Province has more than 3,000 households lacking fresh water for daily use. People have to buy water from boats carrying water from other places.

To have water for daily use, people are completely dependent on water trucks from neighbouring provinces, even from city and provinces hundreds of kilometres away such as HCM City, Bình Dương and Tây Ninh.

Under the harsh sun, Lê Thị Hằng in Cà Mau Province patiently waited for more than an hour to fill two 30-litre cans of fresh water from water tankers from HCM City.

Hằng said that these days her family was completely dependent on water trucks from many provinces in the Southeast. Without these water trucks, she would not be able to find water.

Khánh Hải Commune is considered an area heavily affected by landslides and subsidence. In this area alone, there have been more than 250 landslides and road collapses on more than 7.1km.

Phạm Thành Được, Chairman of Khánh Hải Commune People's Committee, said, “the rice production area damaged by extreme weather has caused farmers in the area to lose up to VNĐ34 billion.”

Similar to Cà Mau, U Minh Thượng District in Kiên Giang is also facing a drought situation.

Lê Bảy, a farmer in U Minh Thượng District, said, “this year, severe drought and saltwater intrusion have caused many roads to collapse and trucks cannot come to buy agricultural products. Now when I want to sell bananas and other crops, I have to transport them by motorbike to the point of sale, which costs a lot.”

People's incomes here depend on agricultural products, but now production is much more difficult and labour-intensive than before.

According to Huỳnh Thanh Tuấn, Deputy Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of U Minh Thượng District, 7,000 hectares are planted with vegetables and fruit trees in An Minh Bắc and Minh Thuận communes, including about 3,000 hectares of bananas. All agricultural products are in harvest season.

Farmers have to find ways to transport bananas and vegetables by motorbike to selling points as a temporary solution, but the costs are high and farmers suffer a lot of damage.

Serious water shortages and saltwater intrusion encroaching deep into the mainland also occur in other provinces such as Tiền Giang, Long An, Bến Tre and Sóc Trăng.

Phạm Tấn Đạo, head of Sóc Trăng Province's Irrigation sub-department, said that currently in the province, about 1,000 hectares of rice were affected by water shortages combined with alum poisoning.

In order for farmers to be able to sell agricultural products that have reached harvest season, Được said he was directing relevant agencies to coordinate with people to temporarily fix small landslides and subsidence points so that people could travel and reconnect trade.

In the long term, the locality would need support from the Provincial People's Committee and the central Government to overcome major landslides.

Phan Hoàng Vũ, director of the Cà Mau Province's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that the province had a plan to request emergency support of nearly VNĐ40 billion from the central Government to invest in water tanks and extend pipes, and repair water supply stations.

From the emergency support fund, the province would allocate 758 water tanks to 1,344 households without water containers and establish 46 centralised water supply points. For nearly 1,000 households living near centralised water supply works but where water pipes are not accessible, the province would extend the pipes by about 83.5km so that people could have water to use, Vũ said.

Similarly, the Sóc Trăng provincial government will also extend water supply pipes to provide water to households in saltwater intrusion areas.

Meanwhile, Dương Quốc Khởi, vice chairman of the People's Committee of U Minh Thượng District, said the locality was actively reviewing points at risk of landslides to promptly relocate and support people affected by landslides.

Trần Văn Lâu, Chairman of the Sóc Trăng People's Committee, said that he had asked relevant departments and local leaders to focus on guiding people to use fresh water economically. When the salinity outside river mouths drops low, the province would urgently operate a water storage system to ensure supply for crops.

Besides temporary solutions, Trần Ngọc Tam, deputy chairman of the Bến Tre Province People's Committee, also proposed the idea of bringing fresh water to the Mekong Delta from provinces and cities in the Southeast.

According to Tam, water sources from Dầu Tiếng Lake, Sài Gòn River and Đồng Nai River are very abundant. The elevation of this river system is much higher than Bến Tre Province and many areas in the Mekong Delta, so channeling or installing a water pipeline system to the delta region is very convenient. 

Vietnamese woman older than world’s oldest

According to her personal papers, Nguyen Thi Co, who lives with her daughter in Cao Thang Commune, Thanh Mien District, Hai Duong Province, was born in 1901 and is now 123 years old. 

This means that she is even older than Maria Branyas Morera, who was born in the United States in 1907 and is now living in Spain. Morera is being recognized by the Guinness World Records Book as the world’s oldest person who is still alive.

Nguyen Thi Hat, 72, Co’s daughter, told thanhnien.vn that her mother’s hearing ability is good, but her vision is poor, adding that seldom does she catch cold or flu. Co has a bowl of rice, porridge or soup every meal. Her teeth are almost intact, and her hair is still black regardless of her old age. As her limbs are weak, she lies in a hammock almost all day long.

Co’s husband died in 1981 when he was over 80 years old. They had three daughters, but the eldest one died young; the second daughter, 76, was married and lived with her own family. Co is now living with Hat, her youngest daughter.

Model construction works made of toothpicks

Ho Ngoc Quoc Si, who lives in Cao Lanh City, Dong Thap Province, has made model construction works of typical buildings and monuments of HCMC with millions of bamboo toothpicks over the past 15 years.

Si told tuoitre.vn that his family formerly lived in HCMC. He often spent 6-8 hours a day making model construction works with toothpicks. Initially, he made small model works just for fun. Later, he shifted to making larger model construction works of HCMC like the Ho Chi Minh City Hall, the Reunification Palace, Nha Rong Wharf, Saint Paul churches (in District 10 and Binh Tan District), and Ben Thanh Market, of course with bamboo toothpicks.

Si then made other model construction works, buildings and monuments such as President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, One-pillar Pagoda, stilt houses of the Central Highlands, ancient three-arched gates, and even Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands, also with toothpicks.

It took Si over 13 months to make the model Ho Chi Minh City Hall with over one million bamboo toothpicks. His 12 model construction works are now displayed at a coffee shop in Cao Lanh City.

Boat made of recycled materials used to clean up canals

Saigon Xanh, a group of young volunteers dedicated to cleaning up polluted canals in HCMC, has crafted a boat from over 1,200 plastic bottles collected from the city’s waterways to aid in their river cleanup endeavor.

In an interview with the Saigon Tiep Thi news site, Nguyen Ngoc Luong, leader of Saigon Xanh, said, “The boat is designed to aid our team members in gathering trash from the deeper areas of canals and rivers, while also raising awareness about recycling. Discarded items can be recycled to serve various purposes in life and can contribute to reducing waste pollution.”

Moored along the Nhieu Loc Canal, adjacent to the Dien Bien Phu Bridge in District 1, the boat grabs the attention of passersby and tourists alike. Its presence serves as a tangible reminder of the collective effort needed to safeguard the environment for future generations.

Looking ahead, Saigon Xanh will collaborate with local partners to clean up the Nhieu Loc Canal. This endeavor is not only to enhance eco-tourism experiences there but also cultivate a deeper sense of environmental protection among citizens.

Cycling through three nations in scorching summer

Tran Trong An, 45, and four friends of his, all live in Hanoi, spent 16 days cycling to Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and back to Vietnam on the scorching summer days, sometimes as high as 45 degrees Celsius, in March this year.

On March 4, An and his friends traveled by coach from Hanoi to Lao Bao Border Gate in Quang Tri Province. They cycled some 300km from the border gate to Pakse City in Laos’ Champasak Province. 

There, they ziplined to watch Tad Fane Waterfall and Khone Phapheng Falls before cycling to Cambodia via Stung Treng Border Crossing Station. They continued cycling to Siem Reap Province to visit the temple complex of Angkor Wat. 

Then they headed for Cambodia’s Poipet City and crossed the border to Thailand. They spent two days cycling around Bangkok to visit famous destinations of the capital city.

From Bangkok, the cyclists returned to Hanoi by air, ending their 16-day, 1,000km cycling trip through three Southeast Asian nations. An told vnexpress.net that the cycling trip from Vietnam to Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and back to Vietnam cost them VND18 million each (equivalent to some US$720).

Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/Dtinews/SGGP/VGP/Hanoitimes