Vice State President Vo Thi Anh Xuan underlined the importance Vietnam attaches to its relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), during a meeting with President of the UAE Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on May 3 morning.

The meeting, following a welcome ceremony for the Vice President of Vietnam, was also joined by Vice President of the UAE Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed.

The UAE President hailed the working visit by Vice President Xuan amid the 30th founding anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic relationship (August 1, 1993 - 2023), affirming that his country views Vietnam as an important partner in the Asia-Pacific region and wishes to enhance all-round cooperation.

Vice President Xuan stated that Vietnam treasures and hopes to further strengthen the friendship and multifaceted ties with the UAE – a leading economic, trade, and investment partner in the Middle East.

The two sides discussed orientations and measures for promoting partnerships in various spheres and elevating cooperation to a new height.

They stressed the need to increase mutual visits at all levels, especially high one, coordinate closely and support each other at international and regional forums and organisations, and step up people-to-people and cultural exchanges, particularly in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the diplomatic relationship, to enhance friendship and mutual understanding between the two peoples.


To raise the trade revenue to 10 billion USD and higher, Xuan recommended the two sides encourage enterprises to engage in investment and trade promotion activities, create optimal conditions for each other’s strong exports, and continue perfecting the legal framework to facilitate economic links, especially soon launching negotiations on a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) between the two countries.

Basing on the two countries’ strengths and demand, the Vietnamese and UAE leaders agreed to boost cooperation in other potential fields such as investment, oil and gas, renewable energy, logistics, agriculture, and Halal product manufacturing. They also agreed to hold a meeting of the Vietnam - UAE Inter-governmental Committee this year to review and devise measures for cooperation enhancement.

At the meeting, the UAE President appreciated contributions by Vietnamese people in his country, affirming that the UAE Government will continue providing favourable conditions for the community to develop further and contribute more to the two countries’ friendship.

On this occasion, Vice President Xuan conveyed Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong’s invitation to the UAE President to visit Vietnam in the near future. She also invited the Vice President of the UAE to visit the Southeast Asian country at a suitable point of time. The UAE leaders thanked her and accepted the invitations with pleasure.

State President hosts Cuban high-ranking official

State President Vo Van Thuong hosted a reception in Hanoi on May 3 afternoon for Roberto Morales Ojeda, Politburo member and permanent member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee.

Expressing his delight at the fine development of the relations between the two Parties and States, Thuong affirmed the special and exemplary solidarity between Vietnam and Cuba, founded by Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh and Cuban Leader Fidel Castro and nurtured by generations of leaders and people of the two countries, is an invaluable asset and a great source of strength of the two peoples, which should be preserved and continue to grow stronger in the new situation.

He asserted that Vietnam always follows all the difficulties and challenges facing the Cuban people caused by the tightened embargo and consequences of recent natural disasters and fires.

He expressed his belief that with the resilient revolutionary spirit, the sound leadership, and the great support of the Cuban people and international friends, the Cuban Party, State and people will gain greater success on the road to preserving revolutionary achievements, and building socialism.

For his part, Roberto Morales Ojeda affirmed that the Cuban Party, State and people attach special importance to strengthening the country’s special solidarity with Vietnam.

He thanked the Vietnamese Party, State and people for standing by the side of Cuba and sharing with its difficulties and challenges; and emphasised that Cuba is willing to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to invest in Cuba.

He also stressed the two sides should continue to consolidate and deepen the time-tested special friendship.

President Thuong confirmed that the Vietnamese Party and State always attach great importance to the special friendship with Cuba, in which the relationship between the two Parties plays a role as a political foundation and orientation for the comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

He suggested the two sides continue expanding and improving the efficiency of bilateral cooperation in the fields of research, review and exchange of theory and practice on innovation and socio-economic updating and socialism building in each country; high-level delegation exchanges; and coordination and support at international forums and on global issues.

The State leader once again affirmed Vietnam's principled and consistent stance of support for the struggle for the immediate and unconditional lifting of blockade and embargo measures against Cuba.

The Vietnamese Party, State and people always accompany, share, and are ready to expand and deepen the special solidarity between the two Parties, States and peoples, he added.

PM directs to facilitate establishment of university providing digital education

Vietnamese Prime Minister asked responsible agencies to create favorable conditions for the establishment of universities providing digital education.

The Government Office has just issued a written notice of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s conclusion at the visit to the Vietnam National University in Hanoi (VNU), and FPT University.

Regarding the proposal to establish a digital university of FPT University, the Prime Minister directed the Ministry of Education and Training to study mechanisms and policies to create favorable conditions for the establishment and development of digital universities in line with global trends and domestic requirements.

Regarding VNU’s proposals, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asked relevant ministries, agencies and the People's Committee of the capital city of Hanoi to help the university promptly solve the problem as well as doing well in planning and developing Hoa Lac satellite urban areas with the priority of developing research and training facilities which provide high-quality education while connecting with businesses.

Regarding the investment in the construction of a national center for design and development support and a laboratory for manufacturing circuits, the Prime Minister agreed that the university shall coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies in developing specific projects and report to competent authorities according to the present regulations.

Regarding building a training center for digital talents having 4.0 technology skills, the Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Education and Training to study and synthesize recommendations of the university in the process of developing ‘Project on developing the system of talent training centers in technology 4.0’ and report to the Prime Minister in the second quarter.

Vietnam beat Malaysia in women’s football at SEA Games

Vietnam defeated Malaysia 3-0 in their first Group A match of the SEA Games’ women’s football in Cambodia on May 3.

With the strength of defending champions, it was not difficult for Vietnam to overwhelm Malaysia from the first minutes of the match.

Striker Pham Hai Yen opened Vietnam's account in the fifth minute. From Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy’s right-wing pass, Yen found the back of the net. The Hanoian has now scored in four SEA Games in a row since 2017. It was her 40th international goal.

Another chance came to Vietnam in the 16th minute. Nguyen Thi My Anh popped up in the penalty area and shot, but the ball hit the crossbar. Yen got on the rebound and forced an excellent save from goalkeeper Ezza Razak.

Vietnam threatened the goal again, as Duong Thi Van passed smoothly from the right wing before captain Huynh Nhu released the ball to Yen for the finish. The Malaysian goalkeeper was helpless, but the ball hit the crossbar and went out.

In the 24th minute, Bich Thuy doubled the score for the Vietnamese side. Nhu set up Thuy for the finish, who gave the goalkeeper no chance.

Malaysia were on the backfoot and pinned in their half, while Vietnam calmly dictated the pace of the game.

Nhu continued to be prominent. The striker, who is playing in Portugal, was at the centre of the SEA Games champion's attacks. She escaped on the left and crossed the ball, causing Malaysian defender Jaciah Jumilis to put it into the back of her own net in the 35th minute.

After the break, the Vietnamese women continued to dominate the game with Thanh Nha bring energy when she entered the fray.

In the 65th minute, Yen had another shot stopped by goalkeeper Ezza Razak.

Four minutes later, Malaysia had their first real chance. Henrietta Justine evaded the players in red and fired a shot, but couldn't capitalise. 

Nhu then managed to put the ball into the Malaysian net in the 82nd minute but was called back by the referee.

Victory over Malaysia helps Vietnam temporarily rise to the top of Group A. On May 6, Vietnam will face Myanmar.

Meanwhile, in the other match at the same time on May 3, Thailand easily beat Singapore 4-0 to go top of Group B.

Vietnamese localities see surges in tourist numbers during five-day holidays

Localities across Vietnam saw a boom in the number of tourists during the five-day holidays of Hung Kings Commemoration Day, Reunification Day and International Workers’ Day from April 29 to May 3 – the second longest national holidays only after the lunar New Year (Tet) festival.

The Tourism Department of Hanoi said on May 3 that during the five-day break, the capital city served 719,000 tourists, including 69,500 foreigners, and earned around 2.4 trillion VND (102.2 million USD) from the visitors.

Tourist attractions in the city include the Temple of Literature (30,000 arrivals), Thang Long Imperial Citadel (31,400 arrivals), Ao Vua Tourist Site (17,300 arrivals), and Ba Vi National Park (17,000 arrivals).

Tourist sites in Ho Chi Minh City welcomed around 950,000 visitors, including 48,000 foreigners. This time, the southern metropolis pocketed about 3.13 trillion VND from tourism services.

Meanwhile, with many attractive activities and programmes, tourist sites in the central city of Da Nang served more than 321,600 tourists, of whom 34,800 are foreigners, during the five-day holidays.

Some sites saw large numbers of holiday-makers are Sun World Ba Na Hills (nearly 65,000 arrivals), Ngu Hanh Son (28,000 arrivals), Than Tai Mount Hot Spring Park (17,300 arrivals), and Mikazuki Water Park (13,000 arrivals).

During the holidays, around 120,000 visitors flocked to the resort city of Da Lat in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong. Of the total, 4,500 are foreigners, representing a year-on-year surge of 221.4%.

On this occasion, the provincial People’s Committee held the “Lam Dong tourism golden week 2023” from April 27 to May 3. The programme is expected to draw 300,000 visitors.

In the northern mountainous region, Lao Cai province welcomed around 227,200 tourist arrivals, earning 712 billion VND, up 53% and 30% year-on-year, respectively.

The province’s Sa Pa township, home to Fansipan Peak – the highest mountain in Indochina, served 103,000 tourists and pocketed over 335 billion VND.

Sapa sees record visitors during Reunification Day holiday

The northern tourist town of Sapa had served an estimated 103,000 visitors during the recent five-day holiday, the highest number recorded so far and 105 percent higher than the same period last year.

According to the Sapa Town Department of Culture and Sports, the town made a revenue of over VND335 trillion, which is 120 percent higher than last year's figures.

Among the reasons for Sapa's becoming a hot destination during the Reunification Day (April 30) and May Day (May 1) holiday this year was the launch of some new tourism events including the Rose Festival, the street parade, and the Dao Cultural Festival.

The department revealed that local expensive hotels had an occupancy rate of 95 percent during the holiday while community tourism areas such as Ta Van, Ta Phin and Muong Hoa reported an occupancy rate of 65 percent.

To Ngoc Lien, Chairman of the People's Committee of Sapa Town shared that they had just kicked off the Sapa Summer Festival which is part of a series of programmes and events to celebrate the 120th anniversary of Sapa tourism. The festival will last until the year-end with many activities to attract visitors.

Sapa has set the target of receiving 3.5 million visitors and VND13 trillion in revenue from tourism this year.

Ministry to adopt solutions for synchronous development of transport system

The investment will focus on waterways and railways to reduce logistics costs, enhance economic competitiveness, and above all, ensure traffic safety and reduce the burden on roads.

The Ministry of Transport has announced that transportation restructuring will be vigorously pursued in the near future. The investment will focus on two areas, namely waterways, and railways, to reduce logistics costs, enhance economic competitiveness, and above all, ensure traffic safety and reduce the burden on roads.

According to the Ministry of Transport, Conclusion No.49-KL/TW (Conclusion No.49) issued by the Politburo on February 28, 2023, on the development orientation of Vietnam's railway transportation until 2030, with a vision to 2045, will create favorable conditions for the development of the railway industry in the coming years. Conclusion No. 49 states that railway transportation will play a leading role in the North-South economic corridor, the main transportation corridor from East to West, and passenger transportation in major cities.

Following the issuance of Conclusion No. 49, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha immediately signed a decision that approved the policy plan, solutions, and resources required to implement the railway network planning during the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050. From 2021 to 2025, the government will allocate nearly VND16 trillion from public investment sources for the railway sector. From 2026 to 2030, a total of VND224 trillion will be arranged, which includes both public investment and other legal capital.

Several railway projects, such as the Eastern ring railway in the Hanoi metropolitan area, the Bien Hoa-Vung Tau line, and the railway connecting the seaport of Hai Phong to Lach Huyen, are currently in the research phase. However, no concrete results have been obtained yet for other significant railway projects, including the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong, Hanoi-Dong Dang, HCMC-Can Tho, Dak Nong-Chon Thanh, Di An-Loc Ninh line which is intended to link up with the trans-Asian railway, as well as the Vung Ang-Cha Lo (Mu Gia) line, which is designed to connect with the Lao railway.

The railway industry aims to complete the approval of the investment policy for the North-South high-speed railway project by 2025 and commence priority sections during the period of 2026-2030, such as the Hanoi - Vinh and HCMC - Nha Trang lines.

By 2030, the goal is to start construction of several lines connecting international seaports, including Hanoi - Hai Phong and Bien Hoa - Vung Tau, international border gates, such as Hanoi - Lao Cai and Hanoi - Lang Son, as well as international airports, such as Thu Thiem - Long Thanh. Investment for the HCMC - Can Tho line will be made through a public-private partnership (PPP) or other suitable investment methods. The investment will also be continued to ensure the completion of the Hanoi - Ha Long line.
 
Alongside the focus on railway investment, the Ministry of Transport also prioritizes the development of inland waterways due to its significant potential and competitive advantage in low-cost transportation of goods over medium distances of 300-500km compared to roads and railways.

Semitruck collides into plenty of motorbikes on expressway access road

Police forces are handling the accident in which semi-trailer truck collided into plenty of motorbikes on the access road of Ho Chi Minh City- Long Thanh- Dau Giay expressway.

According to initial information, the semitruck lost control on the access road of HCMC- Long Thanh-Dau Giay expressway and crashed through a median fence and struck motorbikes at around 8 a.m. on Wednesday.

At the scene, the collision caused the truck lie horizontally on the lane for motorbikes, two motorbikes were damaged and many vehicles have to change their routes.

Right after receiving the information, forces of the Traffic Police Administration coordinated with the expressway operation maintenance and management unit and the Public Security Department of Thu Duc City were present at the scene to regulate traffic and examine the scene.

The cause of the traffic accident is currently under investigation.

Around 23,412 people registered to sit for Korean language examination

Approximately 23,412 people have registered to sit for the Korean language examination to work in Korea by the beginning of May 2023, the Department of Overseas Labor under the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs said.

However, according to the quotas for the number of workers in South Korea in 2023, Korea only selected more than 12,000 Vietnamese workers to work under the Employment Permit System (EPS) which allows temporary low-skilled workers to work in Korea for three years. In particular, this year, the government’s quotas for the number of workers in the manufacturing industry is 6,344 people, in the construction sector is 901 people, in the agriculture sector is 841 people and in the fishery sector is 4,035 people.

The Department of Overseas Labor’s data shows that, out of a total of more than 23,000 workers registered for the Korean language test, about 19,228 people registered for the manufacturing industry while some 2,558 people for the fishing industry, roughly 1,283 people for the agricultural industry and 343 people for the construction industry.

According to the regulations, to be eligible to work in Korea under the EPS Program, workers must pass a certificate of the Korean language exam organized by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs.

The examination in Hanoi is from May 8 to June 10 and in Da Nang from May 9 to June 10.

Dong Nai urges dust reduction from Long Thanh Airport construction project

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Dong Nai Province has urgently requested that ACV submit a report on the plan to minimize dust pollution during the construction of the Long Thanh Airport project.

The residents of Hamlet 1 in Binh Son Commune, Long Thanh District, have to spray water to reduce the amount of dust that enters their homes.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment in Dong Nai Province has recently sent a letter to the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), the investor of Component project No.3 of the Long Thanh Airport construction project Phase 1, outlining the necessary steps to comply with the requirements stated in Decision No.24/QD-XPHC issued by the Inspectorate of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on April 24, 2023, regarding the imposition of administrative penalties on this enterprise.

Accordingly, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Dong Nai Province has urgently requested that ACV submit a report on the plan to minimize dust pollution during the construction of the Long Thanh Airport project to the department, at the same time, report the results of implementing dust reduction measures to the department on a monthly basis for monitoring purposes.

Previously, the Inspectorate of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment had imposed an administrative fine on ACV for a total amount of VND270 million for failure to fully and accurately implement the decision approving the environmental impact assessment report and ordered ACV to take necessary measures to address the severe pollution caused by dust from the construction activities at the Long Thanh Airport project.

President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum welcomes over 52,000 visitors during holidays

Around 52,250 visitors, including 2,900 foreigners, came to pay tribute to President Ho Chi Minh, the great leader of Vietnam, at his mausoleum in Hanoi during three holiday days from April 29 to May 1.
 
According to the mausoleum management board, during the holidays marking the Hung Kings Commemoration Day, National Reunification Day and May Day, officers, soldiers and staff at the mausoleum worked closely together to ensure security, safety and order at the site, leaving good impressions among visitors.

To meet visitors' demand, the management board decided to increase the opening time of the mausoleum on April 30 and May 1.

President Ho Chi Minh was born on May 19, 1890 in Kim Lien commune, Nam Dan district, Nghe An province. He devoted his whole life to the cause of national liberation, while tirelessly striving for peace and progress around the world.

He led the struggle for national independence and established the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, in 1945. The President passed away in 1969.

Toll plazas congested due to vehicle owners with insufficient account balances

The Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC) recommended that all vehicle owners should have sufficient balance on their transport accounts to travel through toll plazas.

During the Tet holiday and the recent holidays, the VEC recorded a lot of car owners with insufficient account balances through toll plazas causing several hours of congestion.

During the last two days of the holidays, the volume of vehicles on expressways is estimated to surge sharply as many people returned to their work in big cities, especially Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

In order to ensure the smooth operation of the non-stop toll collection and limit traffic congestion, the VEC recommended that vehicle owners should regularly check their traffic account balance for their journey in advance of entering the expressways.

The country has ten expressways with the ETC system, including Noi Bai – Lao Cai, Phap Van – Cau Gie, Cau Gie – Ninh Binh, Bac Giang – Lang Son, Ha Long – Van Don, Hanoi – Hai Phong, Da Nang – Quang Ngai, Lien Khuong – Da Lat, Long Thanh – Dau Giay and Trung Luong – My Thuan.

Under the direction of the Government, all of the expressways in the country started applying automatic non-stop toll collection on August 1 of 2022. In order to conveniently use the service, the vehicles have to attach the ETC card and deposit sufficient balance on their traffic accounts to enter into expressways.

Once the balance is not enough, the expressways’ barriers will not open and vehicles have to wait for handling the situation which would be likely to trigger congestion.

Working conditions and workers' health continue to improve

The Steering Committee said that 2,543,380 employees have been receiving health check-ups, an increase of 74 percent compared to 2021. Of 944,127 environmental monitoring samples, approximately 42,574 samples do not meet occupational hygiene standards accounting for only 4,5 percent.

According to statistics in 2022, the Vietnam Social Security has given financial support to 8,164 people who have suffered occupational accidents and occupational diseases. The agency has paid nearly VND 882 billion from the Insurance Fund for the above-mentioned people while representatives from trade unions and the safety and hygiene network have paid visits to 18.66 victims of occupational accidents and occupational diseases nationwide.

However, the number of people suffering occupational accidents and diseases and the number of serious incidents are still high and worrying.

Statistically, in 2022, the country had 7,718 occupational accidents, an increase of 1,214 cases with 7,923 victims. Moreover, the number of deaths due to occupational accidents is still high with 754 deaths. The total cost for occupational accidents and property damage is more than VND14,100 billion.

According to data from the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, the number of employees in the labor market is increasing rapidly in the country currently with a total of more than 50.5 million people. Of them, nearly 34 million workers have informal jobs, accounting for 67.5 percent of the total number of employed people. This is also an area prone to occupational accidents.

Chairman of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor Nguyen Dinh Khang said that the Month of Action on Occupational Safety and Health in 2023 will start from May 1 to May 31 to increase information and propaganda on the strict implementation of regulations to ensure safety for workers. The action month aims to promote sectors, agencies, organizations, associations, employers, employees and communities to enforce the law.

During the month of action, dialogues of national and provincial councils on occupational safety and health, visits to victims of occupational accidents; organizing inspection and self-inspection activities at enterprises and employers; reward organizations and individuals with achievements in ensuring occupational safety and health will take place countrywide.

According to Mr. Nguyen Dinh Khang, various activities will be organized this month with May Day to take care of union members and employees. Therefore, it is necessary to focus all resources on effectively implementing activities in the 2023 Workers' Month with a determination to control occupational accidents and occupational diseases.

Ministry urges to conduct routine immunization in EPI

In its guidance, the Ministry of Health urged localities to conduct routine immunization in the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) as the Covid-19 pandemic has lead to major backsliding on childhood vaccinations.

Ministry urges to conduct routine immunization in the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI)
The Ministry of Health yesterday sent an official dispatch to competent agencies and localities urging them to identify demand for the supply of vaccines in the program. The Ministry also had guidance on those who must receive vaccines and compulsory vaccination schedule in the Expanded Program on Immunization.

Specifically, infants must be vaccinated against hepatitis B while children under 1 year old ought to receive vaccines against BCG, bOPV, DPT-VGB-Hib, IPV and measles and children from 1 to 5 years old should be vaccinated against Japanese encephalitis. Pregnant women should get a tetanus vaccine.

The vaccines included in this guide are based on the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Advisory Council on Vaccine Use of the Ministry of Health and the epidemiological situation of infectious diseases in Vietnam.

Recently, WHO and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) issued a press release encouraging urgent efforts in Vietnam to reverse the dramatic decline in vaccination rates of essential vaccines, causing many children not to be protected against vaccine-preventable diseases.

The Covid-19 pandemic has severely disrupted childhood immunization, with 67 million children missing out entirely or partially on routine immunization between 2019 and 2021, leaving them vulnerable to a range of preventable diseases, the statement said. Of these, nearly 250,000 children in Vietnam missed one or more doses of the vaccine.

On the same day, the Ministry of Health said that the country had an additional 1,202 cases of Covid-19, down 42 cases compared to May 1. Worse, four Covid-19 patients in the Central City of Da Nang, the Southern Province of Dong Nai, Ho Chi Minh City and the Northern Province of Lang Son succumbed to the coronavirus on the day bringing the total number of Covid-19 deaths during the last three days to 11.

Subjects behind graffiti on metro train in HCMC to be strictly handled

A carriage of train No. 3 under the Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien metro line was found with colorful graffiti on its side.

After the incident, the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Management Board (MAUR) collaborated with contractor Hitachi and its sub-contractor Thai Long Security Company to make a report to Thu Duc City Police for checking the scene and tracing the camera system to investigate and strictly handle those behind the graffiti.

On May 1, the MAUR directed the contractor to use cleaning solvents to remove stains.

On May 2, the leader of the MAUR worked with Thu Duc City Police, consultants and contractor Hitachi to investigate those behind the graffiti and give measures to increase security and safety for Long Binh Depot where 17 metro trains of the Ben Thanh- Suoi Tien metro line are located.

DAV directive: Ensure steady medicine supply, prohibit medicine speculation

The DAV has recently issued a directive to local health departments, hospitals, drug manufacturers, and importers to ensure a steady supply of medicines for disease prevention and treatment in order to meet the needs of the people.
 
The Drug Administration of Vietnam (DVA) under the Ministry of Health has recently issued a directive to local health departments, hospitals, drug manufacturers, and importers to ensure a steady supply of medicines for disease prevention and treatment in order to meet the needs of the people.

As per the directive, provincial and city health departments are required to instruct local disease control centers and medical facilities to promptly create and implement drug stockpiling plans that align with the actual situation to ensure an adequate and uninterrupted supply of medicines for medical examinations and treatments. The aim is to guarantee that there is never a shortage of drugs for medical examination and treatment for people. Additionally, they must ensure that there is a timely and sufficient supply of vaccines and medications for preventing Covid-19, as well as drugs for treating other diseases such as dengue fever, hand-foot-and-mouth disease, monkeypox, chickenpox, and cholera.

Local drug businesses are expected to develop and execute drug supply plans that meet the treatment demands of medical facilities and people in the area. They are strictly prohibited from taking advantage of the disease outbreak to inflate drug prices suddenly, particularly for drugs used to treat Covid-19 or drugs with limited availability.

Drug manufacturers, importers, wholesalers, and retailers must boost their supply, particularly for drugs that treat Covid-19 and other diseases, as well as drugs that are considered rare and unavailable. Furthermore, these entities are expected to create and execute a drug supply strategy that satisfies the medical examination and treatment requirements of people, guaranteeing timely delivery of sufficient medications after receiving orders from hospitals. They must refrain from speculating or exploiting the pandemic to drive up drug prices.

The Ministry of Health has recently issued an official dispatch to hospitals, provincial health departments, and health departments of ministries regarding the correction of patient transfer activities between medical facilities. The ministry demands that hospital leaders strictly ensure that doctors do not transfer patients to inappropriate medical facilities or private clinics for personal gain, violating the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment.

The Ministry of Health also made it clear that in cases where hospitals under the Ministry of Health or universities at the last level of the healthcare system are unable to perform certain techniques due to a lack of supplies, medication, or equipment, they must publicize their situation on their websites so that people are aware and can report it to the relevant management agency.

Japan gives medical equipment as non-refundable aid

Japan granted medical equipment as non-refundable aid for four hospitals in Vietnam.

The handover ceremony of the first phase of medical equipment for four hospitals including the National Lung Hospital, the National Institute of Hematology - Blood Transfusion, the National Tropical Diseases Hospital, and the Da Nang C Hospital was held yesterday.

According to Mr. Sasaki Shohei, First Secretary of the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam who is in charge of Japan-Vietnam cooperation, this is a project of the Japanese Government with non-refundable aid to the Vietnamese Government to strengthen preventative measures against infectious diseases.

The Japanese Government conducted a tender for the procurement of 19 types of medical equipment which were given to the four hospitals in three phases. Up to now, the bidding for procurement has been completed.

Medical equipment such as defibrillators – a device that sends an electric pulse or shock to the heart to restore a normal heartbeat, blood gas analyzers, ultrasound machines, portable ultrasound, active resuscitation beds in the first phase at four hospitals have been installed in infirmaries .

The medical equipment support package for four hospitals is worth more than JPY1.9 billion.

Hanoi’s Temple of Literature greets large number of visitors on public holidays

Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature) in Hanoi received a large number of visitors during the five-day national holiday, with 10,000 visitors a single day.

According to Director of the Temple of Literature’s Culture and Science Center, Le Xuan Kien, the management board of the historical site has strengthened the implementation of measures to prevent and control the Covid-19 epidemic and reminded visitors to wear masks and use hand sanitizer when they visited the temple.

The Temple of Literature has recently organized many cultural activities and displayed creative spaces for visitors. In addition, the relic site also focuses on preservation and promotion works.

The Garden of Doctor Steles in the historical site records the names of the doctoral laureates of the Royal Examination, namely Nguyen Truc, Ngo Si Lien, Luong The Vinh, Le Quy Don, Ngo Thi Nham, and more.

After several years of building fences and carrying out propaganda on protecting artifacts, visitors can enjoy exhibits but do not encroach and touch objects.

Built in the 11th century during the Ly Dynasty (1010 – 1225), the complex consists of Van Mieu, a temple dedicated to Confucius as Confucianism used to be a popular religion in Vietnam in feudal times, and Quoc Tu Giam, the first national university of the country. The Temple of Literature was recognized as a Special National Relic in 2012.

The complex includes valuable architectural works of Khue Van Cac (the pavilion of the constellation of literature), Thien Quang Well (Well of Heavenly Clarity), and Dai Thanh Mon (the gate to great success).

Especially, 82 stone steles commemorating the graduation of royal mandarins from the 15th to 18th centuries at the Temple of Literature were recognized as a Memory of the World by UNESCO in 2010. They not only record the names of people who passed doctoral exams during nearly 300 years from 1442 to 1779, but also reflect life, society, political context, and the spirit of previous centuries.

Phu Quoc Airport security forces find two men suspected of bringing explosives

Phu Quoc Airport’s security forces found two men suspected of bringing explosives in their suitcase on a flight from the island city to Hanoi on May 3.

Director of the Phu Quoc International Aiport in Phu Quoc Island City in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang, Nguyen Minh Dong confirmed the case.

According to a report of Bamboo Airways, at 7:10 pm on May 2 at the security screening checkpoint for a domestic flight on Phu Quoc – Hanoi route, airport security screeners discovered a bag of powder in checked luggage of passenger Nguyen Xuan Dinh, 49, from the northern province of Lang Son, and other bags of powder and stones in carry-on baggage of Chinese passenger Nong BoShou, 50.

These bags were tested and then the airport’s X-ray screening machines sounded an alarm bell with two words, "Explosives detected", flashed up on the computer screen in bright red letters.

The airport security force had a working session with two passengers who cannot display any documents related to their bags of power.

They said that the volume of the powder is impurities achieved by the grinding process. They bought these bags of powder from a jewelry store in HCMC and brought them to Phu Quoc City four days ago.

The Phu Quoc Airport’s security force made a report of the case with the presence of representatives of Bamboo Airways, the Southern Airport Authority on the island, the Police force of Duong To Ward, the Military Command of Phu Quoc City and handed over suspects to the Police Department of Duong To Ward.

Hanoi offers 127 free trips on double-decker buses during national holidays

The Tourism Department of Hanoi Capital City in coordination with the municipal Transport Department operated 127 double-decker bus trips serving 6,700 visitors during the five-day holiday.

Hanoi received around 719,000 travelers, including 69,500 international arrivals and 650,000 domestic tourists, and earned a tourism revenue of VND2,400 billion (US$103 million) from April 29 to May 3.

Tourists tended to travel locally and took sightseeing tours around the city during this year’s public holidays, according to Hanoi’s Department of Tourism.

Especially, the capital city offered free service for all visitors taking the city’s popular double-decker bus tour during the national holidays.

The hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour takes travelers to visit highlight tourist attractions such as Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square, Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi flag tower, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Quan Thanh Temple, Thang Long Imperial Citadel, Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature), Hoa Lo Prison and others.

According to statistics, tourist attractions in Hanoi saw a sharp increase in the number of visitors, such as Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature) receiving 30,000 tourists, Thang Long Imperial Citadel (31,400), Ao Vua Tourist Area (17,250), Khoang Xanh-Suoi Tien Tourist Area (13,569), Ba Vi National Park (17,000), Duong Lam Ancient Village (10,000), Hoa Lo Prison (27,410), Hanoi Zoo (popularly known as the Thu Le Zoo located within the Thu Le Park) (130,898).

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