The Ministry of Health has said that after one month implementation of massive free vaccination campaign, more than 4.7 million children nationwide have been injected vaccine against measles and rubella.

The massive free-of-charge vaccination campaign approved by the Prime Minister has been implemented in 56 cities and provinces in the first phase. 4,739,164 children aged one to 14 have been vaccinated.

Medical workers decided not to inject 166, 855 children as their health condition is not suitable for vaccination and these children will be scheduled for vaccination in upcoming times.

Professor Tran Dac Phu, head of the Ministry’ Department of Preventive Medicine said that just a few of children have fever and headache.

The Ministry will continue the implementation of the campaign, targeting around 23 million children aged from one to 14 nationwide will be vaccinated.

Over VND260 billion scholarships for studious students

More than VND260 billion (US$ 12,238,144) has been used as scholarships for studious and poor children, said the organizers of the press conference in Hanoi on October 28.

The Ministry of Education and Training, Studying Encouraging Association of Vietnam and Vietnam's leading mobile network operator Viettel and the Radio Voice of Vietnam (VOV) held a press conference to announce the 10 year study encouragement program “For studious students”.

As per the organizer, in the first year of the program, Viettel pledged to give 26,000 scholarships to hard-working needy students worth VND26 billion nationwide.

According to the Ministry of Education and Training’s statistics, there have been around 200,000 dropouts in the country every year; most of them are living in the mountainous districts and disadvantaged students. They often dropped out so they could work to supplement the their meager income families.

The program was set up in 2004 with a message “Small wishes need good deed” and since then, over ten thousands of studious students have reached this program. Many individuals and organizations have contributed to the program, making the small wishes of poor students in the country become true.

As per the plan, the program will prioritize students from 2,331 disadvantaged communes in the program 135 and 311 coastal poor communes. Each student will be offered a scholarship worth VND1 million each.

Speaking at the conference, a leader from education ministry said that through program, many people have supported the study encouragement activities, helping many poor students have chance to continue studying in hard condition.

Le Dang Dung, deputy head of Viettel, one of sponsors confirmed every year the company will allocate VND26 billion for the program and we have been sponsor for this program since 2004 to date. 

Food poisoning affects 42 workers in Bac Giang

Around 42 workers at the Thinh Phat Ocean Import-Export Joint Stock Company in Bac Giang were hospitalised on October 29 for food poisoning.

The workers were admitted to Bac Giang General Hospital, suffering from symptoms of food poisoning including difficulty breathing, diarrhoea, stomachache and vomiting.

Some of the workers said they ate poor quality lunches at the plant, which resulted in their illness.

According to Doctor Pham Tung Son from Bac Giang General Hospital, the workers were treated at the hospital and showed positive signs of recovery.

The Thinh Phat Ocean Import-Export Joint Stock Company head quartered in BacGiang’s Lang Giang district employs around 700 workers.

Vietnamese Buddhists in France support Coast Guard

Chairman of NA External Relations Committee Tran Van Hang on October 29 handed over to representative of the Vietnamese Coast Guard High Command gifts in form of cash from Vietnamese Buddhist monks and followers in France.

The gift was entrusted by the head monk of the Paris Truc Lam Temple to a delegation led by National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong during the delegation’s visit to France from October 7-12.

Upon receiving the gift, Major General Hoang Van Dong, Vice Political Commissar of Vietnam Coast Guard High Command, expressed gratitude to Vietnamese expats worldwide for their support and encouragement to the coast guard force.

He also affirmed that the force will continue overcoming difficulties and hardships and maintain the fighting spirit and determination to safeguard Vietnam’s sovereignty at sea.

Seminar discusses intellectual property

More than 300 delegates from universities and businesses nationwide on October 30 gathered in the southern province of Bac Lieu at an intellectual property seminar.

According to the National Office of Intellectual Property of Vietnam (NOIP), in the context of international integration, 4,125 inventors have filed for intellectual property protection since 1988.However, several local businesses encountered substantial difficulties in protecting their intellectual property rights abroad due to limited financial capabilities.

During the seminar, scientists and business representatives agreed that due attention should be given to protecting intellectual property rights in the inevitable trend of the market economy and international integration.

Scientists analysed characteristics of the Mekong Delta region and put forth solutions to develop the trademark of Vietnamese rice by enhancing regional connectivity.

Bac Lieu currently has more than 1,330 small and medium-sized enterprises. However, the number of applications for intellectual property protection remains limited, and has reached only 138 applications out of 196 registered since 1997.

Those in attendance agreed that in the time ahead, the province should aim to support businesses and individuals in seeking new sales markets, elevating the image of products, developing trademarks and increasing the efficiency of business activities. 

Healthcare campaign aims to provide free treatment

A community healthcare campaign, to provide free medical check-up, treatment and consulting services to at least one million people in 20 provinces nationwide, will be launched on Sunday (November 2).

"The annual event aims to mobilise the whole society's involvement in humanitarian efforts to provide primary healthcare to the poor and disadvantaged people," said Chairman of the Viet Nam Red Cross Nguyen Hai Duong at a press conference yesterday.

"Several poor people, especially those living in poor, remote, border and island districts of the country, don't have sufficient access to healthcare services due to shortage of infrastructure, medical facilities and human resources of the state healthcare system," said Duong.

The campaign will focus activities on organising mobile medical check-ups and treatment in community and healthcare units of the health and army sectors.

It will also provide consulting services to strengthen people's awareness of healthcare, personal hygiene and the environment, as well as accidents and injuries, and disaster, search and rescue operations.

The six-month-long campaign is being organised under the framework of a co-operation programme, being implemented by the Viet Nam Red Cross in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the General Department of Politics under the Ministry of Defence and the Viet Nam Young Physician Association, during the 2014-17 period.