Landslides, high tides unpredictable in HCMC

The HCMC Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said landslides and high tides are hard to predict this rainy season due to rapid urbanization and illegal constructions by rivers and canals in the city.

Tran Cong Ly, deputy director of the department, said rampant constructions and waste discharges along the banks of rivers and canals in the city have narrowed water flows, and stronger water currents would cause landslides.

In addition, the exploitation of sand from the riverbeds at the Saigon and Dong Nai rivers could worsen erosion.

After the early-season rains, a landslide in an area of 510 square meters along the Muong Chuoi River in Nhon Duc Commune, Nha Be District damaged three homes and the power and drainage system sections in this outlying district, according to the district’s urban management office.

The office now has a 600-meter embankment section of the river consolidated to prevent damage for more than ten households in the area.

Weather experts said water from the upstream often flows rapidly to the downstream at the start of the rainy season, posing high risk of landslides.

Last year, 11 landslides hit a total area of over 2,600 square meters in districts 9, Binh Thanh, Nha Be, Can Gio and Binh Chanh and damaged seven homes. Seven of them occurred along Kinh Lo and Phuoc Kien rivers, and Go Me and Tom canals in Nha Be District, forcing the local authorities to evacuate 975 people at 270 households from the landslide-prone areas.

People ignore danger to escape Hanoi heat

Hanoi is hot, and families are ignoring warnings to seek relief in Linh Dam Lake, despite the dangers of drowning because they and their toddlers can't swim.

On June 4, a young man dived into the lake and did not return. His body was found the next day. Two more bodies have since been found.

By the lake is a warning sign against swimming; not least because of the quality of the water, but that their are no lifeguards to rescue those who can't swim.

As the heat hits 38-40C, people ignore the danger to find relief.

Hundreds of people - adults and children - flock to the lake each day at around 5pm. Some take advantage of a new vendor service, offering lifejackets and flotation devices. Many bring a foam board or plastic containers to keep their heads above water.

Linh Dam Lake has recently been dredged of mud and garbage to try to clean up the water, but the depth - tens of metres - is deceptive.

Authorities of Hoang Mai District want to fence the lake to raise awareness of the danger.

Quang Tri provided with 28 billion VND to prevent drought

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has recently approved the provision of 28 billion VND (1.3 million USD) for the central province of Quang Tri to mitigate drought impacts.

The Deputy PM requested the Ministry of Finance promptly handle the issue under regulations and collaborate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) to sum up the financial requirements to limit drought impacts in localities, including Quang Tri.

The MARD has been requested to collaborate with relevant agencies to consider and propose policies to implement crop shifts in coping with climate change.

The Deputy PM also instructed Quang Tri authorities to continue taking measures to prevent hunger and illnesses caused by dehydration.

According to the Quang Tri provincial People’s Committee, the summer-autumn crop’s yield is estimated to reach 18,500 hectares, only 83 percent of the previous years’ yield.

Currently, about 10,000 hectares of rice and 4,000 hectares of vegetables and fruits are facing drought.

The province has supported local farmers with 3 billion VND (139,000 USD) to shift 2,500 hectares of rice to more suitable crops.

More Vietnamese volunteer soldiers’ remains repatriated from Cambodia

Military Zone 9 held a ceremony in Cambodia’s Kampong Chhnang province on June 30 to receive the remains of 19 Vietnamese voluntary soldiers who died in Cambodia during wartime.

Addressing the ceremony, Deputy Political Commissioner of Military Zone 9 Major General Phan Hoang Thu said the recovery of the remains was a joint effort of the K90 search team of Military Zone 9 and authorities and locals of Kampong Chhnang since November last year.

He thanked the government, soldiers and locals of Cambodia and Kampong Chnnang in particular for supporting the K90 team to search for the remains of Vietnamese martyrs in Cambodia.

Meanwhile, Kampong Chhnang Governor Khua Chandoun expressed his gratitude to the Vietnamese Party, Government, military and people for helping Cambodia to defeat the Pol Pot genocide regime with the historical victory on January 1, 1979.

He lauded the coordination of the K90 team and Cambodia in searching for the remains. He also believed the two sides would continue promoting affiliations in all search plans agreed upon by leaders of both countries.

Total remains of Vietnamese specialists and volunteer soldiers repatriated from Cambodia between the 2001-2002 dry season and 2014-2015 dry season were 6,374. Of the figure, the K90 search team gathered 1,613 sets of remains, 262 of which were found in Kampong Chhnang province.

According to the Joint Special Committee of Vietnam and Cambodia, more than 4,500 Vietnamese specialists and volunteer soldiers who lost their lives in Cambodian battlefields remain unfound.

On June 29 in Kandal province, Military Zone 9 and Kandal also held a ceremony to hand over 16 sets of remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers to the Vietnamese side.

Vietnamese expats updated on national constitution

Almost 100 overseas Vietnamese nationals and their local family members attended a conference held in Ho Chi Minh City on June 30 to gain knowledge about the 2013 National Constitution.

Tran Van Bay, Deputy Head of the municipal Department of Justice, highlighted amendments in the chapter on human rights and civil rights and duties, which are now prominent portions of the constitution.

Accordingly, it distinguishes between human rights and civil rights; human rights are defined as those you are born with while civil rights are human rights in relation to nationality.

Many articles regulate the Government’s responsibilities for its citizens such as protecting Vietnamese expatriates, creating favourable conditions for residents to be involved in governance as well as publicly and explicitly soliciting public feedback and proposals.

At the function, overseas communities expressed their support for and consensus on the amended constitution for its specific and adequate regulations.

US-funded scholarships help poor students complete school

The Scholarship Programme to Enhance Literacy and Learning (SPELL) granted a total of 2,476 scholarships worth a combined 557,000 USD to disadvantaged students in 7 central localities in the 2014-2015 academic year.

During the 2015-2016 academic year, the programme will provide additional 583 scholarships for ninth-grade students.

Established in 2004 by the US-based East Meets West organisation, SPELL’s objective is to promote school completion and a brighter future through education. It targets children of families among the poorest households in seven central localities of Quang Binh, Thua Thien-Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh and Phu Yen.

After 11 years of operation, the programme has presented scholarships to 5,790 students.

In 2011, the SPELL Summer English Programme (SSEP) was set up to improve English and learning skills among students. Over the past five years, SSEP has funded more than 176,000 USD to support high school students.

Meanwhile, SPELL Goes to College (SGTC) was established in 2012. To date, it has provided four-year scholarships to 170 college students, each worth 2,960 USD.

School, enterprise links in vocational training to be intensified

The 2015 Job Fair was opened in southern Ho Chi Minh City by the General Directorate of Vocational Training and the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs on June 30.

The programme is under the vocational skill improvement project funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

With the participation of 25 enterprises in different fields, the event worked as a bridge linking vocational schools, students and enterprises and gave students an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of recruitment processes and current labour market demand.

Deputy Head of the General Directorate of Vocational Training Nguyen Hong Minh said a key solution for meeting the labour market’s demand is strengthening linkages between schools and enterprises during the training process.

Based on the recruitment demand of enterprises, vocational schools can make suitable changes to their curricula, while enterprises can join the training process and secure quality workers.

Minh added the General Directorate has implemented overall solutions with a view to enhancing vocational training quality, creating jobs for students and changing society’s views on occupational orientations.

RoK helps Quang Tri enhance public administration

A workshop to enhance public administration capacity was held in Dong Ha City, central Quang Tri province on June 29-30 as part of the Haeng Bok (Happy) Programme funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

The event was jointly organised by KOICA, the Haeng Bok Programme office in Quang Tri and Kyung Hee University from the Republic of Korea (RoK).

It was intended to strengthen the public administration performance of civil servants at the grassroots level towards a transparent and effective public administration system.

At the workshop, leading professors from Kyung Hee University focused their talks on public policy building and the socio-economic development strategy of the RoK.

The attendees also discussed challenges to public administration governance at local levels and learned from the Rok’s experience in the field.

This year, the Haeng Bok Programme has been supporting seven communes in the province to reduce poverty and improve local incomes.

The programme has provided local people with agricultural training and consultations in disaster prevention and climate change adaption while supporting healthcare services.

Hung Yen commemorates 100th birth anniversary of late leader

The northern province of Hung Yen, hometown of the late Party chief Nguyen Van Linh, is busy with activities commemorating his 100th birth anniversary.

They include a seminar and a string of music performances honouring the life and revolutionary career of the late leader by professional and amateur dancers and vocalists.

On the occasion, the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra also staged a concert of popular Vietnamese and world musical pieces in Hung Yen.

Nguyen Van Linh, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam from 1986 to 1991, is known as a staunch communist and reformist leader who strongly promoted the “ Doi Moi” process in Vietnam.

Born as Nguyen Van Cuc on July 1, 1915 into a civil servant family in Hanoi, Nguyen Van Linh joined the patriotic movement at the age of 14.

After national reunification, Nguyen Van Linh served as Secretary of Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee. He was elected Party General Secretary at the 6th National Party Congress in December 1986, and became the first Party leader to lead and organize the implementation of the Party resolution on “ Doi Moi ”, which marked a historic turning point in Vietnam’s revolutionary cause.

Nguyen Van Linh initiated and pursued the principles of Doi Moi while keeping to the socialist orientation, maintaining and promoting the Party’s leadership and respecting and bringing into full play the people’s right to mastery as reflected in the motto “people know, people discuss, people do and people inspect.”

The Doi Moi process has reaped important achievements and created a firm foundation for the country to develop rapidly.

Linh and the Party Central Committee also devoted great efforts to cleaning up Party and State mechanisms, creating a flow of fresh air to society. His column “Things to be done immediately” on Nhan Dan newspaper won public approval for attacking negative phenomena in the community and creating an open and democratic social atmosphere.

Nguyen Van Linh passed away on April 28, 1998.

He was praised by both the Party and the people as a staunch and prestigious communist and an outstanding student of President Ho Chi Minh.

Vietnam-India cooperation scrutinised

A workshop analysing cultural, educational and social affiliation between Vietnam and India was held in Hanoi on June 30.

Organised by the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, the workshop gave insight into the current situation as well as its impacts on international affairs and vice versa.

Major barriers to cooperation, including differences in geopolitics and geo-economics approaches, religion, culture, customs and legal frameworks, came under close scrutiny before participants proposed initiatives and measures to foster the two sides’ collaboration.

According to Professor Ta Ngoc Tan, Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, Vietnam and India established bilateral strategic partnership in 2007 and have since achieved positive results in trade, politics, culture, education, science and technology, energy industry, security and defence.

To support their traditional ties and strategic partnership, leaders of the two countries have signed a number of cooperation pacts in remote sensing and enhancing connections in road and air transportation. They also agreed to mount a biennial Vietnam-India friendship festival.

Vietnam has long played an important part in the Indian Look East policy.

Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Preeti Saran emphasised the necessity of educating the younger generation of the two countries on the potential of their relations.

India considers joint cultural and educational activities a foundation of its ties with Vietnam, she said.

On the occasion, the academy’s India research centre launched a book on contemporary India, the first of 100 books gifted by Indian President Pranab Mukherjee during his 2014 Vietnam visit to be published in Vietnamese.

Children evaluate child rights implementation

Nearly 200 children from the central province of Quang Nam evaluated the implementation of children’s rights at a forum held on June 30.

The forum created a good chance for local children to express their ideas and aspirations for the right to study, play and join sport-culture-art activities as well as the right to access social information and receive care, respect and protection.

Student Nguyen Ha Dieu Loan said the forum enabled children to better understand the rights of Vietnamese children stipulated in international conventions.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Le Van Thanh said local authorities cleared up a number questions regarding domestic violence, drug use among children and child malnutrition.

Leaders from the provincial People’s Committee and other department and sectors also put forth measures to more effectively implement the fundamental rights of children.

The province has built a number of models to support children from disadvantaged backgrounds or those affected by HIV/AIDS, other diseases and violence.

Tay Ho transformer station becomes operational

The 220-kilovolt transformer station in Tay Ho district, Hanoi, invested with over 412 billion VND (19.2 million USD) from the Hanoi branch of the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN), went into operation on June 28.

Covering 4,360 square metres, the transformer station project is part of the EVN plan to improve and develop Hanoi’s electricity grid. This is the first 220kV transformer station invested in and managed by EVN Hanoi.

The station will provide electricity for the city’s southern Red River areas, creating links with the national grid while enhancing the grid’s stability and reducing power loss to increase reliability and safety.

It is comprised of two transformers, each designed with the capacity of 250MVA. The AT2 transformer is currently functioning and AT1 transformer is scheduled to run in 2016.

Hanoi is currently receiving electricity from six 220-kilovolt stations in surrounding areas.

Hanoi is pushing to upgrade the municipal grid to meet the rapid urbanisation and industrialization growth – the Tay Ho transformer station is considered an effective solution.

Supreme People’s Court gives bicycles to ethnic students

A delegation from the Supreme People’s Court led by Chief Justice Truong Hoa Binh presented 50 bicycles worth a combined 100 million VND (4,650 USD) to outstanding ethnic students in the central coastal province of Binh Thuan on June 29.

The same day, the delegation gave another 100 bicycles to poor ethnic students and 500 gifts to social policy beneficiary families in the neighbouring province of Ninh Thuan.

Fifty bicycles worth 2.1 million VND (97 USD) each were also awarded to disadvantaged ethnic students in the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa.

At the event, the Chief Justice expressed his hope that the students would be able to shorten the time required to get to school and dedicate their efforts more fully to their studies.

The activities were organised in the collaboration with the Cong An Nhan Dan Newspaper and Ho Chi Minh City Television.

Mekong Delta provinces asked to unlock green tourism potential

Provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta were asked to take advantage of their favourable natural conditions to develop green and ecological tourism, a great and untapped potential.

Addressing the Green Tourism Week titled ‘A Green Southwest’ which opened in Cai Rang district in Can Tho city on June 29, Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the Southwest Steering Committee Vu Van Ninh asked regional provinces to seek suitable solutions to make the most of their natural potential.

The provinces were urged to boost links and create a chain of tourist destinations, meeting tourists’ growing demand and increasingly diverse tastes.

The Deputy PM hinted that localities could develop high quality and highly competitive tourist products with particular brand identities such as ecological tourism, island tourism, garden and river tours and conference and meeting tours.

According to Deputy PM Ninh, the tourism sector in the region needs major breakthroughs and to improve its professionalism while preserving traditions and promoting unique national values.

In addition to capital from the State, the Deputy PM noted the provinces could mobilise capital from society for modernising infrastructure to ensure green, clean and beautiful features meeting international standards and serving socio-economic development and the tourism industry in particular.

Training a high-quality workforce is another aspect the Deputy PM demanded focus on from the localities in addition to promoting a civilised and polite lifestyle in local communities.

Green Tourism Week 2015, which is underway in Can Tho from June 27 to July 3, includes an Exhibition Fair with 1,030 booths, a food festival and a street festival, among other events.

On the sidelines of the Mekong Delta Green Tourism Week, there are conferences calling for investors for the region’s green tourism sector or boosting connections among provinces.

Agriculture, craft village festival to host 800 booths

A festival featuring agriculture and craft villages in central Quang Ngai province will take place from July 6-12 themed “Agriculture – Farmers – Agricultural development towards sustainability”.

Around 400 businesses have registered to host more than 800 booths to date showcasing agricultural products, tools, equipment and techniques.

The festival will include a seminar on micro-organic products, meetings with outstanding farmers and consultancy sessions on agriculture techniques.

The organisers – the Vietnam Farmers Association, Vietnam Craft Villages Association and the provincial People’s Committee – have been working tirelessly to prepare for the event and ensure the quality and safety of exhibited products.

The event is intended to promote agricultural products and connect farmers, scientists and enterprises.

As many as 300 local Vietnamese children with congenital heart diseases are expected to receive financial support for surgeries each year under a programme recently issued by the Municipal People’s Committee.

Those eligible for the programme have health insurance, come from impoverished or nearly-impoverished families, receive local social welfare or live in social protection institutions across the city.

The programme is co-funded by the Health Insurance Fund, the Social Protection Fund, the Medicine Fund for the Poor and organisations and individuals.

Beneficiary children will also receive food allowances during 15 days and travel costs.

The Medicine Fund for the Poor plans to allocate some 4.5 billion VND (210,000 USD) for the programme each year.

Workshop discusses mental healthcare for elderly

New global initiatives in combining mental healthcare with primary healthcare for the elderly were the focus of a workshop held by the Central Geriatric Hospital under the Ministry of Public Health in Hanoi on June 30.

Representatives from the Vietnam Public Health Association said dementia is a serious problem for old people, which needs control on a global scale.

According to general research of the syndrome in Vietnam conducted by the Association, the rate of the elderly suffering from dementia and senility in the country is between 4-8 percent. Diagnosis of the disease is complicated, mainly based on clinical signs and expensive testing.

The nation lacks services and means to treat mental disorders and has yet to build prevention programmes.

Participants underlined the necessity for the State to increase investments in the field. Associate Professor PhD Bui Thi Xuan Mai from the University of Labour and Society said services to care for older people in Vietnam is limited and nonprofessional.

Social work in hospitals should receive additional attention to improve the efficiency of healthcare services for patients, especially the elderly, she stressed.

Ha Nam to increase health insurance coverage

The northern province of Ha Nam aims to have 81.6 percent of its population covered by health insurance by 2020.

Deputy Director of the provincial social insurance office Le Quang Ngoc suggested diversifying forms of communication on the benefits of health insurance, especially given the revisions to the Law on Health Insurance.

Doctor Nguyen Xuan Quy, Director of the local Health Department, said campaigns should focus on families in rural areas where the rate of health insurance coverage only stands at 9.65 percent.

Enhancing the quality of medical services for those with health insurance is also important, he added.

The province has set up an inter-sector health and social insurance group responsible for facilitating healthcare examinations for patients covered by health insurance.

Quy noted that most locals with health insurance are elderly or people with diseases, especially chronic disease.

The number of employees working for private enterprises in Ha Nam is likely to increase, he said, adding that the health and social insurance sectors should promote health insurance usage among this group.

According to the provincial social insurance office, nearly 2 million people covered with health insurance have received medical examinations and treatment since 2013.

In the first half of this year, the local health insurance fund paid 150 billion VND (about 6.8 million USD) for close to 387,000 patients with health insurance.

Vinh Long improves health insurance quality

The Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long targets to have 71 percent of its population covered by health insurance by the end of 2015.

The provincial People’s Committee requested authorized bodies to cooperate with the provincial social insurance units to implement overall measures to solve difficulties with health insurance policies at the grassroots level.

According to Deputy Director of the provincial Social Insurance office Luu Van Tuan, the lack of community awareness campaigns on the revised Law on Health Insurance has hindered local access to health insurance.

By end of June 2015, nearly 700,000 members of its population, or 67 percent, were covered by health insurance.

In the third quarter of 2015, the provincial Social Insurance has organised training classes to communicate the benefits of health insurance and the recent revisions to the law to the public.

The province has covered all health insurance expenses for disadvantaged ethnic households in extremely difficult areas, including the Tan My, Tra Con, Loan My and Dong Thanh communes.

The province has sent doctors to work in medical clinics in communes and local hospitals in accordance with Government Decree No 1816, facilitating access to insured medical care.

Hanoi moves to adapt climate change

Hanoi has urged relevant agencies to design plans on storm and flood control, mitigating the impacts of climate change, said an official.

Nguyen Vinh Lien, Head of the municipal Department of Irrigation, has called on units to speed up upgrades to embankments, irrigation systems and flood-proof initiatives to ensure maintained agricultural production during this year’s flooding season which starts from July to September.

Contractors have been urged to ensure safety for people and equipment, especially at tall building and embankment sites.

The city requested localities conduct publicity campaigns to enhance community awareness of protecting irrigation systems and preventing regulation violations when working on a river.

The Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development has been asked to speed up the Dong Mo reservoir project, dredge the Day River and upgrade the Nhue River.

The city aims to devise comprehensive and drastic drainage measures in case of heavy rain to reduce inundation downtown and in suburban areas.

It has invested in a number of pumping stations and drainage projects to respond to the stormy season this year.

Currently, Hanoi has 2,033 pumping stations, including 122 field ones. They have been continuously upgraded to ensure safety during operation.

Weather is likely to develop rapidly and unpredictably with the possibility of El Nino weather pattern impacts in the stormy season this year.

As many as 10 storms and tropical low pressure are expected to hit the country, one or two of which could impact the northern delta, including Hanoi.

Hanoi pushes medical waste management forward

The Hanoi medical sector is taking drastic measures to tighten the management of medical waste, which can pose a serious threat to human health if not treated properly.

According to the municipal Department of Health, some 41 state-run hospitals, 52 polyclinics, four maternity hospitals, 584 medical clinics and other private medical centres in the city discharge nearly 592.4 tonnes of harmful medical waste every year, 2.97 million tonnes of ordinary waste and about 1.7 million cubic metres of sewage.

The Department has asked relevant agencies to enhance dissemination of education on medical waste management while increasing professional trainings for management and medical staff in this field and completing legal procedures in managing medical waste and protecting the environment.

Hospitals and medical clinics need to segregate, transport, store and treat medical waste in line with current regulations, preventing harmful waste from being discharged into the environment.

The Department will promote inspections of medical waste including examining waste transport vehicles, incinerators and classifications and work with relevant agencies to handle violations of the medical waste management process.

In an effort to tighten the medical waste management in the city, state-run and private hospitals have been requested to set up detailed plans and examine waste collection and treatment systems to ensure safety for hospital staff and patients.

Since 2012, the city has invested nearly 213 billion VND (9.9 million USD) in medical waste treatment systems. To date, 41 hospitals have been equipped with liquid waste treatment systems.

Legal documents on Hoang Sa, Truong Sa on show

An exhibition on historical and legal documents asserting Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos is get underway in the central province of Quang Tri, attracting the large numbers of visitors.

The exhibition features more than 100 maps, data, documents, exhibits, publications, demonstrating the sovereignty of Vietnam over the two archipelagos- Hoang Sa and Truong Sa.

Notably, there are some materials and publications compiled and published by western countries since the 18th century.

Through the exhibition, people can understand more about the sacred sovereignty over Paracels and Spratlys to raise a sense of responsibility for protecting the nation’s sovereignty over the two archipelagos.

The displayed materials include 4 atlas of the Qing and the Chinese government published in 1908 and shortly thereafter. In these documents, China did not recognize the management of Vietnam’s Paracels and Spratlys. The materials are also conformable to the maps published by Belgians and documents of Vietnam’s Nguyen Dynasty.

Dr. Tran Duc Anh Son, Deputy Head of the Danang Institute for Socio-Economic Development said the exhibition in Quang Tri updated many new valuable materials such as a letter from Admiral Tran Van Chon, Navy Commander of the Republic of Vietnam sent to Le Kim Chieu- a relative of Captain Huynh Duy Thach who died in the Hoang Sa naval battle in 1974.