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Social Headlines December 31
Son
La provides 3,300 tonnes of rice for students
The
People’s Committee of the northern mountainous
Accordingly,
the students, mostly from the districts of Song Ma, Muong La, Bac Yen and
Thuan Chau, will receive 15 kilograms of rice every month each for the first
five months of the 2013-2014 academic year.
The
rice will be delivered before January 20, 2014.
Son La
has nearly 800 schools in 11 mountainous districts, including five poor ones
with nearly 300,000 students, 80 percent of them are from ethnic minority
groups.-
Ha
Noi hospital carries out kidney transplant
Doctors
at the
The
patient, whose name was not released, hails from the
The
local health department covered all expenses for the transplant because it is
the first time such a procedure had been performed under its watch.
The
country now has 14 hospitals that have successfully conducted kidney
transplants.
Americans
donate $55,000 to NGOs
A
group of 10 American donors have raised a total of US$55,000 to donate to six
non-governmental organisations in
During
the 11-day trip hosted by the US-based 11Plus organisation, the group visited
Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta,
They
met with local authorities and visited shelters for orphaned children, health
clinics and training centres for children with disabilities.
First
Analog + 1 training course opens
The
Integrated Circuit Design Research and Education Centre (ICDREC) under the
The
10-month course is part of the chip-design training project included in
Integrated Circuits Development Plan for the 2013 – 20 period. It was
approved by the HCM City People's Committee in 2012.
The
training course aims to provide high-quality human resources for
Head
of child centre faces embezzlement charge
The Ha
Giang Police Department yesterday filed a criminal case of embezzlement of
property and money meant for aiding children at the provincial Disabled
Children Relief Centre.
Deputy
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc recently asked the province to investigate
and take strict action against any violation of the law after receiving a
report of the case from the province's People's Committee chairman.
Earlier,
the authorities had discovered that the centre's director Pham Ngoc Thanh and
his two staff members had embezzled nearly VND182 million (US$8,600) of funds
meant for buying medical facilities and had appropriated the traffic and meal
allowances meant for children during examinations and screening processes
during 2012-13.
However,
the police and the People's procuracy did not file criminal charges in the
case and sent it to the province's Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs
department as a case of administrative violations. That decision caused discontent
among the province's people.
Noodles,
bamboo shoots found to contain oxalic acid
Certain
foods in
The
revelation was made at a workshop on food safety held on Thursday, which
announced the results of random tests carried out on foods in the city.
The
tests were conducted from late June until December by HCM City-based firm Sac
Ky Hai Dang Science Technology Services Joint Stock Company.
They
have been taken from four local enterprises including
Around
873 samples were taken from vermicelli noodles, instant noodles and bamboo
shoots with nearly 41 per cent testing positive for high levels of oxalic
acid, which is currently banned from use in food products.
Dr.
Phan The Dong, former head of HCM City University of Agriculture and
Forestry's Food Technology Department, told Lao Dong (Labour) Newspaper that
regular consumption of oxalic acid over a long period of time would result in
a lack of minerals and malnutrition.
"People
suffering from diseases such as kidney disorder, rheumatism, and gout should
not eat food containing this type of acid," he advised, adding that
oxalic acid could also cause kidney stones and urinary tract problems.
All
instant noodle and bamboo shoot samples were found to contain high levels of
oxalic acid, ranging from 30.8 to 449mg per kilo for instant noodles and
295-3,080mg per kilo for bamboo shoots.
Additionally,
around 60 per cent of fun guo, wood ear, steamed rolled rice pancake, sponge
cake, tea, and carrot samples were found to contain oxalic acid levels
between 73.5-293mg per kilo.
A test
by the HCM City Food Safety and Hygiene Department in August also showed four
samples of dried noodles and wheat gluten taken from shops in the city
contained oxalic acid, with the department returning to conduct a second
round of tests for confirmation.
In the
second tests, the amount of oxalic acid found in dried noodles and wheat
gluten was a massive 142mg and 40.1mg per kilo.
In
spite of the damning results, shop owners have been reluctant to accept the results
of the tests. One owner of
Nevertheless,
test results have continued to find high levels of oxalic acid contained in
the goods.
Get
tough on smuggling as Tet nears: Deputy PM
Deputy
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has urged local authorities and government
agencies to work together to prevent smuggling and related activities during
the upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) festival.
The
focus will be to monitor the illegal transportation of goods, including water
transport modes, through the border areas and other key areas where a large
quantity of smuggled products is likely to be consumed, he said at a meeting
of the National Steering Committee for Smuggling, Counterfeit Goods Trading
and Commercial Frauds Prevention on Saturday.
He
added that localities must prepare and implement specific measures to prevent
smuggling, the sale of counterfeit products and trade fraud. They must also
handle violations strictly, including punishing officials found attempting to
cover up such violations.
Phuc
noted that while smuggling activities and trade frauds have become more
complicated, the related legal framework remains weak and ineffective. There
is also little attention being paid to warnings about an increase in
fraudulent activities during specific periods.
According
to experts, smuggling activities and the trading in counterfeit products
surge around the Tet festival because of an increase in demand for goods, in
particular, clothes, food items and household products.
The
steering committee reported that regulatory authorities have, so far this
year, handled nearly 80,000 cases of smuggling, counterfeit product trading
and commercial frauds, leading to the imposition of a cumulative fine of over
VND350 billion (US$16.4 million).
This
time around, the local authorities are implementing a market stabilisation
programme and are storing products in anticipation of higher demand during
and before the Tet holiday, so that people from all walks of life,
particularly those living in remote, rural and mountainous areas, can easily
gain access to the products they need.
Families
with an income of VND16-21 million per person per year will be considered
living near poverty line.
Under
the city's current poverty line, households with an income of less than VND12
million per person per year are considered poor.
The
country's poverty line is VND400,000 per person per month in rural areas and
VND500,000 per person per month in urban areas.
Nguyen
Van Xe, deputy director of the city's Department of Labour, Invalids and
Social Affairs, said the third phase of the programme on reducing poverty and
increasing wealth of middle-income families would be completed two years
ahead of schedule.
Xe
spoke at a meeting between the National Assembly Standing Committee's
supervisory delegation and the city's People's Committee on Thursday last
week.
The
third phase is scheduled to be implemented in the 2009-15 period.
As of
this month, the city has 16,000 households living under the city's poverty
line, accounting for 0.8 per cent of the population.
Nine
of the city's 24 districts have no households considered poor.
At the
meeting, city officials said some poor households might not receive help
because the city's poverty line is higher than the country's poverty line.
City
officials have petitioned the Government to allow the city to continue
applying national poverty support policies for the city's poor and near-poor
households in the 2014-20 period.
City
officials asked the Government to allow the city's poor and near-poor
households to borrow loans from preferential loan programmes of the Bank of
Social Policy.
Nguyen
Trong Dam, deputy minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said the
ministry would gradually withdraw Government's support funds for poor and
nearly poor households in Ha Noi,
Nation's
hopes rest on students
The
Viet Nam Students' Association (VSA) should arouse and nurture students'
aspirations and dreams, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung said
yesterday.
It
should also foster enthusiasm for science, technology, culture and all other
areas of study, he told 650 representatives of more than 2 million Vietnamese
students at the opening of the association's Ninth National Congress.
Hung
praised the association's past achievements and urged it to intensify
emulation movements, promote students' vanguard role and creativity and
provide them with necessary support.
He
said that the Party and State had consistently placed their faith and hope in
students as those who are going to uphold and promote the nation's honour and
values in the future.
He
noted that the recently-concluded sixth session of the 13th National Assembly
had adopted important amendments aimed at ensuring the right to education for
every Vietnamese citizen.
Congress
delegates defined the main goals for the association's next term.
They
agreed that a primary task would be to build a generation of students with
lofty ideals,wholesome and healthy lifestyles and excellence in academic
pursuits.
The students
will also be encouraged to engage in scientific research and be innovative in
applying new technologies, they said.
Students
must also be a part of the education reform process and contribute actively
to promoting the potentials of each Vietnamese citizen, the delegates said.
They
agreed that the association should develop itself so that it can adapt to new
conditions and environments.
The
congress adopted numerous documents outlining the association's tasks for the
new term and elected a 99-member executive board.
Le
Quoc Phong, secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, was elected
as the association's president for the 2014-2018 term.
The
VSA is a socio-political organisation with 22 chapters in cities and
provinces nationwide. It groups 47 centrally-run school-level chapters, and
five abroad - in
On the
sidelines of the congress, the student representatives had a chance to
converse with Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam and leaders of several
ministries and agencies on issues of importance to students nationwide,
including employment opportunities and incentives to engage in scientific
research.
Primary
schools offer road-safety education
The
Department of Education and Training in
Education
on pedestrian safety as well as equipment will be provided to more than
13,000 students in the city.
The
Walk With FedEx initiative will be offered in classrooms via fun games to
students at 14 primary schools in the city between December and April.
Comedy
presentations and pedestrian safety-themed performances by the HCM City Drama
Union will be staged at schools from February to April.
Can
Tho urged to tap gateway potential
Can
Tho city should tap every opportunity to fulfill its potential as a gateway
for areas downstream the
Speaking
at a meeting held yesterday to mark the 10th anniversary of Can Tho becoming
a central-level city, he said the city should also strive to develop into an
industrial centre, as well as a centre for trade and services, education and
training, science and technology, healthcare and culture, he said.
To
achieve that goal, the city should mobilise and effectively use its available
resources to boost competitiveness and economic development at a rapid but
sustainable pace, Anh added.
An
attempt should also be made to shift the economic structure towards industry,
services and highly advanced agriculture. In addition, efforts should
continue at developing a socio-economic infrastructure, culture, healthcare,
education and training, poverty reduction, as well as improving the living conditions
of local residents, he noted.
The
city's Party Committee Secretary, Tran Thanh Man, said Can Tho has taken
efforts to develop rapidly despite several challenges over the past 10 years.
The
city recorded an average annual GDP growth of 14.5 per cent during 2004-2013,
while the annual per capita income increased by six times to VND63 million
($3,000) by 2013.
During
this period, the city has poured investments into building transport
infrastructure, such as bridges, national highways, airports and commercial
centres.
Apart
from economic development, the city has also focused on promoting healthcare,
education, job generation and poverty reduction programmes, he noted.
However,
shortcomings remain and the city's development has not yet fulfilled its potential,
he added, citing unequal infrastructure development, low human resource
quality and the limited application of science and technology as major
reasons.
The
city has a total population of 1.2 million and a total area of 1,400sq.km.
Schools
search for online-learning solutions
E-learning
plays an important role in today's classrooms, with positive and negative
results, a university lecturer said at a recent workshop on IT in schools
held in
Assoc
Prof Nguyen Dinh Thuc of
With
the advantages of technology, most systems can now provide useful services
and learning activities, he added.
Learning
systems include Blackboard, JoomlaLMS, SharePointLS,
E-learning
allows students to be flexible in their use of time and space.
However,
communication between teachers and students and unappealing self-study
activities are two drawbacks, he said.
The
system also is dependent on the learning environment providing convenient
services or activities to realise proposed strategies, he added.
According
to Thuc, designing strategies using online-learning remains a major issue for
researchers and e-learning developers, he said.
He
suggested that active learning and collaborative learning methods should be
widely applied in an online-learning environment.
In
active learning, students do their own research and take initiative, while
collaborative learning focuses on teamwork. This kind of learning helps to
realise UNESCO's 21st century learning standards.
Dr
Nguyen Manh Tuan of
Universities
should identify what learners need from e-learning, he added.
Asso.
Prof Tran Van Hao, rector of the Vocational College of Technology, said that
e-learning methods must agree with learners' time and money as well as their
level.
With
four-year experience in providing part-time online-learning courses, Thuc
said that one challenge is developing learning content.
The
school spends VND40 million-50 million (US$1,904-2,380) to develop learning
content in one subject, he said.
A
representative of the HCM City University of Technical Education said that
they had faced the same challenge when implementing e-learning in the
university.
The
workshop also discussed trends in e-learning and the latest IT technology
alternatives that are poised to become mainstream educational strategies in
the near future.
Healthcare
out of touch with reality
Local
authorities do not have adequate knowledge about the various problems in
their areas, as a result of which they cannot tackle several important
issues.
That
was part of a statement made by Nguyen Sy Cuong, a member of the National
Assembly's Laws Committee, at a conference on the role of local authorities
in the health sector in Ha Noi on Thursday.
He
noted that as a result of that lack of knowledge, local authorities could not
tackle important issues despite having thousands of medical inspectors at
their disposal.
The conference
aimed to define the responsibilities of central and local agencies in
managing the health sector. As part of that process, it proposed the creation
of a health system from the grassroots level.
Cuong
said it is his belief that the workforce of the health sector currently lags
in professionalism, with some preventive care centres and district-level
medical centres carrying out tasks that are supposed to be carried out by
state-level agencies.
Whenever
a problem arises, there is little clarity on who is responsible for providing
solutions, he added.
Do
Trung Hai, deputy head of the municipal People's Council's Culture and Social
Affairs Committee, pointed out that while Ha Noi has regulations about what
the city's and districts' responsibilities are if a problem occurs, there are
difficulties in implementing those regulations.
For
instance, when local authorities inspect a medical station, station personnel
refuse to accept the authorities' suggestions because they believe they come
under the management of the Department of Health.
The
Ministry of Health (MoH) should, therefore, act as advisor to the government
and offer suggestions on how to empower local authorities, added Hai.
Minister
of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien stated that while the ministry is responsible
for supervising medical stations in relation to their professional
performance, local authorities have the responsibility of monitoring the
personnel and the organisation.
However,
several people seem to be unaware of their individual responsibilities, she
said.
Director
of the MoH's Department of Legislation Nguyen Huy Quang proposed a
restructuring of the health system and the introduction of new laws to manage
medical stations and hospitals.
Standing
member of the National Assembly's Committee of Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Kha
suggested that the MoH should set up a committee to provide an immediate
response to the issue of poor professionalism and assign responsibilities to
the required people within a specified time frame.
Kha
noted that co-operation has also been lacking between the health sector and
local authorities over the past year. For instance, if a baby dies after
receiving a vaccination in the central
However,
the medical workers can only focus on the vaccination technique and lack the
legal and management skills required to understand the situation
comprehensively.
Large
medical stations and hospitals must have lawyers who can be accessed quickly
whenever a problem occurs, added Kha.
Shoddy
electrical work threatens public safety
An
estimated 60 per cent of fires that broke out across the country this year
were caused by electrical faults, heard a recent workshop.
The
rate was announced by Vu Trung Hoa, head of the Ministry of Construction's
Department of Science, Technology and Environment.
Therefore,
he said,
During
the meeting, changes and amendments made by experts and managers in the field
of electrical work, both at local and central levels, were taken into
consideration to compile draft regulations which should be released in the
first half of 2014.
Vu
Dinh Luyen, an official at the Viet Nam Institute for Building Science and
Technology and Science Secretary of the Drafting Committee, said they had
received valuable feedback from participants.
Ideas
were submitted by Government officials, scientists, manufacturers and
innovators of electrical products, as well as from other developed Southeast
Asian countries including
The
International Copper Association's
The
regulations will include specific standards to meet the demands of modern
electrical installations and safety in residential and public buildings.
In
addition to these, the regulations will enforce compulsory safety
requirements areas such as bathrooms, swimming pools and medical zones.
Over
VND397 billion in Tet gifts for social policy beneficiaries
The
Minister of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs (MoLISA) has asked the State
President to reserve VND397.305 billion in the 2014 State budget to purchase
gifts for social policy beneficiaries during the approaching Lunar New Year
(Tet) Festival.
Social
policy beneficiaries include pensioners, Agent Orange/Dioxin victims, and
citizens who have rendered great services to the nation’s revolutionary
cause, such as heroes of the armed forces, war veterans, heroic mothers, war
invalids, and the families of martyred soldiers.
Each
Tet gift is worth between VND200,000 and VND400,000.
Dong
Nai to create jobs for over 90,000 locals in 2014
The
southern
Deputy
Director of the provincial Department of Labour, War Invalids and Social
Affairs Lam Duy Tin said the province helped 92,000 people land jobs in 2013,
2 percent higher than the plan set for the year.
In the
year, 65,000 people were trained with vocational skills, including 7,500
rural labourers. Up to 70 percent of them found jobs.
Job
generation efforts helped 8,000 underprivileged households in the province
escaped from poverty, lowering the rate of poor families to 1.7 percent. The
province targets to reduce the rate to less than 1 percent in 2014.
Dong
Nai is applying a poverty line standard of under VND850,000 per month per
person for urban people and under VND650,000 per month per person for rural
people. The standard will increase in the 2015-2020 period.
In
2013, the province saw 150 new foreign invested projects and existing ones to
increase capital. Many projects are scheduled to become operational in 2014
and will need a large number of labourers for their business and production.
The
province is working towards a rapid and sustainable economic growth to become
an industrial province by 2015.
Source: VNA/VNS/VOV
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Thứ Hai, 30 tháng 12, 2013
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