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Social News Headlines 28/2
The
signing ceremony for the package took place in the Japanese Consulate General
in
Accordingly,
US$108,898 will be presented to the Traditional Medicine Hospital of Ninh
Thuan province to upgrade its health equipment.
Another
project worth US$109,100 will benefit the pediatric ward of the KhanhHoa
provincial Hospital, while a welfare centre for the elderly under the Mekong
Delta city of
The
aid package will also be distributed to a project to build Cau Doi and Rach
Lau bridges in Tra Vinh province’s Duyen Hai district and another building
rural roads and Na Tung canal-cross bridge in Ke Sach district, Soc Trang
province.
Construction starts on Norwegian-funded waste treatment plant
The
Mekong Delta
Of
the total VND216 billion (over US$10 million)investment capital is sourced
from the Norwegian official development assistance.
The
plant will cover 27.37 hectares in Phu My and Dai Tam communes.
It
is designed to sort 160 tonnes of residential waste, recycle 5 tonnes of
industrial plastic waste, and produce 100 tonnes of organic fertiliser every
day.
Lam
Huu Tung, Director of the Soc Trang Public Urban Work Company - the project’s
investor, said that operating in August 2015, the plant will replace outdoor
dumping grounds, thus reducing environmental pollution and creating jobs for
locals.
Official sentenced over land management fraud;
Le
Duy Khiem, former head of the Section for Land Registry under the Land
Management Division of the central
He
was accused of taking advantage of his position, causing a loss of over VND22
billion (US$1.04 million) to the State budget.
According
to the indictment from the People's Court of Phan Thiet City of Binh Thuan
Province, the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment
rented a 98,000-sq.m plot of land in Hoa Thang Commune to Tran Hoai Thanh and
Ngo Van Phuong.
The
couple are both residents of
In
early 2011, Phuong, the husband, asked Khiem to illegally change the land
contract from a rent agreement into four "red books" certifying
that the land was allocated to them into four pieces with paid land-use right
fee. Thanks to Khiem's help, the change was made without paying more than
VND22 billion to the State budget.
The
couple then put these "red books" as collateral properties at
Agribank's Branch 7 in HCM City to borrow nearly VND30 billion ($1.42
million). Their wrongdoings were discovered when Agribank sent an official
letter to
Ministry of Health to change payment policies
The
Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien has proposed several solutions to
improve payment policies and reduce violations in the sector.
Currently,
doctors from all departments are paid the same salary. Extra allowances are
only given to doctors in certain specialised departments. However, even these
allowances are relatively low and widely thought among doctors to be unfair.
For example, HIV/AID doctors earn small allowances and have no retirement
benefits.
According
to the minister, such shortcomings will cause brain drain and could
discourage doctors from work and research. Worse, she said, it could lead to
violations, adding that the ministry will propose solutions to deal with
payment, such as adding seniority allowances and setting up new criteria for
starting salaries.
"We'll
also try to reduce the hospital overload in order to ease working hours and
the pressure on doctors. The service fees will be recalculated since
government only provides insurance to families living in poverty,
near-poverty or in some other special cases." she said.
The
minister said that the starting wages of doctors should be higher than those
of other agencies because of the training they must go through. They have
brought this urgent matter to the higher-ups twice and intend to continue to
pursue the matter. She said, "We also want to improve the allowance
policies for doctors and medical staff at facilities located in rural and
disadvantaged areas."
Pham
Manh Hung, head of Vietnam Medical Association, thought that government
should have a new financial management system to make the financial workings
of hospitals more transparent. However, Tien added that changing the system
would need to be done at the same at all levels to avoid adverse effects.
Talking
about the various scandals and violations that have broken out in the medical
sector last year, Tien reminded all doctors of the importance of maintaining
their moral integrity when they serve patients.
Suspected scam shakes forestry sector
Local
authorities in a number of cities and provinces are seeking police assistance
in an investigation into a suspected scam.
Thousands
of citizens and business representatives attended a conference on sustainable
forestry held in Nha Trang by Rung Toan Cau Company on February 19. Hoang
Quoc Binh, head of Rung Toan Cau, announced that they were able to secure
USD39 billion from foreign non-government organisations to help Vietnamese
firms deal with debts and win development projects in
In
order to receive these funds, Binh said that enterprises would be given
shares in the company. These shares would then be exchangeable for funds in
the future.
Nguyen
Quang Duong, of the Forestry Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and
Rural Development, said he had never heard of Rung Toan Cau, and that it was
hard to believe that they had access to USD39 billion.
He
said, "Several local authorities called me to check on this company and
I advised them not to attend the conference, it's a waste of time. This
company has held conferences in many other areas, such as Quang Ninh and
Duong
went on to say that foreign investments or charity groups must register, and
only small areas of land have been reforested through charitable groups.
"I think it's a scam. Some individuals or organisations might use such
tricks to swindle property rights on forest land."
Trieu
Van Luc, director of the Department of Forest Management, under the Forestry
Department, said "We are waiting for further instructions and may ask
for help from the police," Luc added.
Nguyen
Ngoc Lung, head of Sustainable Forest Management and Forest Certification
Institute, also said he had never heard of Rung Toan Cau. "Previously, a
Vietnamese-Australian man visited various localities claiming he had a USD1
billion fund for reforestation without visiting authorities. I informed the
local authorities so that they would be aware before cooperating with him.
Later, he was caught by Interpol for conducting similar scams in
On
February 21, the chairman of Dong Hai District People's Committee, in
Overlap weakens effectiveness of poverty reduction projects
Speaking
at a meeting on sustainable poverty reduction on February 20, deputy Prime
Minister Vu Van Ninh said that too many poverty reduction projects are being
carried out in the context of limited resources. This has led to difficulties
in the implementation and supervision of projects implementation. In
addition, a number of localities like to point with pride to their
achievements without taking into account the efficiency of the projects.
Minister,
Chairman of the Committee of Ethnic Minorities, Giang Seo Phu, said that
aside from the 16 projects, there are also 196 documents on poverty reduction
issued by various ministries.
Also,
some projects are simply wasteful. Even though residents of the Mekong Delta
provinces, who are not in need of it, are provided with salt, while
communities in mountainous and other remote regions do need it.
The
poverty rate among ethnic minority people still accounts for around 50% of
the country’s total number of poor households.
Deputy
PM, Vu Van Ninh, expressed surprise at the rate of poverty relapse, as for
every three households that manage to escape poverty, one sinks below the
poverty line again.
The
minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, Pham Thi Hai Chuyen,
explained that the high poverty relapse rate is partially due to the annually
changing poverty threshold, natural disasters and diseases.
Deputy
Minister of Construction, Nguyen Tran
According
to Deputy Minister, Nguyen Tran
Seminar discusses int’l experience in child adoption
Vietnamese
and foreign delegates are gathering in
A
Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) report shows
About
170,000 children are taken care of by adoptive families, and 22,000 others
are being cared at support centres.
Over
the years
MoLISA
deputy minister Doan Mau Diep said Vietnamese and international experiences
have shown that adoptive families are the best models and in the child’s best
interests.
When
living in a nurturing family environment, children have a better opportunity
to develop both materially and spiritually, he stressed, adding that bringing
up these children in support centres is considered as the last resort.
However,
this model has revealed weaknesses, including a lack of sufficiently clear
regulations and laws on child adoption.
During
the two-day meeting, delegates examine child adoption models in a number of
countries such as
They
also discuss the application of a proper model in
Ship's crew rescued off Nha Trang
The
Viet Nam Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Center (MRCC) rescued thirty crew
members off
The
MRCC sent the rescue team after receiving SOS messages from the ship on
Tuesday after it broke down 150 miles off the coast. Rescue personnel battled
tough winds and strong waves before reaching the crew at 9pm. Ship captain
Nguyen Dinh Hiep confirmed crew members escaped the incident unharmed.
Student killed, 3 hurt in road accident
A
13-year-old student was killed and two other students and a 48-year-old man
were injured after they were hit by a coach this morning in the central
coastal
Initial
investigations showed that the accident occurred when the students were
cycling to their school on a local road. The injured were taken to local
hospitals for treatment. The coach driver fled the scene of the accident.
The
cause of the accident remains unknown. The case is under investigation.
Driver killed after crashing into ditch
A
man was killed instantly in a car accident yesterday on the Noi Bai –
The
victim, Vu Van Thuy, 28, from the
His
brother, Vu Van Nguyen, sustained mild injuries from the accident.
According
to Bao Hung Commune police, dark lighting and foggy conditions on the road
had significantly affected the driver's visibility.
The
location of the trench had not been indicated to drivers with warning signs
or barriers. It is part of the highway's ongoing sewage system.
Climate change project launched in Long An
The
US Agency for International Development (USAID), the Ministry of Agriculture
and Rural Development (MARD) and the southern
The
“
Furthermore,
it will mobilise communities into developing action plans for climate change
adaptation.
The
US$ 4.12 million project, mostly funded by the
USAID
Vietnam Mission Director Joakim Baker said that the project will support the
local authorities, people and enterprises in adapting their businesses and
production to climate change as well as dealing with flooding and the rising
sea level.
Hospitals
in
At
present, the city’s hospitals have more than 33,000 beds. Every year, they
provide services to more than 31 million people, including 1.4 million
long-term patients.
On
average, ill people from other provinces account for up to 40% of the total
patients in the city, causing a burden for the municipal health sector.
A
satellite tumour clinic with 150 beds has been set up in the General Hospital
of District 2, slightly improving the situation by reducing the overload of
the hospital by 10-15%.
According
to Doctor Le Hoang Minh, Director of the hospital, 100 doctors, nurses and
staff have been sent to the clinic so that it can operate independently.
The
city has built a series of satellite clinics of key hospitals in various
districts. In 2012, 17 central hospitals in the city were allowed to open 48
clinics within 12 local hospitals in districts and wards.
Meanwhile,
high technologies have also been transferred to smaller-scale hospitals to
enhance their service quality, reducing pressure on central hospitals by
70-90%.
The
family doctor model is also another effective way to ease tension for the
city’s health sector. Since it was introduced in 2002, the model has been
carried out in 10 district hospitals, providing services for 200-300 patients
every day.
Dr.
Tang Chi Thuong, Vice Director of the municipal Health Department says the
city will work to provide all healthcare stations in wards and communes with
both necessary equipment and personnel to build the model by 2015.
Currently,
the model has been implemented at 19 out of the 23 district hospitals, while
91 out of the 102 healthcare stations in wards and communes have registered
to apply the model, he said.
At
the same time,
Notably,
the application of information technology in the process of receiving
patients has proved its efficiency. Today, patients have to wait a maximum 30
minutes to register for services instead of 2-3 hours in the past, he noted.
Adjustments
in operating schedules have also reduced waiting time for patients. Many
hospitals now serve patients from 6am, while others remain open over lunch
time.
In
2013, the department also started implementing a proposal to send doctors to
local hospitals alternately. Accordingly, every doctor, nurse and technicians
has to serve in local healthcare facilities for a period of at least one
year.
An
initial 40 staff have been sent to six district hospitals facing difficulties
in personnel.
Thuong
asserted that efforts by the city in reducing the overload for central
hospitals are moving in the right direction. He expressed his belief that
once the new healthcare facilities become operational in the next several
years, coupled with the current efforts, the situation will be improved in an
absolute manner.
Paediatrician raises
Leading
Vietnamese paediatrician Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Liem has impressed surgeons
worldwide with his huge advancements in endoscopic surgery, applying
techniques he invented himself.
In
1997, Professor Liem received international recognition for his successful
research and application of laparoscopic surgery technology to treat
Hirschsprungdisease (HD) known as congenital aganglionic megacolon in
His
research has been applied at the
Liem
recalls how he had the idea of carrying out an endoscopic thoracic operation
on infants infected with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) in 2001, but
failed due to limited equipment.
“I
introduced my concept to a French professor who later returned to his country
and successfully performed such surgery on a 7-month-old infant.
“One
year later,
“I
wondered if
The
successful endoscopic thoracic surgery on a newborn baby in February 2002
honoured Liem as the pioneer of this difficult technique.
He
later completed five research papers on this field which were printed in
world renowned publications. He was invited to give lectures and
presentations at international workshops in the
International
paediatricians consider Professor Liem a leading expert in endoscopic
surgical treatment of bile duct cyst and congenital diaphragmatic hernia
following his successful surgery on more than 800 cases.
Liem
has been asked to compile a chapter on bile duct cyst in paediatric surgery
textbooks published in the
Doctors
remember Professor Liem for his dedication to scientific research and
devotion to the care of his patients. His bright eyes and deep voice help to
reassure patients, giving them the confidence and courage to battle the
disease.
More
than anyone else he understands the pain child patients suffer. He says he
still remembers how his mother died in agony from cancer when he was a
student.
The
experience inspired him to sit tertiary entrance exams into the
Liem
says in 2002 he successfully separated twins Nghia-Dan who were joined in
duodenum, diaphragm, pleura, sternum, bile ducts, and intestines in a complex
operation of its kind in the world.
A
year later, Liem and his foreign colleagues separated twins Cuc-An who were
joined in various intestinal organs such as liver, digestive membranes,
pericardial diaphragm and sternum. An suffered congenital heart defects,
while Cuc had blood tumours in her arm and chest.
The
epic nine hour surgery was a success, and Liem was acknowledged as a leading
paediatrician who had performed five conjoined twin surgeries, including two
of the most complex in the world.
Since
Liem’s endoscopic surgery techniques were introduced, approximately 5,000
children have been saved annually. He reveals the most important and
necessary qualities for any doctor are the desire to learn, explore and
research.
Healthcare sector seeks international support
The
Ministry of Health (MoH) hosted a February 26 forum in
The
forum “
In
her address, MoH Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien noted in the context of
increasing integration, the international community and development partners
have provided significant financial and technical support for
By
late 2013, MoH had managed 42 official development assistance (ODA) projects
worth US$1.5 billion and received US$173 million from non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) for a further 108 projects.
The
forum is an opportunity for MoH to get feedback and advice from the
international community and development partners on the sector’s priorities,
achievements, difficulties and challenges, the Minister said.
Participants
at the forum discussed key issues: millennium development goals for health
care, newly emerging contagious diseases, healthcare human resource
development, high tech training and transferring, administrative reform, and
health insurance for all.
Tomoyuki
Kimura, Director of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in
He
stressed investment in health care is necessary for comprehensive and
sustainable future growth.
The
healthcare system must meet the challenges
A
MoH report shows many countries and international organisations have granted
overseas study scholarships to medical workers. Thanks to technical
assistance and experience exchange,
Fatal workplace accidents on the rise
There
has been a significant increase in the number of fatal work-based accidents
over the last two years, a labour official said at a press conference in
Though
numbers of occupational accidents and injuries dropped by 1.2% in 2013
compared to the previous year, numbers of fatal accidents rose by 1.8% and
deaths by a shocking 3.5%, said Ha Tat Thang, Head of the Occupational Safety
Department under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs
(MoLISA).
Employers
and employees are blamed for not fully observing regulations on occupational
safety and health (
Material
losses caused by labour accidents in 2013 were estimated at VND71.85 billion,
and property damage at approximately VND6.27 billion.
Ten
localities with the highest number of fatal workplace accidents are
Construction,
mineral exploitation, power generation and mechanical engineering top the
list of industries having most fatalities.
The
press conference was held ahead of the National Week on Occupational Safety-
Hygiene and Fire Explosion (NWOSHFEP), to be launched on March 16 at Phu Bai
Industrial Zone in Thua Thien-Hue province.
UNICEF supports poor children in Kon Tum
The
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has announced a US$250,000 integrated
programme to improve children’s living conditions in the Central Highland
The
money, sourced from the more than US$400,000 UNICEF raised from its annual
ZERO Awards in Vietnam in 2013, will be used for education, healthcare, safe
water supply and environmental sanitation projects.
UNICEF
Vietnam representative Lotta Sylwander estimated the programme will benefit
50,000 children in Kon Tum province.
Le
Thi Kim Don, vice chairwoman of the Provincial People’s Committee, said Kon
Tum will work closely with UNICEF to meet its targets of reducing numbers of
children falling victim to early child labour exploitation and domestic
violence, as well as those not accessing safe water and attending school.
Kon
Tum has been selected to benefit from the programme as it faces numerous
challenges in child care and protection. Statistics show more than 40% of its
children are malnourished; 40% of the residents do not have access to safe water,
and one third of households do not have standard toilets.
Since
2007, UNICEF and Kon Tum have jointly implemented a number of programmes on
healthcare, nutrition, safe water, environment sanitation, education,
policymaking and governance to improve the quality of children’s living
conditions.
Saigontourist receives Malaysian tourism accolade
The
award was based on tourist numbers and publicity campaigns the foreign travel
firms have carried out for RWG.
Founded
in 1965 by Lim Goh Tong, Genting Group is
The
Genting Highlands Resort attracts a huge number of Saigontourist’s customers
thanks to preferential policies, diverse tours and convenient transportation.
Vietnamese oriental medicine association debuts in Russia
The
Vietnam-Russia oriental medicine association held its first congress in
The
meeting was attended by representatives of the
The
association brings together nearly 50 doctors, traditional medicine
physicians, and those interested in oriental medicine.
It
aims to provide traditional medicine services for Vietnamese residents
residing in
Addressing
the event, Nguyen Hung Anh, first secretary of the Vietnamese Embassy in
Vladimir
Nikolaievik, a representative of the Russian oriental medicine association,
expressed his hope the newly established organisation will uphold the
tradition of oriental medicine to look after Vietnamese people’s health in
Border guards help to educate poor youngsters
Two
years ago, 18 year old Phan Thi Muon from Thuan Phuoc Ward in
Muon's
parents, who moved from
In
late 2011, they registered to join a training course for poor people
organised by the central city's border guard commander and the Department of
Education and Training.
The
night class, which was held in a meeting hall next to the
The
soldiers were usually busy with their duties during the daytime, so the
classes were held three evenings a week.
Most
of the students can now read and write, but they still struggle with maths.
"It's
been a great endeavour by our soldiers and their students over the past two
years. They were living in poor conditions with little chance of escaping
poverty. Some also suffer from congenital defects," said Major Ho Song
Phuong, a political officer.
"They
did not receive an education or proper care from their parents, so we took
the time to get them back on track. Now they recognise the importance of
education, and we love to share with them," Phuong said, adding that the
soldiers make regular donations each week to buy books, teaching materials
and gifts for the students.
"We
are happy to be here. We enjoy spending the holidays with the soldiers during
Tet and Children's Day. I wish I had a good book to read right now,"
said Muon.
Muon's
father, Phan Van Huy, 40, said he had to collect pennies working as a porter,
mason, restaurant waiter or cleaner to support his family.
"My
wife has been sick for a long time, and she can't do anything apart from the
housework. The money I earn is barely enough to pay for food, and we have no
savings to pay for our children's studies," Huy said.
"We
were living in a fishing boat docked on the Han River in late 1990s before we
moved along the waterway from
"Our
children had a lucky break when the night classes started two years ago, and
now they've escaped illiteracy."
Senior
Lieutenant Colonel Do Van Dong from the Border Guard Commander, said the
night class had adopted the city's literacy policy.
"We
started adult literacy classes in 1998 for thousands of residents, mostly
fishermen from the coastal districts of Hai Chau, Thanh Khe and Thuan
Phuoc," Dong said
"When
we completed the classes four years ago, all of them could read, write and
perform basic calculations. None of them use their fingerprints instead of
signing their name anymore," he said.
Senior
Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thanh Binh, from the Han River border crossing
station said poor kids also received gifts and provision during the holidays.
"We
assigned soldiers to four posts to help local people with difficulties. Young
soldiers were sent on teacher training courses before the classes
started," Binh said.
Second
Lieutenant Hoang Van Son said and two fellow soldiers had to cover classes at
the same time.
"We
divide them into age groups and levels of education. To start with, we show
them how to hold a pen correctly, then the process of teaching them how to
write begins. Some of them are deaf, dumb or intellectually challenged,"
Son explained.
"It
needs patience. We gradually get them to join in the fun or encourage them
with candy. They would leave the class if we shouted at them," he said.
Senior
Lieutenant Le Huu Trung said a group of three special kids attend class for
just six hours a week.
"Their
attention span is short so they only study for an hour at a time. We try to
make the lessons lively and fun," Trung said.
He
said that they have struggled to make progress with a 16 year old for almost
two years, but without much luck.
"He
suffered a brain defect at birth. He looks like an eight year old kid. He can
only write the letter O, but we keep working with him. We hope that someday
he'll be able to write easy words and do the right things in life," he
said.
Political
officer Ho Song Phuong said the class would take final examinations this
summer.
"The
better students will go up a level, and those who don't do as well will
continue to receive more training," Phuong said.
"It's
a hard job, but we're happy to help them and hope they will have better lives
in the future."
School initiative achieves success
Chairman
of HCM City People's Committee Le Hoang Quan has requested the Friendly
School, Active Student Programme be carried out basing on the condition of
each district in order to ensure its stableness.
The
Friendly School, Active Student programme was started to raise the learning
atmosphere in schools, promote effective teaching methods, increase soft
skills among students and encourage teamwork.
At
the workshop on reviewing the city's five-year implement of the programme
held yesterday, Quan appreciated the close co-operation between Department of
Education and Training with other departments and organisations in the city
to effectively carry out the programme.
Tran
Thi Kim Thanh, deputy head of Department of Education and Training, said that
the close co-operation between those organisations and departments in HCM
City has enriched activities in schools.
The
education and training department, for example, has co-operated with
Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to teach traditional music such as
tuong (classical drama), cheo (traditional opera), and cai luong (folk song)
for students.
They
have also organised entertainment and sport programmes attracting the
attendance of large number of students to help them relax and improve their
physical health.
Many
scholarship programmes for disadvantaged students to continue going to school
have alsobeen carried out.
Thanh
said that through the programme, more attention to the investment in building
and upgrading kindergartens and schools and equipping with modern teaching
aids has been paid.
The
city has had 1,788 schools, kindergartens, and education centres for nigh
classes since September 2008. All of them have had a green campus, standard
playground, classrooms, toilets and water supplying works, Thanh said.
The
city has seen the increasing of schools meeting the national standards, she
said. To date, there have been 149 national standard schools in the city.
They
also have applied IT in teaching and managing, she said, adding that teaching
methodologies and curricula have been improved to meet teaching each
individual. Many international programmes have been applied to improve
students' thinking and creativity, she said.
Teams enter final round of microcontroller comp
Fourteen
teams from universities, colleges and companies took part in the final round
of the first Viet Nam MicroController Application Contest (VMAC) that kicked
off at the National University of HCM City yesterday.
The
event is organised by the Steering Board of HCM City Integrated Circuit (IC)
Development Programme, the city's Department of Science and Technology, and
the IC Design Research & Education Centre (ICDREC) under the National
University of HCM City.
The
contest, which kicked off January 15 of last year, aims to create
high-quality products involving chips and microcontrollers, according to Ngo
Duc Hoang, director of ICDREC.
He
said the VMAC was launched in HCM City, Ha Noi and Da Nang and the challenge
was open for individuals and organisations nationwide.
Participants
were supplied with the cheap microcontroller SG8V1 version by ICDREC with
150,000 pieces, and contestants were challenged to offer new applications for
specific products, said Hoang.
The
winner will be given a cash prize of VND30 million (nearly US$1,500), while
the first and second runner-ups will receive VND20 million and VND10 million,
respectively.
ASEAN work to eliminate violence against women, children
The
ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and
Children (ACWC) has held its eighth meeting to review the progress of 24
projects and activities under the ACWC Work Plan for the 2012-2016 period.
The
activities included the compilation of ASEAN best practices in eliminating
violence against women and violence against children which was published and
launched by the Minister of Women, Family and Community Development of
Malaysia on December 12, 2013 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The
ACWC held consultation sessions with the Australia ’s Global Ambassador for
Women and Girls, and representatives of the Government of New Zealand,
European Union, and the US on February 18, 2014 .
During
the sessions, scope and mechanisms of their respective support to the work of
ACWC were discussed.
Under
a Thailand’s initiative, ACWC has called on ASEAN Member States to produce
posters, pamphlets, stickers and video clips on the theme “stop violence
against women” to commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of
Violence Against Women on November 25.
The
meeting was held from February 17-18 at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta ,
Indonesia .
Recently,
the ACWC held a dialogue with civil society organisations from ASEAN Member
States on February 19, during which joint collaboration through the ACWC’s
planned projects corresponding to the commitments in the Declaration on the
Elimination of Violence against Women and Elimination of Violence against
Children in ASEAN or new initiatives was explored. The participating civil
society organisations also shared information on their respective areas of
expertise and relevant initiatives.
Separately,
an inter-sectoral meeting was held on February 20 with the participation of
Chairs and/or Representatives of the ASEAN Inter-Governmental Commission on
Human Rights (AICHR) and ASEAN bodies in charge of women’s affairs, social
welfare, rural development and poverty eradication, education, labour and
migrant workers, as well as trafficking in persons.
The
ninth ACWC meeting is scheduled for September 29 – October 1, 2014 in
Myanmar.
Fishermen to benefit from medical knowledge
A
Vietnamese professor has pointed out the benefits of teaching medical
knowledge to fishermen, describing this as an effective way of protecting
their health, since they have to work at sea for several consecutive months
in a harsh environment.
Professor
Nguyen Truong Son, Director of the Vietnam National Institute of Maritime
Medicine, underlined the fact that Vietnam has some 130,000 fishing vessels
at present, including 30,000 working offshore. Working on often rough seas,
fishermen are at high risk of head and stomach aches, physical trauma or
cardiac arrest.
In
such cases, if no medical staff or first aiders are present on the vessel,
the fishermen’s life may be threatened. Son noted that very few vessels, both
inshore and offshore, have been equipped with medical supplies or have
qualified medical staff working on board.
He
advised that in the short term, medical training should be given first to
vessel operators. The curriculum should include general knowledge and
first-aid skills such as administering injections, joint manipulation and
dealing with food poisoning.
It
is also a necessity to present free medicine cabinets to vessels, especially
offshore ones, as well as teaching fishermen how to use pharmaceuticals in
the correct way and dosage, he added.
In
February 2013, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung approved a project on sea and
island healthcare development until 2020. Equipping crewmembers with medical
knowledge is one of the targets set.
Since
the beginning of 2014, the national institute has opened training courses for
fishermen of around 500 vessels in Lap Le commune, the northern port city of
Hai Phong. It has also provided 100 free medicine chests and plans to give
further medical supplies worth 2 million VND (over 95 USD) each to 30,000
offshore vessels.-
Red River Delta provinces seek solutions to climate change
adaptation
Representatives
from coastal communities in the Red River Delta gathered at a workshop in the
northern coastal city of Hai Phong on February 26 to discuss solutions to
adapt to climate change and mitigate the impacts of natural disasters.
Feasible
solutions will be documented to be shared with localities vulnerable to
climate change impacts, under a project implemented by the Centre for Marine
Life Conservation and Community Development (MCD), a Vietnamese
non-governmental organization.
MCD
started the project in 2012 with the aim of raising awareness and changing
the behaviours of target communities regarding climate change, at the same
time increasing livelihood and eco-system resilience to climate change.
The
project, titled “Partnership for equitable resilience to the impacts of
climate change of coastal communities in Vietnam ”, covers Nam Dinh and Thai
Binh provinces and Hai Phong City in the Red River Delta, with a focus on
coastal communities. It will last through 2014.
Source:
VNS/VNA/VOV/SGGP/SGT/ND
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Thứ Năm, 27 tháng 2, 2014
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