Social News Headlines 6/3 Endangered monkeys rescued in Binh Duong Six endangered monkeys were rescued in southern Binh Duong Province on Monday by a joint inspection team from the Forest Protection Sub-department and environmental police. The two red-faced monkeys (Macaca arctoides) and four pig-tailed ones (Macaca nemetrina) were being illegally held by the management board of the Binh Duong New City Project in Thu Dau Mot city. These animals belong to Group IIB, the group of rare animals restricted from being held in captivity, hunted, traded or killed, according to Deputy Head of the Forest Protection Sub-department Tran Van Nguyen. Driver arrested in hit-and-run crash The police in Ha Noi Citys Dong Da District yesterday arrested a driver for injuring a student in a hit-and-run accident and for violating traffic regulations. The driver, Do Tu Anh, 32, of the districts Ton Duc Thang Street, crashed his vehicle into a student of the Ha Noi-based Banking Academy of Viet Nam Nguyen Thi Quyen, 21, who is from the central Nghe An Provinces Vinh City. The accident took place on Xa Dan Street on Monday night. Quyen received serious brain and chest injuries. The victim was rushed to Saint Paul Hospital immediately. Anh tried to escape in his car after the accident but several local residents chased him and caught him later. Anh admitted to having had alcohol in Long Bien District before driving the car. He has been said by some witnesses at the accident site of deliberately running over the victim again after crashing into her. The local police are investigating the case further. Cell phone card swindlers arrested A group of four was arrested on Monday for using cell phone cards to commit high-tech fraud. Truong Van Chi and Nguyen Tuan Anh, 23, Tran Xuan Hung, 20, and Nguyen Thi Xuan, 57, all from the north-central province of Ha Tinh, admitted to posing as staff of the Ha Noi-based telecom group Viettel and officials of the Ha Noi Department of Transport and Department of Taxation to convince their victim that he had won a promotion. They told him he had won a motorbike as well as VND137 million (US$6,500) and asked him to buy cell phone cards worth VND10.5 million ($505) and send them the serials, which they later sold. Police crack down on waterway violations A three-week campaign starting next Monday will crack down on inland waterway traffic violations. Waterway traffic police will conduct inspections with local police in the northern provinces of Thai Binh and Nam Dinh, the central provinces of Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Nam and the southern provinces of Ca Mau and An Giang. They will punish those operating without rescue facilities, life jackets or lifebuoys, safety and firefighting equipment. New regulation for road digging The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has issued a new document banning electricity, telecommunications, water supply and drainage firms from digging up completed roads to expand the electricity and telecom network. The document allows repairs and upgrades for roads in use for a specific period of time – three, four or eight years depending on the material the roads are made of. When carrying out underground construction on the central artery or national highway, contractors will have to excavate the soil by automated processes. Rice delivered to overseas Vietnamese in Cambodia The People’s Committee of Tan Chau district in southern Tay Ninh province has distributed over 30.9 tonnes of rice from the Government to 157 households of overseas Vietnamese living in Cambodia. On March 4, 145 tonnes of rice were handed over as relief aid to 2,547 overseas Vietnamese migrants who have returned to live in the province. According to the provincial People’s Committee, most of the beneficiaries have led difficult lives.- Over 2,000 receive free mouth surgery in HCM City Over 2,000 children with cleft lips and palates at Children’s Hospital 1 in Ho Chi Minh City have received free surgery funded by Smile Train, a US non-governmental organisation, over the past five years. Cleft lips and palates are facial and oral malformations that occur very early in pregnancy, while the baby is developing inside the mother. Cleft results when there is not enough tissue in the mouth or lip area, and the tissue that is available does not join together properly. Most scientists believe that clefts are due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Another potential cause may be related to the medication a mother has taken during her pregnancy. Statistics reveal that the malformations affect one in 1,000 babies in Asia and one in 700 in Vietnam. Over the past five years, the US organisation has helped Children’s Hospital 1 conduct about six surgeries for children with cleft lips and palates each day. The programme has also targeted hospitals in the southern province of Dong Nai and the central city of Danang. Dr. Tang Chi Thuong, Deputy Director of the HCM City Department of Health, expressed his hope that the programme will come to remote and far-flung areas as well as those in difficulties to bring smiles to unlucky children. The HCM City-based hospital has also opened a club named “Children’s smiles” which serves as a bridge for doctors and families of children with the condition. Book on Higgs boson to be released soon A book giving readers an insight into the discovery of the Higgs boson, which is considered as a monumental event in the history of particle physics, will make debut in March. The book, the title of which roughly translate as ‘Higgs boson and the Standard Model – A fascinating scientific adventure’), is being issued by the Tri Thuc (Knowledge) Publishing House. The Higgs boson is named after Peter Higgs, who suggested the existence of such a particle in 1964. After decades of researching by thousands of scientists, the prediction was proved to be true in 2012 and brought Higgs and François Englert a Nobel Physics Prize one year later. The book was compiled by Vietnamese and foreign authors, many of them coming from the European Organisation for Nuclear Research and directly engaged in the discovery, for example Cao Chi, Chu Hao, Pierre Darriulat, Pham Xuan Yem, and Nguyen Xuan Xanh. Prof. Cao Chi said particle physics is one of the trailblazing scientific branches, adding that he hopes lessons from stories of the Higgs boson will fuel Vietnamese young people’s enthusiasm for science and knowledge.- Avian flu strikes in 22 provinces Poultry infected with the A/H5N1 virus have been reported in 22 provinces this month, according to the National Steering Committee on Avian Flu Control. This was announced at a meeting yesterday, in which relevant agencies discussed measures to control the spread of the disease. So far, more than 80,000 chickens have been culled. The Steering Committee said the flu mainly affected single households and had been mostly brought under control. However, epidemics were reported in central Khanh Hoa and southern Tra Vinh Provinces. The Animal Health Department is now completing procedures to import 60 million doses of H5N1 vaccine. JICA grants loans to power plant upgrade The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has agreed to provide JPY7.5 billion (roughly US$73.5 million) in official development assistance (ODA) for upgrading a power plant in Dong Nai province. Under an agreement recently signed between representatives of JICA and the Vietnamese government, the Da Nhim Hydroelectric Power Plant will be installed with more generators to double its electricity generation output, especially during peak time. The upgrade is expected to be completed by August 2016. The funds will be used for purchasing and installation of equipment and consulting services for the project. Da Nhim plant was built by Japan in 1959 and put into operation in 1964. Japan first offered ODA capital to upgrade the plant in 1997. JICA has pledged to continue supporting Vietnam’s harmonious development through ODA cooperative initiatives, including providing loans, technical support and non-refundable aid. Mekong Delta urged to cop with rising sea level With the rising sea level, saltwater has reached further inland in the Mekong Delta affecting agricultural production for farms. Saltwater has penetrated 34-38 kilometers inland along Ham Luong, Cua Dai and Co Chien River in Ben Tre Province. Hau Giang Province, a province far inland, is also affected by the salt water. This salt intrusion will prolong until the end of May and affect 12,000-14,000 hectares of farming land, according to the Irrigation Department in the provinces. President Truong Tan Sang believes the Mekong Delta is in need of restructuring of agriculture to cope with climate change issues. President Sang suggests that the Southwestern Region Steering Committee and provinces in the delta should incorporate other indigenous plants into rice fields and build sea dyke systems to prevent saltwater from encroaching inland. Truck drivers’ health checked as per Minister’s guideline The Directorate for Roads of Vietnam, Vietnam Register, Department of Transport and Vietnam Automobile Transportation Association were ordered to conduct an audit of truck driver’s health, bus station management and registration in accordance to Transport Minister Dinh La Thang’s guidelines. The audit will be assessed starting now until April 30.  Drivers with health issues will be dismissed from the work force. The Directorate for Roads of Vietnam will send reports to the ministry before May 31.  The purpose of this audit is to raise quality of truck drivers in the country. The Vietnam Register and Department of Transport will set up a hotline for receiving complaints of issues at registration centers before March 30. Vietnam Airlines continues to halt flights from Thanh Hoa Vietnam Airlines is contemporarily delaying flights from Thanh Hoa Airport on March 5-11 due to bad weather and damaged infrastructure. Twenty flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Thanh Hoa have been cancelled for the dates. The company was also forced to cancel 20 other flights on the route from February 17 to March 4. Vietnam Airlines has increased flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi or Vinh to compensate for demands. Lack of vaccinations cause measles outbreak A number of children in Hanoi and other northern provinces are experiencing a second measles breakout this year. Most of the children infected have yet to receive vaccinations, said Professor Tien Dung, head of Pediatrics Ward of Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi. The ward is treating 30 children with serious cases. Three of the children have developed severe pneumonia. The wet weather in the north is a favorable condition for the virus, said Nguyen Nhat Cam, director of the Preventive Medicine Center in Hanoi. To prevent further infections, parents and teachers with infected children should quarantine them from public areas until completely healed. AIDS Control Committee has new member PM Nguyen Tan Dung has assigned Mr. Truong Minh Tuan, Deputy Minister of Information and Communication, to the member of the National Committee for AIDS, Drugs and Prostitution Prevention and Control. The National Committee helps the PM establish strategies and projects, launch, integrate and coordinate programs and resources as well as evaluate activities of ministries, departments and localities on AIDS, drugs and prostitution prevention and control. It also helps the PM direct international cooperative activities in the field. Many activities held in response to Earth Hour 2014 The “Earth Hour” Campaign 2014 will officially take place at August Revolution Square from 8 pm to 9.30pm on March 29. According to HN Portal, with the message “Use your power to make change a reality – EARTHOUR BLUE”, this campaign aims to call upon local people to save energy by turning off lights and unnecessary electrical equipment for one hour, raising awareness of energy conservation and get individuals to make major changes to their lifestyles to battle climate change. Ha Noi will switch off its lighting system in a number of public areas and streets from 8 pm to 9.30 pm on March 29 to support this year’s Earth Hour. The lights in Ha Noi’s key areas surrounding Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son temple, The Huc bridge, Ha Noi Opera House, Truc Bach Lake will go down for an hour. It's the sixth time Viet Nam organize the Earth Hour. The campaign in 2013 attracted over 4,000 volunteers and people from all walks of life, and regardless of age. In Earth Hour campaign 2013, the country saved 401,000 kWh of power in which Ha Noi accounted for 219,000 kWh. “Stop Using Rhino Horn” campaign launched A campaign “Stop Using Rhino Horn” was launched on March 3 in Hanoi by the US’s WildAid, the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) and the Vietnamese non-governmental organization CHANGE, to raise awareness of the rhino horn crisis and urge people to stop consuming this product. This is an international campaign in the framework of the program “when the buying stops, the killing can too”, which will be carried out in Vietnam over three years from March 2014 in order to raise awareness of the community about conservation and the minimization of wildlife product usage. “We are committed to support this meaningful campaign by using our communication channels to change behaviours and educate the public on laws related to endangered species, and join with international communities in saving these species for an ecologically balanced Earth,” Mr. Truong Minh Tuan, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Information and Communications, said at the launching ceremony. The largest markets for rhino horn in the world are Vietnam and China, where it is used as a form of traditional medicine. According to an investigation conducted by Education for Nature – Vietnam (ENV), in Vietnam, rhino horn is believed to help reduce toxins and heat in the body, treat fever, improve one’s general health and prevent disease. Rhino horn is also rumoured to help treat cancer or reduce the side effects of cancer treatment. In addition, use of rhino horn has also become somewhat of a status symbol for some people who are members of wealthy and successful class by using expensive ‘medicines’. However, rhino horn is keratin, the protein in human fingernails and horn of buffalos. There is no scientific evidence it cures diseases or ailments. If we buy only a small piece of rhino horn, we have to pay for the killing of an rhino. If you see rhino horn advertised and traded, inform a local authority or call free hotline 1800 – 1522 or send email to hotline@fpt.vn to prevent illegal action. Mine clearance meeting to take place in Hanoi Vietnam’s top Sapper commander, Major General Pham Quang Xuan, has announced that a meeting with donors who help Vietnam to deal with unexploded ordnances left behind the war is expected to take place in mid March. The conference aims to raise public and international awareness of the National Action Programme on Settling Consequences of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) for the 2010-25, said Major General Xuan at an international press conference in Hanoi on March 4. Without international aid, Vietnam will require 300 years to clear all bombs and mines left during the American War in Vietnam, he added. The meeting will provide a detailed overview of the country’s pollution by bombs and mines. The programme currently prioritises mine clearing in heavily affected areas, particularly borders and six central provinces. Infrastructure building in cleared zones is another major task, according to the officer. Preliminary statistics show since 1975, UXOs have claimed more than 40,000 lives and left about 60,000 injured, mostly rural people and children. The volume of mines and UXOs left by the war is now estimated at 800,000 tonnes, contaminating over 20% of the country’s land. Vietnam needs about US$10 billion to tackle pollution. The situation is particularly dire in the provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien- Hue and Quang Ngai. In these localities 10,529 people have been killed and 12,231 injured. This year, the Vietnam Mine Action Centre will make its debut with the aim of coordinating funds and establish a website regarding the National Mine Action Program to deal with the Unexploded Ordnances known as Program 504. In April 2010, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung approved the programme with the aim of mobilising domestic and international resources to clear ordnance. This in turn will help better ensure safety for the people living in localities plagued by UXOs and indirectly aid the country’s socio-economic development. Vientiane, Hanoi women seek further cooperation A delegation from the Vientiane Women’s Union, led by its Chairwoman Lamphoy Siakkachan, paid a working visit to Hanoi on March 4 to learn about the implementation of legal documents among women’s associations at all levels. Through the visit, the Lao side hopes to gain lessons from Vietnam in helping women participate in local socio-economic development, especially the building of new-style rural areas, said Siakkachan at a meeting with Hanoi officials the same day. In reply, Nguyen Cong Soai, Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, affirmed that women have played an incredibly important role in the city’s development. He added that with more than 7.3 million residents, Hanoi has faced a range of difficulties in management, construction and development, noting the city will pay more attention to building cultural life in residential areas while upgrading infrastructure, urban transport, education and health care. At the meeting, the Vientiane and Hanoi women’s unions voiced their commitment to enhancing the wide ranging ties between the two capital cities. RoK supports Vietnamese contestants at World Skills Competition Samsung Electronics Vietnam (SEV) and Samsung Skills Training Centre (SSTC) will sponsor and train Vietnamese contestants in preparation for the 43rd World Skills Competition (WSC) in Saul Paulo, Brazil, from August 11-16, 2015. A document to this effect was signed in Hanoi on March 4 between the General Department of Vocational Training under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, SEV and SSTC. Accordingly, SEV and SSTC will provide training for Vietnamese contestants and experts in Mechanical Engineering & Design (MED)– CAD and IT software solutions. SEV will select candidates from the 8th national skills contest 2014 in MED-CAD and IT software solutions to train at SSTC in one year. It will also support the jury of the two skills with training in the RoK three months before the WSC. SEV will provide financial support for Vietnamese contestants in the two aforementioned skills during their training in the RoK and the WSC in Brazil. Sharing int’l experience in health insurance Keizo Takemi, president of the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD), introduced Japan’s experience in implementing its national health insurance programme at a workshop in Hanoi on March 4. He said Japan does not have a one size fits all program but adapts its health insurance programmes to each specific locality. Each locality funds a portion of the cost based on their individual needs and desires through voluntary contributions. “The government legalizes health insurance by adopting the bottom-up approach, and as a result, the law enforcement proves effective,” said Takemi, who is also a member of the House of Councillors of Japan. Addressing the workshop, Truong Thi Mai, Chairwoman of the National Assembly Committee for Social Affairs (CSA), noted health insurance for all is one of key pillars in Vietnam’s social welfare policy and is a financial mechanism, contributing to building a fair and effective public health system in line with the revised Constitution in 2013. Currently Vietnam’s health insurance programme is in a period of transition to universal coverage for all. By the end of last year, 70% of the population was participating in the programme. However, raising the rate to 75% in 2015 and 80% in 2020 requires more policies to be put in place. Mai added that Vietnam has made a positive progress in health insurance implementation. The Health Insurance Law officially came into effect in 2009 and the National Assembly is scheduled to adopt the revised law in May 2014. The biggest challenge lying ahead is to coordinate access to health insurance services, she stressed. Sienkiewicz promotes Vietnam tourism in Russia The Moscow State Institute for Industry of Tourism (MGIIT) recently posthumously honoured Yuri Aleksandrovich Sienkiewicz for his significant contributions to promoting Vietnam and its culture in Russia. The gathering was attended by a large number of representatives from the Russian Tourism Association, Russian travel agents, Vietnam Airlines and Vietnamese and Russian friends. Eleven years ago Sienkiewicz produced a film about Vietnam which quickly gained wide notoriety throughout Russia, touting famous tourist destinations in the country, including HCM City, Cu Chi tunnels, Hanoi, and world heritage sites of Hoi An and Ha Long Bay. The film was subsequently screened at an untold number of exhibitions and tourism fairs in Russia, and is regarded as the most significant factor in the ballooning rise of Russian people visiting Vietnam in recent years. Participants at the gathering reminisced about Sienkiewicz’s trip to Vietnam in 2003 – the last in his life. Nguyen Huu Tung, Chief Representative of Vietnam Airlines in Russia, said Russian tourists to Vietnam doubled from 2011 to 2013. The impressive growth shows that Vietnam is a safe, beautiful and potential destination for Russian people. The Sienkiewicz’s film delegation could not imagine the impressive impact its film would generate. Private healthcare sector faces critical constraints The healthcare service sector in Viet Nam has tremendous growth potential but it is not a business that can make profit easily, experts say. The private sector is not well placed to exploit this potential because of several constraints including capital, space and human resources, they add. Citing a StoxPlus report, the Dau Tu (Investment Review) newspaper says healthcare revenues in Viet Nam have been increasing continuously, from US$6.55 billion in 2008 to 12 billion in 2013. In addition, Vietnamese people also spend over US$1 billion on overseas healthcare services every year. Furthermore, industry insiders say the real turnover at hospitals is likely to be 1.5-5 times higher than the figures they announce. The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has estimated that public spending on health in Viet Nam will increase by 10.3 per cent per year, from US$7 billion in 2010 to US$11.3 billion in 2015. The significant patient overload at public hospitals also indicate opportunities for strong development of the private healthcare sector in Viet Nam. Analysts say growth of the domestic healthcare market is driven by economic growth, higher incomes, higher awareness of health issues, improved living conditions. However, the number of private hospitals in the country is still modest and concentrated mainly in major cities like Ha Noi, Da Nang and HCM City. The private hospitals that are functioning are also modest establishments, for the most part. In 2011, private hospitals accounted for just three per cent of the total number of hospital beds in the country. Of 1184 hospitals, just 135 were privately owned. Private hospitals treated just 4.2 per cent and 5.1 per cent of the total number of inpatients and outpatients recorded in 2011. An investor in the healthcare service sector, who declined to be named, said that many reasons could be used to explain the slow development of private hospitals in the country, one of which was the huge capital investments required. A hospital project needs between US$20 and 25 million, with medical equipment accounting for half. The profit margin for investments in hospitals is about 20 per cent per year and it takes investors eight to 10 years to recoup their capital, according to the investor. Dr. Nguyen Huu Tung, former director of the Hoan My Medical Corporation, said at a recent seminar held by the Investment Review that the scope of private hospitals in Viet Nam was still rather small and their profits were still modest. However, there is potential for them to develop strongly in the future, he said. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Dung, rector of the Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, said that to successfully invest in private hospitals, three crucial factors are: skilled staff, "perfect" infrastructure and modern equipment. Apart from the capital investment needed to meet these conditions, there are other difficulties that are hindering growth of the private healthcare sector in Viet Nam, analysts say. The biggest problem for investors is finding suitable space to build private hospitals. Administrative procedures for setting up private healthcare establishments in Viet Nam are very complicated and likely to discourage investors. Another discouraging factor is the current shortage of quality healthcare personnel in the country, they add. Binh Duong works to treat solid waste The southern province of Binh Duong is employing a number of measures to reduce the levels of environmental pollution triggered by the increasing amount of solid waste in urban areas and industrial parks. The locality discharges around 1,000 tonnes of residential solid waste on a daily basis, mainly from households, schools, hospitals, and administrative bodies, with a mere 10 percent collected and recycled. Meanwhile, the volume of industrial solid waste is estimated at 7,700 tonnes per day, 290 tonnes of which are hazardous and around only 30 percent of which is disposed of. To realise the target of recycling 80-85 percent of solid waste by 2020, local authorities have activated a plan on sorting through waste to select the best treatment solutions. The officials have also decided to increase the number of people tasked with encouraging residents to maintain public hygiene through regular garbage collection and reporting cases of littering on the streets. Binh Duong is home to 28 industrial zones and sees its population grow 10 percent per year, thus increasing the need for treating domestic and hazardous industrial waste. Ca Mau prepares for climate change The southernmost province of Ca Mau has worked out 10 schemes to adapt to climate change and rising sea level for the 2013-2020 period, with a vision to 2030, said Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Van Su. Accordingly, it will launch several sub-projects under which over 20 billion VND (approximately 950,000 USD) will be earmarked for three coastal resettlement areas containing more than 2,000 households. Other homes will be redesigned to sit on stilts up to two metres from the ground. Coastal production areas will be zoned off for activities involving forestation and aquaculture. Moreover, Ca Mau plans to hold educational campaigns which will raise public awareness about the impacts of climate change and rising sea levels. The local authorities have also sought government support to upgrade its dyke network. With a coastline of 252km, Ca Mau has an eastern sea dyke linked with Ganh Hao in the southern province of Bac Lieu . Meanwhile, its western sea dyke stretching from Phu Tan district to the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang has suffered heavy damage in parts, resulting into salt intrusion. This has adversely affected production and livelihoods of thousands of local households./. Source: VNA/VNS/VOV