Vietnam to have first world class hospital

The South Hanoi Urban Development Joint Stock Company has begun construction of VinMedicare, proposed as Vietnam’s first general hospital offering world class facilities and services.

Located in the Eco City complex at 460 Minh Khai Street in Hanoi, the hospital will cover a total area of 24,670sq.m.

The South Hanoi Urban Development Joint Stock Company part of the Vincom Joint Stock Company, under the flagship concern of the Vingroup Corporation will invest largely in building the hospital as a modern well equipped hospital with all 5-star amenities and high international standards.

Speaking at the ground breaking ceremony, Le Khach Tiep, deputy chairman of Vingroup said plans for building a world class health care centre had long been in the pipeline in Vingroup. The company planned the health care centre to help society and contribute to raising standards in health and quality of life.

Once complete, the hospital will be a force to reckon with in terms of competition and quality concern for people in Southeast Asia.

VinMedicare at Eco City is the first phase to set up a chain of similar hospitals across the country under the name of VinMedicare.

VinMedicare will have more than 500 five-star private rooms, all designed to receive natural light and have luxurious facilities. There will be 25 VVIP rooms and two presidential suites available on request. It also aims to hire the countries most qualified medical experts and doctors.

The king-sized luxurious private suites will provide extra accommodation to patients’ families and accompanying assistants or secretaries, along with a spacious living room.

The hospital is expected to be complete by next year.

Pre-schools to be built in industrial parks

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training and the city Export Processing and Industrial Zone Authority (Hepza) met on February 28 to discuss the building of pre-schools in industrial parks.

At the meeting, Hepza agreed to build 13 pre-schools in 13 industrial and export processing zones to solve the education problem for workers’ children.

Hepza will build the first pre-schools in Vinh Loc Industrial Zone in Binh Chanh District, Tan Tao Industrial Zone in Binh Tan District, Hiep Phuoc Industrial Zone in Nha Be District and Linh Trung 2 Export Processing Zone in Thu Duc District.

By the end of the week, the People’s Committee will meet with the city Department of Education and Training and Hepza for a detailed plan aimed at resolving the issue of shortage of pre-schools in the city.

Air France reduces fares to Europe

Air France announced an early bird offer starting from US$699 for an economy return ticket to many destinations in Europe such as Paris, Amsterdam, London, Frankfurt, Geneva, Barcelona and Venice.

This is applicable for all flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and can coordinate with KLM flights flying via Bangkok.

The Paris-based airline said the offer was open from March 01 -31 for travel period between May 9 to October 31 and was a great opportunity to discover France and Europe on such a low budget.

For more information please visit www.airfrance.com.vn or call 08 38290981 / 38290982

Air France is a member of Sky team and operates in partnership with the national flag carrier from Hanoi and HCMC to Paris.

UK center to hold workshop on children abuse

Specialised trainers from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) of UK, a dedicated police led organisation for protecting children from exploitation, will hold educational sessions on issues related to children’s rights, online vulnerability and sex offenders.

This training is part of CEOP’s partnership work in the region, which has overseen the creation of advisory panels in Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia and countries working together to safeguard children. This is part of a broader program for child protection work being carried out in the region.

The course has been designed for teachers and other professionals working to protect young people across Vietnam. Organised by CEOP, the program is being funded by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

The training session will be held at the British International School, Ho Chi Minh City from February 28 to March 2.

159 H1N1 cases reported positive in Vietnam

The Ministry of Health announced on February 28 of more than 159 positive cases of the swine flu virus in 19 provinces and cities since the beginning of the year.

Most of the cases have shown recovery without any complications. However three deaths were reported of patients from Hanoi, Bac Giang and Thua Thien-Hue city. Medical workers have fretted since the outbreak of the disease which spread simultaneously in schools and residential quarters by the middle of February to areas like Dien Bien province, Ben Tre and Thua Thien in the Mekong delta and in Hue.

According to Dr. Nguyen Van Binh, head of the Department of Preventive Medicine, people need to be warned not to be lax in their approach to the disease because even a normal flu could escalate into a chronic case in all old and young alike.

On the same day, Dr. Nguyen Hong Ha, deputy Director of the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, said that North Vietnam was facing a peak in rubella cases, more commonly known as German measles, with more than 910 cases recorded by the hospital since the beginning of the year. People between the ages of 20 to 35 seem to be the most affected. Most worrisome was the fact that 35 of the 910 patients were pregnant women and 8 other patients showed symptoms of encephalitis.

Currently, the hospital is receiving an average of 70 cases a day in all age groups. The numbers of patients are now outnumbering the beds available and often 2-3 patients have to share a bed.

Dr. Nguyen Tien Lam from the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases warns that the rubella virus has a harmful affect on pregnant women and advises women to take any injections 3-4 months before the delivery date. During pregnancy, women should visit nearby medical centers if they see any symptoms of fever with rash.

Jailed 90 years for using VND700 mln fake money

The defendants at the appeal trial on February 28 in Ho Chi Minh City Six sentences of 10-18 years in jail were given to the users of counterfeit dong banknotes, as announced by the Supreme People’s Court in Ho Chi Minh City in the appeal trial yesterday.

From May 2009 to their arrest, the gang used VND700 million in fake banknotes, the court said.

The Court rejected the appeals by the defendants and upheld the first-instance verdicts announced by the Dong Thap Province People’s Court to them for “circulating counterfeit money.”

Accordingly, Nguyen Van Tam, 38, got 18 years in prison; Le Kim Van, 34, 16 years; Nguyen Thi Thang, 36, 14 years; Nguyen Duc Tinh, 42, 13 years; Vu Ngoc Hung, 30, 12 years, Ta Van Tu, 25, 11 years, and Vu Kieu Hau, 22, 10 years.

Van was the provider of counterfeit banknotes to other members of the gang.

The gang used fake banknotes with face values of VND100,000 and VND500,000 (US$4.8-24) to pay for goods of small value, such as cigarette, shampoo and bottled drinking water, with the aim of obtaining the change in real banknotes.

According to the indictment, after being informed by some residents in Lap Vo District, Dong Thap Province, local police caught Tu and Thang keeping lots of counterfeit VND500,000 banknotes in their handbags on January 8, 2010.

From Tu’s and Thang’s declarations, the police later arrested Tam, the gang’s leader, and the three other members of the gang.

Seven die in accidents on Highway 1A

Seven people were killed in four different accidents on Highway 1A yesterday while three others were severely injured and the highway itself ended up being blocked for several hours.

A car mowed down three motorbikes coming in the opposite direction in Ky Khang town in the northern Ha Tinh Province at noon, killing four and injuring two others.

Preliminary reports suggest the car driver lost control. Ky Anh police are investigating.

At 6 pm a train traveling from Hanoi to Hai Phong hit a motorbike, killing Dang Thi Sang and Tran Thi Quyen and injuring Nguyen Thi Vui, all of Thuan Thanh city in Bac Ninh Province. Vui has been hospitalized.

There was a pileup of five cars on Chay Bridge in Binh Hiep, Quang Ngai Province, at 4 pm after the last car failed to brake in time. It blocked traffic for several hours.

Tran Viet Nhan, 21, of Xuan Loc city was on a motorbike at 2.30 pm when a truck going from Binh Thuan to Ho Chi Minh City and traveling in the wrong lane hit him. He was killed instantly.

Report on Vietnam workers in Oman, Bahrain needed

All labor exporters that have sent workers to Oman and Bahrain must report detailed information to the Overseas Labor Management Department, the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs said.

Such reporting is required to serve the protection of Vietnamese workers in these two countries, where anti-government protests and riots have recently broken out, said Nguyen Ngoc Quynh, head of the department, which is under the ministry.

About 800 Vietnamese workers are estimated to be in Oman.

The department has also ordered its representatives in the two countries to warn Vietnamese workers there to avoid places where there are protests.

These representatives are required to follow up the situation of Vietnamese workers in both countries and report necessary information to the Vietnamese Embassy in Kuwait for consideration.

There are about 800 Vietnamese workers in Oman and another 200 in Bahrain, said Nguyen Quang Khai, Vietnamese Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates. “There have been riots in Oman and Bahrain, but the situation in these countries is not as serious as in Libya.”

“The Embassy does not know the exact number of Vietnamese workers as well as what companies have sent them to the two countries, since those senders have not reported relevant information to the Embassy,” Mr. Khai said.

He also said he had asked the Steering Board for Evacuation of Vietnamese Workers from the Middle East and North Africa to order businesses engaged in sending workers to the two countries to make relevant reports.

Lieu indicted in human torch journalist case

Lieu at her husband’s funeralProsecutors in Long An province have officially filed an indictment against Tran Thuy Lieu for dousing her husband - a dogged journalist - in petrol and set him on fire, which led to his death 10 days later.

The office has also issued a 4-month detention against Lieu.

On February 20, Lieu, 40 admitted to killing Le Hoang Hung, 51 of Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper.

Dinh Van Sang, head of the provincial prosecutor’s office, said that police have sought charges since February 22.

Sang said police are investigating whether Lieu had an accomplice helping her in the murder.

Lieu is now suspected of having a love affair with a local official - Nguyen Van Tam, former head of the market management team in Long An.

But Tam denied this, claiming he is only Lieu’s friend and her business partner.

He claimed that prior to the crime, he lent Lieu VND150 million (US$7,500) for her to conduct some business dealings.

According to Cong An Nhan Dan, Tam was lying and that the two are lovers.

Lieu’s eldest daughter confirmed “I know that mom certainly loves him [Tam]”.

In addition, two of Lieu’s sisters also testified to their extramarital affair.

Tran Thuy Loan, sister of Lieu, suspected that there is another force behind the murder.

She said that Lieu could probably have been tipped on how to kill her husband and how to respond to police questioning by this mastermind.

Cop jailed for beating offender who later died

A police second lieutenant was sentenced to 7 years in prison for his brutal act leading to the death of a traffic offender.

At the first instant trial by the Bac Giang province People’s Court today, former second lieutenant Nguyen The Nghiep, 26, of the Police of the province’s Tan Yen District, was sentenced to 7 years in jail.

He is also to be banned from taking police positions during the 2 years following his release.

According to the indictment, on July 23, 2010, the traffic police of the province’s Viet Yen district took Nguyen Van Khuong, 22, to the district police office because Khuong rode a motorbike without wearing a helmet and having no motorbike registration certificate.

Nghiep, who was assigned to handle Khuong’s violation, made a minutes on the violation and a decision on temporary seizure of Khuong’s motorbike.

Khuong refused to sign the minutes and begged Nghiep to give him an excuse for his violation.

Nghiep rejected Khuong’s petition and asked Khuong to come to his office to write a statement on his violation.

As Khuong refused to enter the office, Nghiep pushed him in and pressed him onto a chair at a desk.

Nghiep then used his hand to beat Khuong on the back of Khuong’s head and then gave him some sheet of paper and a pen to write the statement.

Nghiep then left the office and when he returned, found Khuong lying unconscious on a chair with his saliva dropping from his mouth.

Khuong was taken to Tan Yen District Hospital for emergency treatment but he died 30 minutes later.

Post-mortem results indicated that Khuong died from a serious injury, which was caused by Nghiep’s beating.

At court, Nghiep pleaded guilty and showed his repentance for his act. He begged for clemency from the court and Khuong’s relatives.

Nguyen Van Nhuong, Khuong’s father, petitioned the Court to reduce the penalty on Nghiep, who had given Khuong’s family VND155 million (US$7,420) as compensation.

After taking all into account, the Court announced the 7-year sentence to Nghiep.

Official scotches passport fee hike rumor

There has been no circular about an increase in passport fees, Nguyen Van Anh, head of the Ho Chi Minh City office of the Immigration Department, has said.

It stays at VND 200,000 (US$10).

But following rumors of a fee hike, around 1,200 people queued up outside the office on Nguyen Du Street Monday to apply for passports.

There was also a rush at the Nguyen Trai Street office.

The number of people applying for passports so far this year is 15 percent up year on year.

Rivers dry up, crops parch in central region

Many central and Central Highlands provinces are reeling from drought, with water levels in rivers dropping sharply and thousands of hectares of crops drying up.

Pham Vu Tuan, head of the Central Highlands Hydrometeorology Station, said the drought has come unusually soon this year’s, especially in Gia Lai and Kon Tum Provinces.

The Dak Bla and Po Ko Rivers in Kon Tum are flowing 30-40 percent lower than last year, giving especial cause for worry since they are province’s main suppliers of water.

Ta Van Luan, director of the Yaly Hydropower Plant in Gia Lai Province, said storage in the plant’s reservoir is at 496 meters, just six meters above the dead storage level and the lowest in the last 50 years.

The early drought also threatens more than 10,000 hectares of plants in the two provinces and Dak Lak, according to the local Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Most rivers in the central provinces of Quang Nam and Quang Ngai have receded, even drying up in some places.

Many sections of the Vu Gia River in Quang Nam’s Dai Loc District have dried up, exposing the bed. In the Cai River, a tributary of Vu Gia, the water level has been falling by 10 cm every week.

The Tra Kuc, Bong, and Ve Rivers in Quang Ngai are also going down rapidly, and are already lower than average.

In Phu Yen Province, the level in the Ba River this month has been at 0.36 - 0.43 meters lower than 12 months ago.

Cold snap about to affect North

Northern Vietnam will experience cold weather for 3-4 days starting tomorrow evening due to the effects of a cold snap, the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting reported.

The temperature in northern provinces in the period will drop by 3-4 degrees Celsius from early this week and drizzle will occur in many areas, said Bui Minh Tang, the center director.

The lowest temperature in Hanoi will be 15-16 degrees Celsius and the highest, 23-24 degrees.

Meanwhile, central provinces will enjoy warm weather until the mid-week before shower comes on March 3 which will continue for 3 days, causing the temperature to decrease by 2-3 degrees Celsius from early this week.

The lowest temperature in the region in the week will be 18 degrees and the highest, 28 degrees.

In the South, after the hot weather in the first two days of the week, the temperature will fall gradually.

On March 4 and 5, the weather will become cool, with rains to take place in many provinces, reducing the average temperature in the region by 1-2 degrees Celsius from a day before.

Ministry issues guidance on English textbooks for 3rd graders

Primary schools that have joined a pilot project to teach English to third graders are required to use textbooks recently prepared by the Ministry of Education and Training together with other teaching materials.

The ministry has also advised those schools to utilize support equipment like CDs, magnetic cards, pictures, and robot teachers for more effective teaching.

Vietnam is currently teaching English to third graders at 100 primary schools across the country on a pilot project, with a view to officially teaching the language to 20 percent of all third graders nationwide next year.

The country has capped the number of students in each pilot class at 35 which it believes is an ideal figure.

The 10-year project is aimed at improving Vietnamese students’ English skills which are deemed below par.

Previously, schools nationwide only started to teach English from grade 6 onwards.

Vietnam’s formal education consists of twelve years with the first five years dedicated to primary education, the next four years to secondary education, and the last three to high schooling.

A typical academic year in the Southeast Asian country lasts from September through June of the following year.

81 detained in Hanoi café bust

In a raid to a crowded café in Hanoi early yesterday morning, local police found synthetic drugs and detained 21 young people suspected of using drugs.

At about 2 am February 27, police inspected the café at 33 Phu Doan Street and found many guests using drugs.

Police then seized a bag containing 17 synthetic drug tablets on the scene.

They also transported all 81 young people there to the anti-drug police’s office for investigation and tests.

This café, owned by Nguyen Tuan Nam, a resident of Hai Ba Trung District, was once given an administrative penalty for operating beyond the time limit, police said.

University to tutor foreigners for free

Registering will start early next month, the university’s Youth Union which runs the program has said.

Tran Nam, the union’s secretary, said student volunteers would be recruited to provide one-on-one tutoring lessons for foreigners. The goal was to bring foreigners closer to local culture, he said.

Prospective applicants can contact the union’s office at 12 Dinh Tien Hoang Street in District 1 for more information.

With an enrollment of over 20,000 students, the HCMC University of Social Sciences and Humanities is one of the biggest training and research centers in the south.

Pre-school system lacks 20,000 teachers

A shortage of teachers due to poor salaries is one of the obstacles facing Vietnam’s program to universalize pre-school education by 2015, the Ministry of Education and Training has admitted.

There is a shortage of 20,000 teachers.

Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Thi Nghia said the situation is worsened by the lack of facilities and funds in poor areas.

The government recently approved the program which is meant to ensure that every year five-year-old is enrolled in school and prepared for primary education.

It has earmarked more than VND14.66 trillion (US$708 million) for the program.

Eleven provinces and cities are committed to universalization of pre-school education by 2012, according to the Ministry.

Last year the government spent almost 10 percent of its budget on pre-school education, a 1.5 percent rise from 2008.