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Saturday 2 February 2008

WB will provide aid to 14 key Vietnamese universities

The World Bank has pledged US$70 million to help develop infrastructure and upgrade facilities at 14 key universities in Vietnam from 2008-2012.
An agreement to this affect was signed in Hanoi on December 21 between a WB representative and the director of tertiary education management board, Nguyen Duc Thuan.
The 14 beneficial universities are Da Nang University, Hanoi Technology University, Hanoi National University, HCM City National University, Hanoi Medicine University, Vinh University, Transport University, Thai Nguyen University, Foreign Trade University, HCM City Teacher Training University, Agriculture University No. 1, Can Tho University, Hue University, and HCM City Medicine and Pharmaceutical University.
The project aims to help Vietnamese universities develop a quality education which meets the increasing requirements of socio-economic development.
Jeffrey Waite, a WB representative, said that apart from raising the skills of teachers, the project will help these universities improve management and organization skills. Source: VOV 22/12/2007, 11:21 (GMT + 7) VN Army Newspaper

Overseas Vietnamese, is an inseparable part of Vietnam: President Triet

Overseas Vietnamese communities is an inseparable part of the Vietnamese nation and an important factor to strengthen co-operation and friendship between Vietnam and other countries.
The statement was made by State President Nguyen Minh Triet at a meeting with around 1,000 overseas Vietnamese and their families who return to the homeland to celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year) at the National Convention Centre in Hanoi on January 31.
After implementing a visa exemption policy for overseas Vietnamese in 2007, this year, the State will continue with the Politburo’s Resolution No.36, dated March 2004, on overseas Vietnamese work, Triet said, adding that functional agencies will complete regulations on nationality and housing purchase for Vietnamese living abroad.
The State President took the occasion to highlight the country’s important achievements last year, with a high economic growth and improved living standards for the people.
The bilateral and multi-lateral relations between Vietnam and other countries and international organisations have been expanded and deepened. Vietnam ’s prestige has been improved in the international arena, especially after the country became a non-permanent member at the UN Security Council for the 2008-2009 term.
On behalf of all overseas Vietnamese attending the meeting, Lam Thanh My, a Vietnamese resident in France expressed his joy to welcome Tet at home. He said the 2007 visa exemption decision showed the Party and State’s care for Vietnamese who are living abroad.
The meeting, jointly held by the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee, the Foreign Ministry’s Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs and Vietnam Television, concluded with a special art performance given by local and overseas Vietnamese artists.
Also the same day, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem cut the ribbon to open an exhibition, entitled “Uncle Ho with overseas Vietnamese” at the National Convention Centre. (VNA) 9:21 - February 1, 2008
Nhandan Newspaper

VN Government focuses on five major tasks

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has signed a resolution on the government’s action programme on five major groups of tasks for socio-economic development in the 2007-2011 period.
Under the programme, the government will focus on the synchronous development and effective management of real estate, capital, services, labour and scientific and technological markets.
The government will fully tap all resources and carry out measures and policies to ensure the sustainability, raise the competitiveness of the national economic growth and build an independent and self-reliant economy.
In addition, under the Government’s guidance, most State-owned companies will be equitised into a one-member limited liability or joint stock companies by the end of 2009.
The other objective will be the strong educational, scientific and technological development, the improvement of the quality of human resources and people’s health, job generation and poverty reduction as well as environmental protection.
Administrative reform will be accelerated while the efficiency of State apparatus and anti-corruption activities will be improved.
Focuses will also be paid to national defence and political and social security. Source: VNA 17:12', 15/1/ 2008 (GMT+7)
Binh Dinh Newspapers

20 years of foreign investment in Binh Dinh

The Ministry of Planning and Investment has held a meeting on 20 years of foreign investment in Vietnam. Binh Dinh Province People's Committee also held a meeting summarizing foreign investment activities in Binh Dinh.
Slow attraction, small-scaled projects
Vietnam's investment environment and policies were not synchronous in the 1987-1997 period. Binh Dinh was a central province having difficulties in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) project owing to its limitations such as infrastructure or distance at that time.
It got the first FDI project in 1992 and during this time there were only seven projects worth US$30.5 million, of which four projects were revoked licenses.
Together with Vietnam's development, Binh Dinh has gradually improved its investment environment since 1998, attracting 31 FDI projects with the capital of $385 million.
Of FDI projects, there are not any large scaled ones with advanced technologies. Most focus on industrial production sector. Their positive effect on Binh Dinh's socio-economic development is, therefore, limited.
The foreign-invested sector accounted for below one percent and the industrial production value only surged by 2 percent.
Initial effects
FDI enterprises have created jobs for nearly 1,000 local people. Most enterprises effectively operate, particularly in afforestation and aquiculture, such as Quy Nhon Afforestation Co., Ltd or Vietnam-Malaysia Binh Dinh Minerals Joint Stock Company.
Initially, FDI projects have positively influenced the provincial economic structure. They contribute to the trade promotion, introducing Binh Dinh's potential abroad.
FDI projects are always considered as an important role in Binh Dinh's socio-economic development despite their limited contributions. They have advantages of capital, technologies, and experiences, promoting the development of both domestic and foreign sectors.
At present, some large-scaled projects have been attracted. When being conducted, they are expected to further social and economic activities.
Nguyen Bay (translated by Hong Quang) 17:32', 31/1/ 2008 (GMT+7)
Binh Dinh Newspapers

Festival with unique features

The plan for Tay Son-Binh Dinh Festival has been revealed, proving efforts to hold a festival with unique cultural and historical features.
Unique features
The uniqueness of Tay Son-Binh Dinh Festival will be showed by key programs. The grand incense and flower offering at Tay Son Tam Kien shrine is, for example, a series of uninterrupted activities composed of four parts, of which the "King Quang Trung enters the temple" ceremony is expected to be the most impressive one.
At the ceremony, the image of three national heroes on howdahs accompanied by soldiers will be performed.
The opening ceremony will be impressively held, showing Binh Dinh's traditional cultural and historical values. It is directed by two well-known directors, that is, People's artist Vu Hoai and Le Quy Duong.
Two other programs considered as the highlight of the festival include the night festival on Thi Nai lagoon and beauty contest. The nigh festival is a gala night of flower garlands and coloured lanterns. The beauty contest will be held for "queen" coming from Binh Dinh and other provinces. The "only-in-Binh Dinh beauty contest" aims to honor the women's beauty, according to Duong.
The second international festival of Vietnam traditional martial arts, the final Dao Tan classical drama competition, and other activities will also be involved in Tay Son-Binh Dinh 2008 Festival.
"Tay Son-Binh Dinh 2008 Festival is held by Binh Dinh Province People's Committee but it will be of national magnitude. Many famous artists, both domestic and foreign, will be invited to perform at the festival," said Van Trong Hung, Director of Binh Dinh Department of Culture and Information cum vice head of organising committee.
"Speed up" preparations
Tay Son-Binh Dinh 2008 Festival is going to take place in the next six months. All preparations need promoting now. Contents of main programs will be focused on to clearly perform unique features of Binh Dinh culture.
Tour guides and taxi drivers have been trained. All restaurants and hotels were reminded about the prices, food safety, and services.
The propaganda plays an important role in the success of the festival. It has, however, only been started. There is not much information about the festival on the mass media.
The propaganda on the mass media and other measures should be further promoted.
Hoai Thu (translated by Hong Quang)16:51', 29/1/ 2008 (GMT+7)
Binh Dinh Newspapers

Friday 1 February 2008

DECISION BY THE VN PRIME MINISTER: Approving the strategy for protection and care of the people’s health in the 2001 – 2010 period

DECISION No. 35/2001/QD-TTg Hanoi March 19th, 2001
Approving the strategy for protection and care of the people’s health in the 2001 – 2010 period
THE PRIME MINISTER
- Pursuant to the September 30th 1992 Law on Organization of the Government;
- Pursuant to the June 30th 1989 Law on protection of the People's Health;
- At the proposal of the Minister of Health in Report No.3769/TTR-BYT of June 1st , 2000;

DECIDES:
Article 1
To approve the Strategy for Protection and Care of the People's Health in the 2001 - 2010 period, with the following principal contents:
1. Objectives
a. General objectives: To strive for an the population to enjoy primary health care services, have access to and use quality health services. All people shall live in safe community, develop well physically and spiritually. To reduce the morbidity rate, enhance physical strength, increase life expectancy and develop our race.
b. Specific objectives
- Health - related targets to be achieved by the year 2010:
+ The average life expectancy: 71 years.
+ The ratio of maternal death to reduce to 70/100,000 live births.
+ The mortality rate of under-l children to reduce to below 2.5% of live births.
+ The mortality rate of under-5 children to reduce to below 3.2% live births.
+ The percentage of newborns weighing under 2,500 grains to reduce to below 6%.
+ The percentage of malnourished under-5 children to reduce to below 20%.
+ The average height of adolescents to reach 1.60 meters or higher.
+ There will be 4.5 medical doctors and 1 university pharmacist for every 10,000 people.
- To reduce the morbidity and mortality rates due to epidemic diseases. To eliminate widespread epidemics. To minimize the morbidity and mortality rates due to cholera, typhoid, hemorrhage fever, malaria, plague, B hepatitis, encephalitis and sexually transmitted diseases ect. To maintain the results of the polio elimination and infant tetanus eradication. To restrain the increasing rate of HIV/AIDS infection.
- To prevent, control and manage non-infectious diseases like cardiovascular diseases, cancer, accidents and injuries, diabetes, occupational diseases, mental diseases, poisoning, suicide and diseases caused by unhealthy lifestyles (drug addiction, alcoholism, obesity ect.)
- To enhance equity in the access to and use of health care services, particularly medical examination and treatment services.
- To improve the quality of medical examination and treatment, functional rehabilitation and health improvement at all medical levels. To apply all scientific and technical advances so as to develop our health service to the level of advanced countries in the region.
2. Major solutions
a. Regarding investment: including the State's investment, contributions from the community and international aid, in which the State's investment shall play the leading role. To step by step increase the proportion of regular expenditures for health in the total State budget expenditure. To prioritize investment for poor mountainous and remote areas in prophylactic and traditional medicine activities, primary health care activities at grassroots health level, health care for the poor and social policy beneficiaries, mother and child health protection.
- To experiment new financial mechanisms and policies at a number of hospitals in big cities, striving to achieve self-balancing of regular revenues and expenditures on the basis of health insurance and hospital charges. To adjust the hospital charge rates suitable to expenses, technical investment and professional qualification at each technical level, suitable the contribution capacity of the people in each region as well as to the payment ability of each target group.
- To expand the voluntary health insurance coverage; to consolidate compulsory health insurance funds, striving to expand the compulsory health insurance to an entire population coverage.
- To intensify the mobilization and coordination of aid sources, particularly sources of non-refundable technical support aid and development investment loans.
b. Organizational strengthening:
- To strengthen the organizational system of the health service, to develop the sectors of preventive care, curative care and pharmacy along the streamlining direction so as to achieve high effectiveness. To perfect the service management mechanism from the provincial to grassroots level.
- To develop regional (inter-district) general hospitals in areas far away from the provincial centers. To maintain and raise the operational quality of inter-commune general clinics in mountainous and remote areas.
- To enhance the capacity of the preventive health system from the central to grassroots level, particularly the provincial-level preventive health centers and preventive health Brigades of rural and urban districts. To strengthen the labor medicine departments and set up occupational disease examination clinics in key industrial provinces and cities. To develop the network of food safety, hygiene and quality control.
- To strengthen the specialized health inspection system. To re-arrange the network of and upgrade the material and technical bases for health workers-training establishments. To renovate the training content and improve the training quality, reinforce the contingent of teachers and lecturers at several intermediate medical schools so as to develop them into medical colleges.
c. Promotion of the managerial work:
- To train health organization and management personnel at all levels. To clearly assign the management responsibilities to different medical levels and different localities.
- To enhance the capacity to make plans (long-term and short-term) in different operation domains of the health service. To regularly monitor, supervise and evaluate the results of the planning and implementation activities.
- To well realize the policy of dispatching for definite terms of professional health workers to mountainous provinces, deep-lying and remote areas running short of health workers. To combine military medical resources with the civil resources for health in the people's health care, especially in areas meeting with difficulties in preventing and combating epidemics and in overcoming natural disaster consequences.
- To continue refining health legislation; to promulgate the Pharmacy Law, the Ordinance on Foodstuffs, the Ordinance amending and supplementing the Ordinance on Private Medical and Pharmaceutical Practice ect. To promulgate professional regulations and criteria as well as lists of standard material bases and equipment for professional and medical fields. To formulate regimes and policies applicable to health workers working in mountainous and remote areas.
- To raise the medical personnel's knowledge about State management and law. To develop the system of health inspectorate capable of discharging their tasks as defined in the Statute of State Medical Inspectorate.
- To well implement the regulations on democracy at all health establishments. To launch emulation movements, especially the building of exemplary good units and individuals in the service.
d. Development of the health personnel:
- To standardize the training of health workers for each level.
- To train specialized health workers so as to ensure the adequate per capita number of health workers and the balance between the medical specialties. To step up the training of masters and doctors of medicine, physicians of medical specialty 1 and medical specialty 2 for the provincial and district levels, particularly department and Bectien managers.
To send health workers abroad for intensive training in those fields of specialized branches, which is unavailable in Vietnam.
- To re-arrange human resources at provincial- and district-level medical establishments so as to have conditions for rotation of medical doctors to work at grassroots medical establishments.
To improve the health workers' professional qualifications, raise their sense of labor discipline and professional ethics.
- To proceed to the application of regime of obligatory service in mountainous and remote areas for newly graduated medical doctors.
e. Consolidation and development of grassroots medical establishments:
- To ensure 100% of communes to have health stations suited to the economic, geographical, environmental and ecological conditions as well as the medical examination and treatment needs in each region.
- By the year 2005, to strive to achieve: 100% of inter-commune general clinics in mountainous and remote areas to be health stations have midwives of whom 60% are inter-mediate-level midwives.
- By the year 2010, to strive to achieve: 80% of communes to have medical doctors (of which 60% of mountainous communes to have medical doctors); 80% of commune health stations to have intermediate-level midwives; all health stations to have assistant pharmacists in charge of pharmacy and some medical staff who are trained in traditional medicine; 100% of villages and hamlets to regularly have health workers who have received primary or higher medical training. To develop the contingent of medical volunteers in villages and hamlets in delta regions.
f. Promotion of the prophylactic medicine and health improvement work:
- To continue realizing the objectives of the national program on elimination of social diseases and dangerous epidemics. To deploy the implementation of programs on prevention and control of non-infectious diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, hereditary and innate defects and drug addiction.
To take initiative in preventing and combating epidemics, preventing widespread occurrence of epidemics. To strengthen the system of epidemiological reporting and surveillance and modernize the system of medical statistics management.
- To draw up plans on the prevention and quick overcoming of consequences of catastrophes, natural calamities, on the prevention and control of accidents and injuries, especially traffic accidents, labor accidents and occupational diseases.
- To raise awareness of health and environment-related issues at enterprises. To give priority to supervising and treating wastes which cause environmental pollution and badly affect human health such as hospital wastes, plant protection chemicals, etc.
- To enhance the management of food quality, hygiene and safety. To study and actively monitor the situation of foodstuff containmation so as to prevent poisoning and diseases caused by food and drinks. To develop the contingent of food hygiene and safety inspectors and supervisors at all levels.
- To implement the program on reproductive health, safe motherhood, basic obstetric care and family planning services.
To strive to reduce quickly the maternal death rate, the abortion rate and the rate of women suffering from gynecological diseases.
- To implement programs on protection and care of children's health such as malnutrition prevention and combat; juvenile health school dentistry, diarrhea prevention and combat, acute respiratory infection, rheumatic heart diseases and parasites.
- To promote the movement "The entire people practice physical exercises and play sports, improve health and raise the Vietnamese's stature”.
g. Health care services:
- To invest in comprehensively upgrading the health care network suitable to the needs and socio-economic capability in each region.
To assign professional and technical responsibilities to each level and issue strict regulations on the technical transferal system.
To complete soon the planning on health care network, increase the number of patient beds in provinces where the proportion of patient beds to the population remains low. To standardize the medical equipment and techniques, make the effective and full use of medical equipment and technologies.
To make lists of medicines suitable to the hospitals' needs and encourage the use of home-made medicines. To fight wasteful use and abuse of expensive medicines and high technologies in medical diagnosis and treatment. To continue pushing up and intensifying the functional rehabilitation and the prevention of disease complications.
- To well implement the regulations of hospital, to reform administrative procedures in the medical examination and treatment. To ensure conditions for and quality of services at health facilities, especially essential logistic services such as patients' meals and clothes, sanitation and order at these establishments.
- To diversify medical examination and treatment activities, including - medical establishments of the State and branches semi-public, private and foreign-invested medical examination and treatment establishments.
h. Development of the traditional medicine and pharmacy:
- To continue implementing well the Prime Minister's Directive No. 25/1999/CT - TTG of August 30, 1999 on stepping up the traditional medicine and pharmacy activities.
i. Medicines and medical equipment:
To continue implementing the "national policy on medicines" with the basic objective of ensuring the constant and adequate supply of quality medicines for the people and the safe, rational and effective use of medicines. To consolidate and strengthen the organizational system of the State management over pharmacy from the central to local level.
- To re-plan and re-organize the pharmaceutical industry along the direction of concentration, specialization and prioritized investment, ensuring efficient investment. By the year 2010, all pharmaceutical production units must meet the GINP standard. To modernize the medicine distribution network with important attached to rural, mountainous and deep-lying areas.
- To perfect the system of legal documents on medical equipment; to build medical equipment and technical service centers and strengthen their organization. To invest in supplying modern equipment for different technical levels of the medical examination and treatment system. To develop the medical equipment industry in Vietnam.
j. Development of medical science, technology and information:
- To step by step modernize the image diagnosis technique, bio-chemical, bio-physical diagnosis, immune, hereditary and biological molecule diagnosis techniques. To apply advanced techniques and technologies to the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, endoscope, orthopaedy, microtomy, viscera substitution and transplantation. To build several standard laboratories and three specialized centers in the Northern, Central and Southern regions for foodstuff quality, hygiene and safety testing.
- To develop bio-technologies, especially the genetic technology, the multiplication and tissue culture and transplantation technology in service of production of medicines, vaccines and bio-preparations for medical diagnosis and therapy. To develop the automation technology in the manufacture of essential medical equipment, the treatment of hospital wastes and the administration and management of hospitals.
- To continue perfecting and improving the effectiveness of the operation of two specialized health centers in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh cities, to put into operation soon the specialized health centers in Hue and Da Nang and other regional health centers.
- To consolidate the system of reporting and statistics, management information and supply timely and reliable information for the managerial work at different levels.
k. Social mobilization of health care:
- To continue promoting the implementation of the Government's Resolution No. 90/CP of August 21, 1997 on the orientation and policy on the social mobilization of education, medical and cultural activities. To incorporate the people's requirements for health protection and care into the macro social and economic policies, programs and projects on production development, job creation, hunger elimination and poverty alleviation.
- To diversify the health care forms, to seek for and utilize various investment sources for the health service, such as voluntary health insurance, foreign aid etc. to build exemplary models in environmental hygiene and community safety.
- To continue strengthening and developing health communication and education centers in the provinces and cities. To develop the network of communicators in communes.
To use appropriate communication measures and forms to involve people of all strata and mass organizations in voluntarily participating in and contributing to the protection of their own health and the community health.
3. Implementation funding
a. Annually, basing itself on the assigned tasks of implementing the Strategy for Protection and Care of the People's Health in the 2001 - 2010 period, the Ministry of Health shall draw up cost estimates and send them to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Planning and Investment for consideration and incorporation into the annual budgets to be submitted to the Government, then the national Assembly for approval.
b. The People's Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities shall take initiative in allocating the annual budgets to the localities for achieving the objectives and performing the tasks of protecting and caring the health of the population in their respective localities.
4. The program implementation duration: From 2001 to 2010.
Article 2
The Ministry of Health shall assume the prime responsibility for implementing the program and coordinate with the concerned ministries and branches (Science, Technologies and Environment; Planning and Investment; Finance; Aquatic Resources; Agriculture and Rural Development; Industry; Trade; Education and Training; Culture and Information; and Public Security) in planning, guiding, supervising, monitoring and summing up the annual implementation of the program and reporting it to the Prime Minister, organize the preliminary review of the program implementation by mid-2005 and final review of the program implementation by 2010.
Article 3
This Decision takes effect 15 days after its signing.
Article 4
The ministers, the heads of the ministerial-level agencies, the heads of the concerned agencies and the presidents of the People's Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities shall have to implement this Decision.
Prime Minister
(signed)
Phan Van Khai Ref. CIMSI

Wednesday 30 January 2008

Some projects in Binh Dinh (VN)

Vice Chairwoman receives Director of VSA Asia
Vice Chairwoman of Binh Dinh Province People's Committee Nguyen Thi Thanh Binh receives Director of VSA (Volunteer Service Abroad) in Asia, Mr. Helder Da Costa, on January 24.
At the meeting, Helder Da Costa expressed his thanks to Binh Dinh for helping VSA volunteers complete their work. He also asked Binh Dinh to consider VSA's activities in the 2003-2008 period for the long term strategic cooperation.
Two sides should signed the cooperation program for the 2008-2012 period in the middle of June and Binh Dinh also need to suggest priorities for aiding in the coming time, said Helder Da Costa.
Vice Chairwoman Binh highly appreciated VSA volunteers' work in Binh Dinh and asked for more support in some fields such as health, education, life improvement for people in rural areas, and healthcare for workers at industrial zones.
She also agreed the time for signing the cooperation program between two sides and hoped that it will be more effective.
Tien Sy (translated by Hong Quang) 17:1', 25/1/ 2008 (GMT+7)

Vice Chairman receives CARE's Country Director
Permanent Vice Chairman of Binh Dinh Province People's Committee Nguyen Van Thien held a meeting with Peter Newsum, CARE's Country Director in Vietnam on January 22.
Vice Chairman Thien expressed his thank to CARE for its help in the project of reducing and preventing drought, supporting the community for the sustainable life carried out in some Communes of Districts of Van Canh, Tuy Phuoc, and Phu My.
He also asked CARE for more support in developing irrigation, improving farmers' life, and enhancing the competitiveness of agricultural products.
Mr. Peter Newsum highly appreciated the effort of Binh Dinh's authorities and the people in conducting CARE's projects effectively.
CARE would continue aiding Binh Dinh in carrying out the project, helping people in rural areas increase their income, said Mr. Peter Newsum.
Nguyen Han (translated by Hong Quang) 19:44', 24/1/ 2008 (GMT+7)

Permanent Vice Chairman receives AEP of Denmark
Permanent Vice Chairman of Binh Dinh Province People's Committee, Nguyen Van Thien received the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (AEP), Lysholt Hansen, to Vietnam and the Ambassador cum Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Deputy Secretary of State for bilateral relations, Carsten Nilaus Pedersen, on January 17.
Vice Chairman Thien welcomed the AEP's visit and expressed his thanks to the Danish Government for its help in promoting Binh Dinh's aquiculture industry through Fisheries Programme Support Phase II (FSPS II) (2006-2010)
At the meeting, Mr. Peter Lysholt Hansen expressed his concern for some issues such as poverty alleviation, life improvement for ethnic minorities, and risk decrease for aquatic products exploiting. He also hoped that FSPS II would be effectively conducted.
FSPS II has been carried out for poor households in 19 Communes of Districts of Hoai Nhon, Vinh Thanh, Phu My, Tuy Phuoc, and Quy Nhon City.
FSPS II comprises four components, including Strengthening of the Fisheries Administration (STOFA), Strengthening of Capture Fisheries Management (SCAFI), Sustainable Development of Aquaculture (SUDA), and Strengthening Capacities of Post-harvest and Marketing (POSMA).
Nguyen Phuc (translated by Hong Quang) 15:41', 18/1/ 2008 (GMT+7)
Ref. Báo Bình Định