CHDI on a mission to improve quality of health care

Ho Chi Minh City (VNA) – The Community Health Research Development Institute (CHDI) was officially established on October 15.

CHDI, located in Ho Chi Minh City , will operate as a scientific and technological organisation under auspices of the Vietnam Union of Scientific and Technology Association (VUSTA), though not financially dependent on VUSTA.

The CHDI’s director, Duong Quang Trung said that CHDI will gather together teams of scientists, individuals and organisations in order to carry out projects addressing community health care. The CHDI will also contribute to finding feasible solutions to raise the quality of health care for all.

In addition, CHDI will provide a range of scientific and technological services in the field of community health care.

The 33 – member institute has been simultaneously working on a number of projects, focusing on private health care in Ho Chi Minh City and the training of doctors in the Mekong Delta, among others.-

Vietnam to monitor milk quality

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam will soon restore the supply of safe milk for consumers nationwide, with the quality and prices of products to be controlled strictly, a health official said on October 15.

During the peak of China ’s melamine-contaminated milk scandal, Vietnamese authorities discovered the presence of the toxin in 23 separate products. Milk containing melamine has been blamed for the deaths of several babies and causing illness in more than 54,000 others in China , sparking global concerns over food products made with Chinese milk or milk powder.

“Milk production and trade will be monitored strictly by management agencies from the central to grassroots levels,” Deputy Health Minister Cao Minh Quang said.

Quang added that the Ministry of Health (MoH) has been designated to ensure all milk products are safe and qualified, while the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is charged with the task of controlling the sources of locally-produced milk and its raw ingredients.

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce will monitor the import of milk and milk materials and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will oversee the destruction of any products found to contain melamine.

Currently, 15 task groups are conducting further inspections at all of the nation’s dairy markets, as well as at dairy producers and processors throughout the country.

According to the MoH, the 9 th meeting of health ministers from 10 ASEAN member countries, which took place in Manila , the Philippines , from October 8-11, agreed to absolutely prohibit the use of melamine, even in trace amounts, in food products.

The MoH, the World Health Organisation and the Food and Agriculture Organisation had earlier said in a joint statement that melamine has never been recognised as an approved substance in food.-

Coal sector seeks foreign investment for development

Hanoi (VNA) – Attracting foreign investment sources in a variety of forms is one of the Vietnam Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin)’s top priorities as it seeks huge investment for future development.

Vinacomin said that it requires over 224 trillion VND (13.5 billion USD) for development between now and 2025, including 85.5 trillion VND for the initial 2008-2015 phase.

To ensure development investment, the group will give priority to foreign businesses who invest in coal exploration and exploitation projects in the Red River Delta, particularly in coal-rich Quang Ninh province.

It will boost measures to attract official development assistance (ODA) and commercial loans as well as issue bonds abroad.

Besides mobilising foreign investment, Vinacomin will continue the equitisation of its affiliates and gradually increase participation in the domestic and foreign financial markets in order to attract the necessary investment.-

Jail sentences for defendants in transport scandal case

Hanoi (VNA)- Hanoi Court closed on October 15, handing out jail sentences to two of the four defendants charged with violating the law in a case related to the Project Management Unit 18 (PMU 18) scandal.

Nguyen Viet Chien, a former reporter with the Thanh Nien (Youth) newspaper, was sentenced to two years in prison, backdated to his arrest on May 12, 2008. He was found guilty of abusing democratic freedoms, thus infringing upon the interests of the State and the legitimate rights of organizations and citizens.

Dinh Van Huynh, a former investigative police officer, was jailed for one year on charges of deliberately leaking classified information and breaching the Public Security Ministry’s rules.

Huynh pleaded guilty to violating the law as stated by the Supreme People’s Procuracy in its indictment, disavowing his previous statement on October 15.

The other two defendants received more lenient sentences.

Pham Xuan Quac, the former Head of the Department on Social Crime Investigative Police, received an official warning.

Nguyen Van Hai, a former reporter with the Tuoi Tre (Youngsters) newspaper, was given a 24-month non-custodial sentence, including time served, (with one day in custody equivalent to three days of a non-custodial term). He was allowed to walk free.

All four defendants said that their offenses were professional errors and pleaded for clemency on the grounds of their previous contributions as well as health reasons.

The two-day trial heard interrogations, testimonies and the defence for the accused, as well as the case for the prosecution. The case was heard in a public court–

Greek President visits Thua Thien-Hue province

Thua Thien-Hue (VNA) – The Greek President Karrolos Papoulias, accompanied by his wife and entourage visited the central province of Thua Thien-Hue from October 14-15.

Speaking at a reception for the delegation on October 14, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Ngoc Thien briefed the Greek guests about the province’s socio-economic and educational development and tourism potential, particularly the Hue Imperial City’s relic system which has twice been recognised by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage site.

The provincial leader expressed his wish that the Vietnam-Greece relationship will enjoy further success and development in the future.

To mark the occasion, Chairman Thien presented gifts to the Greek President, his wife and entourage.

During their two-day stay, President Karrolos Papoulias and his wife cut a ribbon to inaugurate the Greek-funded Nguyen Van Linh Secondary School in Hue city. They also visited the Hue Royal Palace , plus tombs and temples of Nguyen Kings.

The Greek delegation will leave Hue city on October 16.-

Vietnam backs int’l efforts for Afghan peace

New York (VNA) – Vietnam will continue contributing to concerted efforts by the UN and the international community to help Afghanistan fulfill its target of long-term peace, stability and development, said a diplomat.

The representative of Vietnam to the UN Security Council, Ambassador Le Luong Minh, made the statement at an UNSC debate on Afghanistan in New York on Oct. 14.

The UN Secretary General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan , Kai Eide reported at the meeting that the security and humanitarian situation in the country has worsened.

Attacks launched by rebels have spread into many regions, leaving heavy casualties for local civilians and aid workers to deal with, Eide said.

According to the US official, these attacks have hindered the progress of reconstruction efforts, while the Afghan government has failed to deal with the current difficulties, which include food shortages.
Minh called upon all concerned parties in Afghanistan to abide by international law, particularly humanitarian law, and to take practical measures to protect civilians and aid workers.

He said that, alongside security measures, it is necessary to pay more attention to improving the living conditions of the Afghan people, particularly famers, women and children, who are the most vulnerable in the conflict.

The ambassador also voiced support for the Afghan government’s leading role and responsibility in promoting national stability and development.-

Japanese foundation grants scholarships to 232 students

Hanoi (VNA) – Japan ’s Shinnyo-En Foundation granted scholarships worth more than 35,000 USD to 232 outstanding students of the Hanoi National University at a ceremony held in the capital city on Oct. 14.

Ninety scholarships, each worth 200 USD were handed over to university students and 142 awards valued at 120 USD each were presented to talented pupils.

This is the third year in a row that the foundation has granted scholarships to Hanoi National University ’s financially-impoverished students and pupils who achieved excellent academic results.

Founded in 1936, the Shinnyo-En Foundation has devoted itself to assisting the poor and the disabled as well as promoting environmental protection around the world.-

Wood industry to tackle illegal logging

HCM City (VNA) - Representatives from the timber industry have emphasised the need to ensure that the relevant national action plan follows the example of the European Union forestry policy, which has clamped down on the consumption of wooden products made from illegally-logged timber.

It was also the goal of a workshop held in Ho Chi Minh City on October 14, organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the Dutch Development Organisation.

The EU is one of the major markets for Vietnam ’s wooden products industry, which last year earned 2.4 billion USD from exports, according to MARD’s International Cooperation Department deputy director Tran Kim Long. This figure is expected to increase to 3 billion USD this year and 3.4 billion USD by 2010, Long said.

Vietnam has emerged as the second- largest exporter of wood in Southeast Asia and is the fourth-largest in the world.

An increasing demand for wooden products in Europe, North America and East Asia has forced these nations to create legal and economic mechanisms to prevent the importation of any products made of illegally-logged timber and to encourage imports of those from legal logging sources.

The Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) is just one of the tools being applied by seven EU members, namely Holland, Great Britain, Denmark, France, Belgium and Spain, according to Hugh Speechly from the UK’s Department for International Development.

To meet FLEGT standards and boost imports to the EU, Vietnam ’s wood industry is planning to reduce its imports of timber from the current figure of 80 percent of total demand to 20 percent by 2020 through increased afforestation, according to the forestry development strategy for 2006-2020.

In addition to the EU, Vietnam ’s wooden products are now available in 120 overseas markets, including the US and Japan .

The industry boasts some 2,000 wood processing enterprises that provide jobs for over 250,000 workers.–

Ex-police officers, -reporters on trial

Hanoi (VNA) – The Hanoi People’s Court brought to trial two former police officers and two former reporters on Oct. 14 for alleged offences related to a corruption case at the Project Management Unit 18 (PMU18).

Pham Xuan Quac, 62, and Dinh Van Huynh, 50, former investigators at the Public Security Ministry, were charged with “deliberately revealing work secrets”, according to Article 286 of the Penal Code.

The two other defendants, Nguyen Viet Chien, 56, a former reporter for the Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper and Nguyen Van Hai, 33, who had been employed by the Ho Chi Minh City Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, were accused of “abusing democratic freedom rights to infringe upon the interests of the state, the legitimate rights and interests of organisations and individuals” under Article 258 of the Penal Code.
Nine lawyers pleaded for the four defendants at the first hearing, while 10 witnesses involved in the case were summoned by the court.

Representatives from 26 local news agencies, newspapers and a number of foreign diplomatic agencies as well as reporters from six foreign news agencies, including AP, AFP, Reuters, Kyodo, NHK and DAP attended the trial.

According to the Supreme People’s Procuracy’s indictment, results of interrogations and public debate at the court, defendants Quac and Huynh had made direct contact with reporters and leaked information regarding the case to be published by the mass media. At the time they were continuing to undertake their assignments to lead and hold investigations on the PMU18 scandal.

They had, however provided incorrect information about the results of the investigation; some of the information they provided was based on initial reports that had not been verified via further investigation or examination. These acts were perpetrated over a significant period of time.

Quac and Huynh were accused of violating Clause 2, Article 286 of the Penal Code for “deliberately revealing work secrets” as well as breaching the public security force’s rules.

Defendants Chien and Hai were accused of abusing their power as reporters assigned to cover internal affairs in order to drum up and distort a number of pieces of information, leading to distorted and inaccurate public opinion, tarnishing the images and reputation of the Party and State as well as the honour, prestige and personal qualities of a number of citizens.

The Hanoi People’s Procuracy representative holding the position of prosecutor at the court officially requested that Quac be subject to a non-custodial reform penalty for one to two years or a caution for deliberately disclosing classified information.

It was proposed that defendant Huynh receive a jail sentence of between 24 and 30 months for the same charges.

The proposed verdict for Chien was a jail term of between 24 and 30 months while Hai faces a sentence of between 18 and 24 months of non-custodial reform.

In defending their clients, the attorneys provided numerous supporting details, asking the jury to reduce the penalties. The trial is proceeding in accordance with law and will continue on Oct. 15.-

Disabled raise voices for right to safe motor vehicles

Hanoi (VNA) – The State has been urged to encourage the production of three-wheeled vehicles of various designs and sizes for the disabled so that licensed enterprises run by those with disabilities can continue manufacturing products suitable for disabled motorists.

The calls were made at a workshop in Hanoi on October 14, held to review a traffic safety project for the disabled funded by the World Bank and the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The project, implemented in Hanoi between August 27 and March 2008 by the MHD group has helped to provoke discussion over the necessity of imposing a ban on three-wheeled vehicles that do not meet minimum road-safety standards. The project also provided opportunities for the disabled to make recommendations to a bill relating to national standards for motor vehicles for the disabled. Their opinions on the issue were also heard by relevant ministries and agencies.

They suggested that bus manufacturers provide lifts or folding slides for the disabled and encouraged private enterprises run by people with disabilities to manufacture three-wheeled vehicles that meet national standards and are suitable for disabled motorists.

They also called upon relevant agencies to publicise the procedures for registering vehicles for the disabled through the mass media. Other suggestions included possibly allowing deaf people to drive so as to ensure their rights to traffic participation, plus measures to assist sight-impaired people in using pavements and traffic lights.–