2018 occupational health conference

COVID-19 testing (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Health has proposed considering COVID-19 a Group A infectious disease , not an endemic disease in its latest draft on COVID-19 prevention and control measures in the new situation. Per the draft, Vietnam is still in the transition period between pandemic prevention and sustainable management. Regarding the reason why COVID-19 has not been considered an endemic disease in Vietnam yet, the Ministry of Health said that most countries in the world are in a state of unstable cases and deaths, with an erratic increase and decrease trend when new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus appear. At the same time, acquired immunity (due to vaccines and infection) has not been stable for a long time and decreases over time. As a result, the application of epidemic prevention and control measures should be flexible and gradually moves towards the "new normal". The announcement of the end of the COVID-19 pandemic in … [Read more...] about Health Ministry yet to consider COVID-19 endemic disease

A report by Hanoi People's Committee on June 20 revealed 532 medical personnel had quit last year, while 82 decided to switch workplaces. In the first four months of this year, 226 have quit and 17 switched workplaces, the report added. Hanoi said the medical field has focused all its resources on fighting the pandemic since 2020. Due to the low number of workers, the sheer amount of workload and lower incomes and benefits in public facilities, many are opting to quit or seek better opportunities. Hoa, the former head of a ward medical station in Dong Da District, said her workload was too much while her salary wasn't enough to make a living. She quit at the end of March. During the height of the pandemic, Hoa and her colleagues did contact tracing and vaccination day in and day out. Pressure was building up, yet they only got a "bonus" of VND500,000 ($21.50). Her colleagues, a married couple, only got VND8 million a month in total. Amid a worker exodus in the medical field and … [Read more...] about Hanoi health workers quit in droves over heavy workload, low pay

NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (second, left) and his Hungarian counterpart László Kövér (second, right) co-chair the legislative conference in Budapest on June 27. (Photo: VNA) Budapest (VNA) – Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) Vuong Dinh Hue and his Hungarian counterpart László Kövér co-chaired a legislative conference in Budapest on June 27, with a focus on the legal framework on greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction, renewable energy, and the green economy. In his remarks, Kövér said Hungary is always determined to protect the environment, which is clearly reflected in its development orientations and legal regulations. Its climate policy was adapted to the European Union (EU)’s requirements but didn’t neglect its own features and its people’s interests. Hungary was one of the first countries to issue legal mechanisms for realising the goals of reducing 40 percent of GHG emissions by 1990 and achieving climate neutrality by 2050. Its law on … [Read more...] about Vietnam – Hungary legislative conference talks legal framework for green development

The meeting was part of Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Vuong Dinh Hue’s ongoing official visit to Hungary. At the meeting, the two senior officials evaluated that the outcomes of the bilateral defense cooperation achieved over the past time on the basis of the memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation signed in 2018 have actively contributed to developing the comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and Hungary, meeting each side’s needs and interests. They wished the two sides to bolster the implementation of existing cooperation contents with a focus on delegation exchange, training, U.N. peacekeeping operations, settlement of war legacy, collaboration between the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense and the European Union (E.U.) in realizing the framework participation agreement (FPA) on Vietnam’s participation in the E.U.'s crisis management activities. Also at the event, General Vinh informed the host of the first-ever International Defense Expo to … [Read more...] about Vietnam, Hungary agree to enhance defense cooperation

During the reception, Sr. Lt. Gen. Nguyen Tan Cuong affirmed that on the basis of the Vietnam- Japan extensive strategic partnership, defense cooperation over the past time has made great strides, underlining that it is one of the important pillars in the two countries’ cooperative relation. In 2018, the Vietnamese and Japanese Defense Ministries signed the Joint Vision Statement on Vietnam – Japan Defense Cooperation towards the next decade to open up the new development stage between the two countries’ defense, including the cooperation between Vietnam’s Air Defense – Air Force Service and Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force. Also, Gen. Cuong spoke highly of the supporting program of Japan’s Defense Ministry to enhance the specialized and technical capabilities of the Vietnamese Air Defense – Air Force Service, adding that the support has contributed to tightening friendship and mutual understanding between the two sides. At the event, Gen. Cuong required General Izutsu Shunji to … [Read more...] about Defense leader receives Japanese counterpart

Video footage shared on social media showed the orangutan struggling in the water before sinking below the surface at the Safari Phu Quoc in the southern island on June 24. A zoo employee threw in a life buoy before jumping into the pool himself to save the orangutan. He managed to bring it ashore and performed chest presses as first-aid. The orangutan has survived and is in stable health now, a zoo representative said. The zoo has erected signs to warn visitors not to feed animals, except certain species. However, many ignore the warnings, the representative said. The Safari Phu Quoc is a semi-wild zoo spanning 380 ha. It is home to around 3,000 animals, including 175 species of birds, mammals and reptiles. … [Read more...] about Orangutan nearly drowns after zoo visitor throws food into pool

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) Hanoi – Vietnamese airlines are suffering losses amounting to hundreds of billions of VND each month due to a surge in fuel prices, according to director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) Dinh Viet Thang. At a conference of the Transport Ministry reviewing its work in the first half of the year on June 28, Thang said as fuel costs account for 40-50% of operation costs, revenues increases are not sufficient to compensate for high fuel prices. He said domestic aviation transport has fully recovered with higher growth than in the pre-pandemic period. However, Vietnamese carriers have not fully escaped difficulties due to the slow recovery of the international market. It was reported at the conference that in the first half of the year, the number of international air passengers has increased monthly, from 103,500 in January to 127,000 in February, 224,600 in March, 445,700 in April, 650,000 in May and an estimated 826,000 in June. … [Read more...] about Domestic air transport sees fast recovery, airlines suffer loss due to rising fuel prices

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (R) receives Tamas Uri, Head of CEE Region at Egis Pharmaceuticals PLC (Photo: VNA) Budapest – National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue received leaders of several Hungarian enterprises which are operating in Vietnam on June 28 in Budapest as part of his official visit to the European country. At the meetings with a leader of Gedeon Richter Company – Hungary’s multinational company operating in the field of pharmaceutical manufacturing and biotechnology research and development (R&D), and representatives of Egis Company - a leading pharmaceutical company in the Central Eastern Europe, Hue appreciated the results of their activities in Vietnam, adding that pharmaceuticals is the country’s potential field of cooperation with many preferential policies. Leaders of Gedeon Richter and Egis showed their hope that Vietnam will speed up and simplify administrative procedures for drug registration so that many new products can be … [Read more...] about NA Chairman receives leaders of several Hungarian companies

National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ (left) had a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Tuesday in Budapest. — VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn BUDAPEST — Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ said his visit to Hungary is an opportunity to deepen and promote the comprehensive partnership between Việt Nam and Hungary, especially parliamentary ties. The top Vietnamese legislator made the remarks as he met Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Tuesday in Budapest, expressing his delight at the visit, and the chance to meet close friends of Việt Nam. Huệ said the visit would open up new cooperation areas between the two countries in multilateral or regional forums. The Vietnamese and Hungarian leaders concurred that the two countries had enjoyed a close-knit, time-tested, loyal relationship, a valuable asset that not many countries have had, so all present and future leaderships and peoples of the two countries should ensure its continuing growth. … [Read more...] about Việt Nam, Hungary to further promote trade, politics, and people-to-people exchanges: Leaders

More than 360,000 young people and students from colleges and universities are working as volunteers in the 2022 Mùa Hè Xanh (Green Summer) Campaign, a community and charity programme launched by the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union this week. — VNA/VNS photo by Hồng Giang HCM CITY — Nearly 800 university students and members of the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union opened the 2022 Mùa Hè Xanh (Green Summer) Campaign on Tuesday in HCM City. The annual event is the year’s biggest social and charity programme launched by the union. The volunteers are working in remote areas of Tam Nông District in Đồng Tháp Province, and Phú Quý island in Bình Thuận Province. Some villages in Laos are also included. They have worked to clean and upgrade canals, alleys, roads and irrigation systems. Free health check-ups and medicine for poor residents, children and women are also provided. They have also participated in cultural and community activities to promote environmental protection, … [Read more...] about HCM City students join 2022 Green Summer Campaign