Chicken pox breaks out in Quang Nam

A fresh outbreak of chicken pox was reported on Monday in Quang Nam Province with more than 700 new patients.

The provincial health department said the number of patients in the province increased by 237 over the same period last year.

Hot weather was blamed for exacerbating the outbreak.

Vocational school breaks ground

The construction of a 20ha vocational college began in Di An District, Binh Duong Province.

The Dong An Vocational College, worth VND300 billion (US$18.75 million), will be equipped with teaching aids from Singapore and the US.

The first course will start in October.

First software to teach Vietnamese syllables

The School@ net Company launched software to teach children Vietnamese syllables, a vital teaching aid for preschool children and the first of its kind.

It’s the company’s most complicated software project so far and took programmers two years to complete, said the director of the company.

The software, which closely follows textbooks for grade 1, describes the writing and pronunciation of 29 Vietnamese letters and 173 major syllables in 519 pictures.

Counterfeit antibiotics found in Ha Noi

Ha Noi Police seized 570 boxes of counterfeit Augmentin antibiotics.

The fake medicines were first discovered at the Da Phuc Pharmaceuticals Co Ltd in Ba Dinh District when the pharmacy underwent a routine inspection.

Police are co-ordinating with relevant agencies to determine the origins of the medicine.

Tiger tracks spotted near residential area

Footprints of a tiger over 100kg were spotted about 1 km from the Hoa Nghia residential area in the central province of Binh Dinh’s Phu My District.

Phu My authorities on Monday warned locals to avoid the forest near the Dai Son water tank in My Hiep village. The local forestry office is working to protect the tiger which has so far caused no harm to the village.

Golf courses cover over 38,000ha

The number of golf courses which are already operational, now under construction or have applied for licenses now totals 123, according to reports from 51 out of 64 provinces and cities around the country. These golf courses cover 38,445 ha of land, over 15,000 ha of which were used for agriculture. The reports were requested from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, presently surveying agricultural land being used for golf purposes.

The southeast has 36 golf courses, the nation’s highest concentration.

Bank proposes low-cost housing loans

The HCM City branch of the Viet Nam Bank of Social Policy submitted a proposal to the Government to give poor urban workers bank loans for low-cost houses. According to the bank, the market economy has a serious effect on urban workers. The bank already offers loans to students, poor households and small businesses in low-income areas.

The bank also petitioned city hall to create favourable conditions to help the bank increase capital by soliciting financial aid from international and non-governmental organisations.

New clinics slated for suburban areas

HCM City is instructing suburban districts, including Thu Duc, Binh Tan, Nha Be and Cu Chi, to reserve over 225ha of land for the construction of new hospitals and clinics.

According to the city’s Health Department, HCM City will need 28,800 hospital beds by 2010, and 40,000 beds by 2020.

The HCM City People’s Committee will no longer issue licences to hospitals and clinics constructed in the inner districts.

Vice President visits disabled kids

Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan yesterday presented VND10 million along with television sets to disabled children and orphans at the northern province of Bac Ninh’s social welfare centre.

Her presentation was made on the occassion of International Children’s Day, which will fall on June 1.

The vice president praised the centre’s staff for educating and caring for disadvantaged children.

She also encouraged the children to try to overcome their situations in order to become full participants in society.

On the same day, the vice president also visited the Temple for the Eight Kings of the Ly Dynasty in Dinh Bang Commune, Tu Son District.

Tree planting campaign launched

The non-government organisation Caritas Switzerland has launched a tree planting campaign in response to Viet Nam Green Week and World Environmental Day.

The campaign aims to raise awareness of global environmental problems like air pollution and climate change. People will be taught about the negative impact of carbon gas on the environment.

Caritas Switzerland raised money to support the planting of 1,400 trees in Quan Ba District in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang.

The trees will be planted and cared for by local farmers with saplings, fertilizers provided by the Swiss charity.

(Source: VNS/LD/SGGP/TT)