Thanh Hoa takes measures to shelter children from drowning

Children in Lang Chang district in Thanh Hoa province learn swimming skills. (Source: VNA)

Thanh Hoa (VNA) – The central province of Thanh Hoa has exerted every effort to provide a safe playground for children during the summer, helping minimise the number of child fatalities caused by accidents, especially drowning.

The provincial People’s Committee approved a plan to keep children away from accidents in 2016-2020 with the goal of reducing the rate of accidents among children from 520 per 100,000 to 400 per 100,000.

The plan also aims for around 90,000 families’ houses meeting safety criteria for children, as well as 200 schools and 10 communes, wards and towns safe for children.

The provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs was asked to boost communication campaigns to raise families and communities’ awareness of keeping children away from injuring accidents and drowning, equipping them with preventive skills.

The provincial Department of Education and Training will closely work with families to manage and educate children on safe skills.

The People’s Committees in districts, communes, towns and cities were asked to review facilities for physical training and swimming, while localities should review areas that are prone to drowning in order to have warnings and timely preventive measures.

According to the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, in the first six months of 2016, among 16 child deaths from accidents, 15 died of drowning.-VNA