Currently, the incidents of food poisoning, chemical poisoning, and drug abuse are on the rise. Vietnam urgently needs a long-term strategy to stockpile rare medicines for treatment.
Hospitals across Vietnam conducted 19,435 surgeries during the seven-day Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, up 11.4% from the same period last year, reported the Health Ministry’s Department of Medical Service Administration.
A helicopter from the Vietnam Helicopter Corporation on October 2 took eight crewmen aboard China’s Wu Zhou 8 ship from Con Dao island district to Vung Tau hospital in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau for further treatment, as suggested by the Chinese Embassy.
Nine critical ill sailors in a suspected food poisoning case on a Chinese vessel have been saved after being taken to the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, said a local health official.
The Ministry of Health said on December 20 that six inter-sectoral teams will be set up to inspect food safety in 12 provinces and cities in the lead-up to the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) festival and spring festivals afterwards.
To tackle rampant food safety issues in Vietnam, a national information database with real-time updates will be set up, according to Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam.
The prevention of food poisoning and food-borne diseases have been improved drastically and showed positive results based on the decrease on food poisoning cases in the first six months of this year, a conference heard on July 20.
The Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) has helped improve the quality of meals for workers as it makes the issue part of the collective bargaining between employers and employees.
More than 22,500 units in Hanoi were found to have violated food safety regulations this year after inspectors examined 110,930 units, according to the city’s Health Department.
Inspections of moon cakes, jams, candies and other foods for the Mid-Autumn Festival will be enhanced nationwide at the request of the Ministry of Health’s Food Safety and Hygiene Department.
The implementation of regulations related to food advertisement has improved, but managing advertising on social networks like Facebook and YouTube has faced a number of difficulties.
At least seven people died following a suspected case of food poisoning in the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau on February 13, the provincial People’s Committee reported.
As the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival is just weeks away, food safety acquires added urgency as it is a time when consumption of food reaches its annual peak.
The Prime Minister has requested the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City to clarify information relating to food poisoning of 34 Japanese tourists returning from the locality.
Health
