Cuong was sentenced by the Hanoi’s People Court after being charged with "negligence that results in serious consequences". He is also forbidden from holding positions in the field of medicine for three years after finishing his sentence. Nguyen Minh Hung, former chairman of the management board of pharmaceutical firm Vietnam Pharma JSC, received 18 years in jail for "manufacturing and trading of counterfeit medicines for treatment or prevention of diseases". Hung had been sentenced to 17 years under the same charge at another trial over the case in 2019. His cumulative years to spend in prison will be 30 years, the maximum number of jail time for combined timed sentences in accordance with Vietnamese law. 12 others convicts related to the cases were also sentenced to between 2-20 years in jail. The sentences were the latest development in a counterfeit drug case involving Vietnam Pharma and the fake drug branded Health 2000 Canada. Cuong stands accused of violations that allowed … [Read more...] about Former deputy health minister jailed in fake cancer drug scandal
6 deputy minister drive
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh concludes U.S. trip
The trip has contributed to promoting the relations between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the U.S., and between Vietnam and the U.N. and the U.S., while affirming Vietnam’s role and prestige in the international arena. During his week-long stay in the U.S., the PM visited the four cities of Washington D.C, Boston, New York, and San Francisco, with more than 50 activities. He attended and delivered speeches at the summit, and met with ASEAN leaders, including his counterparts from Laos, Cambodia and Singapore, and the Indonesian President. Chinh also had meetings with U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russel, President of the U.N. General Assembly Abdulla Shahid and Administrator of the U.N. Development Program (UNDP) Achim Steiner. He met President Joe Biden, and received senior officials of the U.S. government such as Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Secretary of … [Read more...] about Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh concludes U.S. trip
Vietnam’s next steps in the fight to eradicate child labor
Deputy Minister of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Ha shared Vietnam’s plans to eradicate child labor at a conference in South Africa on Tuesday. At the fifth Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labor in Durban, South Africa, Ha spoke about the pivotal role that childhood education plays in reducing the risk of children leaving school to find work. Currently, about 94.4 percent of Vietnamese children have access to education thanks to government policies to make primary and secondary education compulsory, eradicate illiteracy, and reduce or exempt tuition fees for poor, disabled, ethnic minority, and underprivileged children. The Vietnamese government also has policies which help these marginalized groups gain access to health insurance and other social welfare programs. Currently, Vietnam is cooperating with other entities, such as the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the International Labor Organization (ILO) to … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s next steps in the fight to eradicate child labor
Developers clamour for legal clarity
Developers clamour for legal clarity, Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) Nguyen Manh Ha, vice chairman of the Vietnam Real Estate Association, said that tourism real estate needs to break down barriers to development as soon as possible, in order to move alongside the general economic recovery. “Currently, mechanisms and policies for resort real estate are unclear, especially in terms of new types of real estate such as condotels, officetels, and second-home villas in resorts,” Ha said. The legal framework has not kept pace with the reality of hospitality and resort real estate development, thus partly hindering the growth momentum of these types of property, Ha added. They are not given a right use certificate, known as a red book in Vietnam, because they are built on land plots permitted for developing tourism property only, and not for residential projects. Doan Van Binh, chairman of CEO Group, said that supply is scarce not only in Vietnam but worldwide due to the impact of … [Read more...] about Developers clamour for legal clarity
Conference discusses Public-Private Partnerships in healthcare
A panel discussion at the conference on strengthening ‘Public-Private Partnership for sustainable healthcare transformation’ in Hanoi on May 18. (Photo: VNA) Opening the event, the newspaper's editor-in-chief Le Trong Minh said that Vietnam's health sector faced many challenges, such as increasing infectious and non-communicable diseases, hospital overcrowding, shortage of supplies and equipment, the ageing population as well as the disparity between regions and healthcare levels in terms of quality of medical services and standardisation of modern equipment. “For the health system to be capable and always ready to respond to future situations, towards a comprehensive and sustainable health care system, it is necessary to have new investment orientations in social resources for the health system, as well as stronger cooperation from the parties involved, including the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) method,” said Minh. At the event, MPI deputy minister Tran Duy Dong said it … [Read more...] about Conference discusses Public-Private Partnerships in healthcare
SEA Games 31: Malaysia on track to hit medal target
A Malaysian golfer at SEA Games 31 (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Malaysia is on track to reach the target of 36 golds, 35 silvers and 75 bronzes at the ongoing 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) in Vietnam. Youth and Sports Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker said on May 18 that Malaysia still had several other sports such as gymnastics, karate and taekwondo that are medal prospects to achieve the target before the biggest regional sport event closes on May 23. The official said he is happy that Malaysia has passed the halfway mark for the gold target, expressing his belief that with the fighting spirit of athletes, the Malaysian contingent can accomplish their mission. He also said he hopes that the Harimau Muda ( under-23 football squad ) will be able to achieve victory over Vietnam in their semi-final on May 19 night. Malaysia has won 27 golds, 32 silvers and 65 bronzes at SEA Games 31 so far, ranking sixth in the medal tally./. VNA … [Read more...] about SEA Games 31: Malaysia on track to hit medal target