The lives of 17 fishermen whose two boats started to sink in heavy seas during a storm on the East Sea off southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province have been saved.

Photo: VNN

Four of the fishermen were rescued yesterday in a state of exhaustion and taken to the province's Con Dao Archipelago, 97 miles off the mainland.

Another fisherman was rescued on Sunday from a boat which was floundering near Con Dao. Four more men from the same boat are still missing.

Twelve more fishermen were also rescued earlier on the same day after their boat was safely escorted to shore.

NGO provides kids free burns treatment

Operation Smile Viet Nam (OSV) began a campaign to provide free medical check-up and surgery to treat burns for poor children and young people last Saturday.

The week-long programme, which is financed by ConocoPhillips, hopes to benefit 80-100 people. International volunteers and doctors from the HCM City National Hospital for Odonto-Stomatology will perform the surgeries.

The corporation has supported OSV for several years and is for the second time providing funding for burn treatment.

Chill weather causes respiratory problems

A large number of patients with respiratory ailments have been admitted to HCM City hospitals in the last week because of unseasonably cool weather, doctors said.

Dr Hoang Dinh Huu Hanh of the University Medical Centre said the centre saw a 20 per cent rise in the number of patients last week, most were older people.

Older people with chronic breathing problems should be given vaccinations before the onset of cold weather, he said.

The Paediatric Hospital No.1 admitted more than 200 children with sore throat, tonsilitis, and bronchitis last week.

Dr Le Bich Lien, the hospital's deputy head, said children should stay indoors and be kept warm.

Barracuda poisons 17 people in Quang Ngai

Ten people were treated for food poisoning in central Quang Ngai Province's General Hospital after eating a 30kg barracuda.

The patients from Tu Nghia District's Nghia An Commune were hospitalised on Sunday afternoon with symptoms of food poisoning after they'd eaten the fish.

Source: VNS