The Child Affairs Department (under the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs) informed that about 2,000 children are killed in drowning accidents each year. However, only 42 out of 63 provinces and municipalities allocate their budget to prevent this.
Statistics from the Ministry of Education and Training also reveal that only 2,200 over 25,000 schools all over the country have their own swimming pool (accounting for 8.63 percent), and the proportion of students able to swim is merely about 33.6 percent.
The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs asked that relevant ministries, state agencies, and localities pay more attention to the Government’s schemes like the National Action Program for Children for the 2021-2030 Period; the Child Accident and Injury Prevention and Control Program for the 2021-2030 Period; and related dispatches of the National Committee for Children regarding preventing drowning accidents among children. It also proposed more swimming lessons held to update the public about necessary skills to prevent drowning.
To minimize drowning accidents among children, especially during summertime, for the past 10 years, HCMC has been organizing various swimming lessons, with the aim of having over 60 percent of city children from 6 to 16 years old know how to be safe in the water environment by 2025. In 2030, this proportion must increase to 70 percent. In addition, the percentage of 6-to-16-year-old people in HCMC able to swim must be 50 percent and 60 percent in 2025 and 2030 respectively.
To achieve this, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union of HCMC develops a detailed plan for each year to carry out the scheme ‘Safe Swimming – Drowning Prevention for City Children’. As a result, each summer, about 1,000 children learn this essential skill.
Different schools in HCMC also have their own plans to help their students obtain this skill, along with troubleshooting skills in swimming and first aid skills for drowning cases.
Specialist Level II Dinh Tan Phuong – Head of the Emergency Department of Children Hospital No.1 (HCMC) shared that since this April, his hospital has treated many severe drowning cases from neighboring provinces as well. As drowning happens fast but can leave long-term effects on victims, adults should be extremely careful when letting their children play near the water. Bathrooms should have their door safely shut when not in use. Children are encouraged to take swimming lessons.
Head Huynh Quang Tam of the Division of Fire and Rescue Police under the HCMC Department of Public Security warned that both adults and children should be well equipped with necessary swimming skills and knowledge to prevent drowning.
Swimming pools must have sufficient rescue equipment and have lifeguards on duty at all time. Whenever taking part in water-related activities, children must wear life jackets. These protective clothes must be available on ships.
If a drowning accident is detected but adults cannot swim, they should throw a log or buoy for children to grab. It is not advised for people unable to swim to jump into water for rescue at that time.
When rescuing a victim in water, it is necessary to hold his or her head out of water and try to calm that person. On land, the victim should be placed in a supine position on a hard surface. If the victim is pale, cannot breathe on their own, or without a pulse, artificial respiration methods should be carried out.
Lately, many schools in Ha Tinh Province have organized training and propaganda sessions to equip students with necessary skills to prevent drowning accidents. They learn about the reasons for drowning and practice steps to swim or rescue drowning victims.
