"Gap" in preventing drowning in children

When youth does not stand aside

In recent weeks, many children in Anh Son district have participated in free swimming classes organized by the local Youth Union and Association. This is one of the key activities when summer comes for the district's youth, because Anh Son is a mountainous area with complex terrain, where three large rivers, Lam River, Con River and Giang River, flow through. The whole district has 72 reservoirs and a dense river and stream system with a water surface area of ​​nearly 3,000 hectares. This natural feature creates many potential drowning risks, especially for children.

Understanding the need to implement activities to prevent drowning for children and adolescents, since April, the Standing Committee of Anh Son District Youth Union has directed 100% of the Youth Union bases to closely coordinate with departments, branches, organizations and schools to organize propaganda and disseminate drowning prevention skills in schools, villages and hamlets. Especially focusing on communes with many dangerous water points.

The district has installed more than 104 prohibition signs, danger warning signs, and life-saving poles in river and stream areas, and opened two free swimming classes in Hung Son and Vinh Son communes.

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“Local Youth Union organizations do not just stop at propaganda but also establish youth volunteer teams to stand guard, remind children not to play or swim in potentially dangerous areas, and be ready to rescue when an incident occurs.”

Comrade Nguyen Thi Huong Lien - Secretary of Anh Son District Youth Union

In Quynh Luu district, where there is a dense density of lakes and irrigation systems, measures to prevent and combat drowning have also been implemented synchronously. This summer, the entire district organized over 60 propaganda sessions at the teams, installed and repaired over 50 warning signs in lakes, rivers and streams, and organized 5 free swimming classes for children in the communes.

In Yen Thanh district, drowning prevention has been included in extracurricular activities and flag salutes in 100% of the teams. This year, the district has installed more than 90 new warning signs at dams, lakes, and dangerous deep water areas, typically in Dong Thanh and Xuan Thanh communes; organized 3 free swimming classes in Son Thanh commune; launched life buoys, and increased broadcasting at high-risk areas.

Implementing the motto "Each youth union member is a propagandist about the risk of drowning accidents", Nghe An Provincial Youth Union has directed all Youth Union branches to simultaneously deploy propaganda and education on drowning prevention skills; provide first aid instructions; organize free swimming classes; and install warning signs at dangerous water points.

At the same time, promote the role of the youth volunteer team in monitoring and reminding children not to play or swim in potentially risky areas.

According to statistics, the whole province has installed and hung more than 2,500 warning signs at high-risk ponds, lakes, rivers and streams.

In addition, the involvement of functional forces also plays an important role in preventing and reducing drowning accidents. The Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Department of Nghe An Provincial Police is a unit that regularly coordinates with the Youth Union at all levels to organize training in rescue skills, first aid, escape skills, and the use of life jackets and life buoys. Officers and soldiers have directly gone to schools and residential areas to give talks and practice practical rescue techniques to help students and people gain more skills to respond when situations arise.

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“We regularly organize propaganda, instruct water safety skills, and conduct rescue drills at schools and residential areas. However, for this work to be effective, it requires cooperation from families. Parents need to closely monitor their children when they play near rivers and lakes, and proactively equip them with swimming skills and situation handling skills. Each skill learned can save themselves and those around them.”

Captain Bui Van Hau - Secretary of the Youth Union of the Fire Prevention and Fighting and Rescue Police Department

There are still worrying "gaps"

Despite many positive results, the work of preventing and fighting drowning for children still has many shortcomings.

According to Dang Ngoc Minh - Secretary of Quynh Luu District Youth Union, despite efforts to implement activities to prevent drowning for children, every year the district still has 5-7 cases of drowning of children. Currently, the whole district has 25 communes and towns with many coastal areas and a large number of ponds, lakes and canals in the area, making it impossible to arrange regular inspection forces. In addition, resources to organize swimming classes for children are still limited and cannot be replicated throughout the district. More importantly, the management of children during the summer by many families is not close, there are still cases of children going swimming together without adult supervision.

According to the Secretary of the Tuong Duong District Youth Union, Lu Xuan Ha, on average, 2 to 3 children drown each year in the locality. Although every year, the Youth Union and Association organizations always coordinate with schools and local authorities to open 3 to 4 free swimming classes, 15 swimming skills training classes and place more than 30 warning signs in deep and dangerous water areas.

According to Tran Linh, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Youth Union, the work of preventing and fighting drowning for children still faces many difficulties when some localities have not been proactive in checking and warning about dangerous spots; funding for organizing swimming classes and purchasing life-saving equipment is still limited.

In many rural areas, swimming facilities are lacking, there is a lack of qualified teachers, and there are no conditions to organize regular swimming classes. In addition, the awareness of some parents is still limited, they do not pay enough attention to supervising their children during the summer, and children freely swim in rivers and streams without adults accompanying them.

For drowning prevention to be truly effective and sustainable, there needs to be stronger involvement from Party committees, authorities, mass organizations, schools and especially from each family.

Drowning prevention is not a seasonal or movement task but requires perseverance, regular implementation and the right target. When every child knows how to swim, knows how to protect themselves, when every parent is responsible and closely supervises. When every union official and local government takes drastic action, then tragic accidents due to drowning can truly be prevented.

Importantly, it is necessary to create healthy and useful playgrounds so that children have more safe options during the summer days.

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Nghe An is a large province with 13 large and small rivers with a total length of over 1,000 km, along with an 82 km coastline. The residential area has many canals, ponds and lakes. In Nghe An, on average, every year in the province, there are 45 - 50 cases of child drowning deaths. In recent years, the province has issued many plans and telegrams to strengthen the implementation of programs and solutions to prevent accidents, injuries and drowning for children. Youth Union - Association - Pioneer organizations at all levels have organized and implemented many programs and activities to protect children from accidents and injuries, especially drowning. However, there are still many "gaps" in this work.

Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Youth Union, Chairman of the Council of the Young Pioneers of Nghe An province Tran Linh