Nghe An strengthens measures to minimize drowning in children

On April 13, the People's Committee of Nghe An province issued a document on strengthening the work of preventing accidents, injuries, and child drowning to provincial departments, branches, unions, and social organizations; and People's Committees of districts, cities, and towns.

Accordingly, in order to reduce the number of children suffering from accidents and injuries, especially drowning in the province in the coming time, the Provincial People's Committee requests leaders of units and localities to continue to strictly implement Directive No. 23/CT-TTg dated May 26, 2020 of the Prime Minister on strengthening solutions to ensure the implementation of children's rights and child protection, with special attention to the prevention of accidents and injuries for children, including prevention and control of drowning for children. Enhance the role and responsibility to effectively perform the assigned tasks in Plan No. 625/KH-UBND dated October 30, 2021 on implementing the Provincial Program on Prevention and Control of Accidents and Injuries for Children in the period 2021-2030 and Plan No. 197/KH-UBND dated March 24, 2022 on implementing children's work in Nghe An province in 2022.

A summer swimming class for students in Nghe An. Photo: TL

Promote communication and education to raise awareness and responsibility of agencies, organizations and individuals on preventing accidents, injuries and preventing drowning in children; disseminate knowledge and equip skills on preventing drowning in children to every school, class, block, hamlet, village and hamlet. Mobilize families to regularly care for, monitor and remind children about the risks of accidents, injuries and drowning; pay attention to improving and eliminating risks of accidents, injuries and drowning for children right at home and in the community, such as: covering water containers in the house, fencing around houses, ponds and lakes; placing warning signs in river areas, streams, traffic works, construction sites, dangerous traffic routes where accidents, injuries and drowning are likely to occur and implementing other related measures to ensure safety and minimize accidents, injuries and drowning for children in the province.

A drowning rescue drill. Photo: TL

In addition, the Provincial People's Committee assigned the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs to guide, implement, inspect and urge the construction of a Safe House for the prevention of accidents and injuries to children. Take the lead and coordinate with relevant departments, branches, sectors and organizations to strengthen the direction and guidance on the implementation of accident and injury prevention and drowning prevention for children, especially before the summer break; develop and share communication materials on drowning prevention for children for dissemination on mass media. Timely care, visit, encourage and support the families of children who have suffered serious injuries and deaths due to accidents, injuries and drowning. Develop plans and coordinate the organization of inspection teams for children's work in general, including the content of accident and injury prevention and drowning prevention for children in the province.

The Department of Education and Training is responsible for guiding, implementing, and inspecting the construction of "Safe schools to prevent and combat accidents and injuries to children". Strengthen swimming lessons, skills education for students to recognize warning signs, risks and measures to prevent accidents, injuries and skills to protect themselves in traffic safety and safety in the water environment. At the same time, direct educational institutions to regularly coordinate with local authorities, mass organizations, parents' associations and families to strengthen propaganda, management, and education for students on drowning prevention, especially in the summer and rainy season.

Nghe An still lacks swimming pools to teach swimming to students. Photo: TL

The Department of Culture and Sports is assigned to preside over and coordinate with relevant departments and branches to continue implementing the "Safe Swimming Program"; increase the organization of training courses to improve the quality of swimming teachers, teach water safety skills to children in the community, schools, sports facilities and teach swimming to children; strengthen information and communication work, raise awareness of society and people about the necessity of learning to swim and drowning rescue. Propagate and educate families on management, supervision and child care skills, mobilize families to take children to swimming lessons and learn water safety skills, regularly check conditions to ensure safety to prevent accidents, injuries and drowning of children at tourist beaches, swimming pools and swimming pools.

The Department of Transport coordinates with the Provincial Police and People's Committees at all levels to strengthen inspection and examination of compliance with legal regulations on road and waterway traffic safety; prevention of traffic accidents and child drowning at the grassroots level; strictly and promptly handle violations. The Department of Construction is responsible for reviewing and implementing regulations, standards and criteria on safety against falls for children at public construction works, especially at schools, apartment buildings and high-rise buildings. Inspect and examine compliance with regulations, standards and criteria on safety against falls for children, especially at construction works, apartment buildings, high-rise buildings and playgrounds.

Meanwhile, the People's Committees of districts, cities and towns are responsible for directing functional agencies, units and People's Committees of communes to inspect and review areas where traffic accidents and drowning often occur or where there is a risk of causing injuries and drowning for children during the rainy, stormy and flood seasons, including drainage systems at construction sites, traffic works, rivers, ponds, lakes, dangerous deep water areas, warning and preventing, ensuring safety against accidents, injuries and drowning for children. Strengthen communication on drowning prevention on local mass media; visually propagate through a system of banners, slogans, billboards, posters, leaflets... especially at schools, nurseries and kindergartens. Direct the District Culture, Sports and Communications Center to regularly broadcast warning messages about locations and areas at risk of drowning accidents, focusing on peak hours during the summer break.

Localities with eco-tourism areas, swimming spots, rivers, streams, waterfalls, ravines, etc. should proactively inspect the work of ensuring drowning prevention and control and arrange a team of rescue workers on duty at high-risk locations to be ready to detect and promptly rescue drowning cases. Allocate budgets and mobilize the participation of the community and families to create conditions for children to learn swimming and safety skills in the water environment; pay attention to building and maintaining facilities, physical education and sports facilities, developing smart swimming pool systems, self-made swimming pools to organize classes to teach safety skills in the water environment and popularize safe swimming for children, etc.