New pain, old cause

(Baonghean)Summer has only just begun, but so far, dozens of drowning incidents have occurred in the province, resulting in 20 deaths. Behind these alarming numbers are the tragic deaths of young children and the immense pain of their parents. Significantly, this suffering stems from familiar causes: children lacking drowning prevention skills; a lack of safe environments for children; and a neglect of drowning prevention measures for children...

The numbers are alarming...

Nearly two months have passed, but the tragic death of 15-year-old Nguyen Huu Dung (from Thanh Tuong commune, Thanh Chuong district) still leaves his family with immeasurable grief. That afternoon (March 16th), the whole family went to a wedding in Vinh, leaving Dung alone at home. On a sunny day, Dung invited a friend from the neighborhood to swim in a pond near the brick kiln. Upon entering the pond, Dung and his friend were swept away by a whirlpool and drowned. Hearing cries for help, the brick kiln owner managed to pull one of the children to shore, but Dung drowned. As the only son in the family, Dung's death devastated his parents, Mr. Hung and Mrs. Nam; his grandfather fainted at his grandson's funeral...

Most recently (May 23rd), two female students from Quynh Vinh Secondary School (Quynh Luu district) drowned. Around 8:00 AM on May 23rd, a group of seven female students from Quynh Vinh Secondary School went swimming in the river. After a short while, the girls panicked and cried for help after three of them slipped and fell into a deep stream. Local residents rushed to help, but only one student, Tran Thi Lien (born in 2001), was rescued. The other two girls died. The deceased victims were identified as Cao Thi Linh (born in 2001) and Bui Thi Anh (born in 2000), both residing in Hamlet 4, Quynh Vinh commune, Quynh Luu district.



Children swimming in ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams is a leading cause of drowning. (Photo taken in Dien Yen, Dien Chau)

According to preliminary statistics from the Department of Child Care and Protection, under the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, in the first five months of 2013 alone, the province recorded 14 drowning incidents resulting in 20 deaths (including 16 primary and secondary school students and 4 kindergarten children). Currently, Nghe An is one of the provinces with the highest number of child drowning deaths in the country. The issue of child drowning has been repeatedly warned about by the media and relevant authorities, but these warnings seem insufficient. The number of child deaths due to drowning continues to rise, becoming a pressing social problem. Drowning not only takes the lives of young children but also brings immense pain to their families and loved ones.

With the summer holidays approaching, children are free to play without school supervision, making them susceptible to accidents and injuries, with drowning being a high-risk group.

We need a safe environment for children...

Mr. Bui Quoc Dung, Head of the Child Care and Protection Department, stated: "The reason children drown stems from their lack of knowledge on how to protect themselves in dangerous situations underwater. However, the main cause remains parental neglect and failure to protect children; meanwhile, education and training in drowning prevention are limited, and safe environments for children are lacking, with dangers constantly lurking and threatening them."

Neglecting children, failing to supervise them, and carelessly allowing them to play in unsafe areas have led to tragic deaths. This is especially true for elementary and middle school children, where parents often lack regular supervision, believing their children are old enough, particularly in rural areas. In most of the aforementioned accidents, the children had spontaneously gone swimming in ponds, lakes, and streams without adult supervision, resulting in drowning deaths.

Starting in 2011, the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs implemented the "Safe Home for Child Injury Prevention" model. This model helps parents and caregivers identify and eliminate potential hazards that could cause injuries to children around and inside their homes, minimizing injuries to children at home and in the community caused by daily activities. The model has been implemented in 13 communes in Hung Nguyen, Quynh Luu, Yen Thanh, Thanh Chuong, Anh Son, Tan Ky, Nghia Dan, Que Phong, Quy Chau, Tuong Duong, Ky Son, Thai Hoa Town, and Cua Lo Town. In 2013, it was expanded to 4 more communes in Nam Dan, Dien Chau, Do Luong, and Con Cuong. The effectiveness of this model is evident, positively impacting parents' awareness of child safety and minimizing injuries, especially drowning.

However, after three years of implementation, this model remains at the pilot stage, with only one commune per district, and has not yet been widely replicated. The reasons are a lack of funding and insufficient attention and guidance from local Party committees and authorities. Ms. Nguyen Thi My Luong, a specialist in the Child Care and Protection Department of the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, stated: “Each year, the Department directs the pilot implementation of the model in one commune, prioritizing those with high risk. During implementation, we conduct awareness campaigns, provide funding for training, etc. After that, the commune maintains the model itself. The policy is to direct pilot implementations and then expand, but so far, the number of communes implementing this model is limited to those where the Department has conducted pilot projects...”

Starting in 2012, the Department of Child Protection and Care also coordinated with the two districts of Do Luong and Anh Son to open several training courses on swimming for 300 officials and teachers, and swimming lessons for 200 children. According to the plan, in 2013, swimming lessons will be implemented for the head of the Youth Union and the staff working with children, as well as students in Thanh Chuong district; and volunteer teams will be maintained at ferry terminals and river sections in districts such as Thanh Chuong and Do Luong. The directive instructs subordinate units to organize summer volunteer teams to conduct summer activities for children, including guiding them in safe games and teaching them how to prevent common childhood injuries such as burns, traffic accidents, and drowning... aiming to equip them with basic knowledge to protect themselves... However, such training courses are merely a drop in the ocean, while in schools, swimming instruction remains only "on paper" due to insufficient funding for building swimming pools and a shortage of swimming instructors...

Despite the widespread promotion of the slogan "Children today, the world tomorrow," society seems to be struggling to find ways to mitigate this growing number of drowning incidents. Unfinished infrastructure projects, manholes, drainage ditches, and pipelines left unmanaged by authorities pose a real threat to young children. Of the 14 drowning incidents mentioned above, 5 involved children falling into ponds or deep pits in old brick kilns that were left uncovered after excavation, lacked warning signs, and were not properly protected.

These long-standing causes are directly affecting the lives of tens of thousands of children, causing new pain for hundreds of families. It is time for the whole society to resolutely join hands to combat the problem of drowning among young children. A highly effective and quick solution is for the Department of Education and Training to closely supervise schools in organizing swimming lessons for students; and to reinstate swimming as a competition subject in the Phu Dong Sports Festival at all levels, from school to provincial, as it was in the 1990s, to create a swimming movement among students.

Thanh Phuc