Prevent drowning in the summer

From mid-March 2025 to present, Dong Nai province has recorded 5 drowning incidents, resulting in 4 deaths in Bien Hoa city and Nhon Trach and Trang Bom districts. Specifically, on May 1, a 2-year-old girl named TBN (living in Bac Son commune, Trang Bom district) drowned in her home swimming pool. Previously, on the afternoon of March 17, 2 students of Phuoc Tan 1 Secondary School (Phuoc Tan ward, Bien Hoa city) who are siblings drowned while bathing in the Buong river. Recently, at noon on May 26, 7 students went swimming in an abandoned pond in Bac Son commune (Trang Bom district), 2 of them drowned and had to be taken to the emergency room, fortunately their health is stable.

Most drowning incidents occur in localities with many ponds, lakes, rivers, streams, and construction sites that are not carefully covered. Another cause is the lack of attention from adults in monitoring, supervising, and managing, especially during school breaks, when children often invite each other to play in areas with potential drowning risks. According to some parents in Bien Hoa City, children like to play in water, and the weather is currently hot and summer vacation time, so they often invite each other to go to lakes, rivers, and streams near their homes to play and cool off. Because their parents work far away, many workers have to work overtime until late at night, leaving little time to take care of their children.

Although the drowning situation has been complicated for many years, the investment in building swimming pools in schools and cultural houses of wards and communes is still limited due to lack of funding. Currently, school leaders are integrating skills to recognize dangers when playing in water, staying away from rivers, streams, ponds and lakes where landslides and water flows often occur and being alert to collapsed sewers and drainage ditches when it rains heavily.

To prevent drowning, the Department of Health of Dong Nai province requested the People's Committees of districts, Long Khanh city and Bien Hoa city to promote propaganda on drowning prevention skills through loudspeakers, social networks, newspapers and to check potential risk areas such as ponds, lakes, rivers, unfinished construction works to have measures to fence and put up warning signs to ensure safety for children. Localities are interested in accelerating the progress of popularizing swimming for students, effectively implementing the Safe Swimming Program to prevent drowning in children for the period 2023-2030, replicating effective swimming teaching models and promoting the socialization of swimming teaching.

The Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs of Dong Nai province is strengthening the inspection and supervision of localities on the prevention of accidents, injuries and drowning in children; reviewing dangerous ponds, lakes, rivers and deep water areas to promptly install warning signs and barriers to minimize the risk of accidents. The unit also focuses on inspecting and supervising the compliance with legal regulations and strengthening inter-sectoral coordination to direct the prevention of accidents, injuries and drowning in children.

HOANG BAC

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/ngan-ngua-tinh-trang-duoi-nuoc-dip-he-post800074.html