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VHO - Public opinion is still reeling from the drowning deaths of four students in Dak Lak, when just a few days later, five more students in Phu Tho suffered a tragic accident. Along with many other incidents in various localities, these consecutive accidents at the beginning of summer are casting a shadow of anxiety over many families with young children.

Báo Văn Hóa•22/05/2026

What deeply concerns the public is that almost every year, the Government and relevant ministries and agencies issue directives and instructions calling for strengthened measures to prevent child drowning, yet every summer vacation, heartbreaking tragedies repeat themselves.

The blank space behind the text - image 1 — A delegation from the Ministry of Health visited and offered condolences to the family of a student who drowned in Phu Tho. Photo: V.LONG

Tragedy ... has arrived again .

Following a series of drowning deaths among students in Phu Tho and Dak Lak provinces, on May 19th, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung signed Official Dispatch No. 40/CD-TTg, urgently requesting the strengthening of measures to prevent and combat child drowning nationwide. The dispatch was sent urgently to the Ministry of Health , the Ministry of Education and Training, the Chairmen of the People's Committees of provinces and cities, and many other relevant agencies and organizations.

Besides requesting that Phu Tho and Dak Lak provinces continue to mobilize forces to search for the missing students and support the victims' families, the Prime Minister requested that all provinces and cities review all areas with potential drowning risks to promptly issue warnings, erect danger signs, and implement preventive measures. Educational institutions were also requested to strengthen student management during the summer, promote swimming lessons, and equip children with water safety skills.

The directive also emphasized the responsibility of families in supervising their children, preventing them from unsupervised access to ponds, lakes, rivers, streams, or unsafe deep water areas. At the same time, localities must strengthen inspections of drowning prevention measures in schools, educational institutions, and local authorities.

Besides local authorities, the Prime Minister also assigned the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education and Training, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and other relevant units to implement comprehensive activities to prevent child drowning. Notably, this is not the first time such decisive directives have been issued. Almost every year, before and during the summer holidays, official dispatches and directives on preventing child drowning are issued with very specific requirements. However, tragic accidents continue to recur, raising questions about the effectiveness of implementation at the grassroots level and the responsibility of local authorities in enforcing them.

The tragedy of child drowning continues to occur. Behind the cold statistics lies the immense pain of many families and the unfilled gaps in prevention efforts at the grassroots level.

The blank space behind the text - image 2 — Warning sign to prevent drowning at the site of a mass drowning incident in Phu Tho province. Photo: B. THUY

Electricity bills ca n't just be on paper .

Speaking to Văn Hóa magazine, Mr. Đặng Hoa Nam, Vice President of the Vietnam Association for the Protection of Children's Rights, said: If localities fully implement the contents of the Prime Minister's directives on preventing and combating drowning, the number of child deaths will certainly decrease. According to him, the reality in some localities such as Nghe An and Hanoi shows that when drowning prevention and control programs are implemented vigorously, the number of accidents has decreased significantly.

If only Directives from the province down to the commune through written documents , but lacking substantive action , resources , and thorough supervision , will only lead to more tragic drowning incidents . Throughout my 10 years working in this field , every year I have proposed and advised the competent authorities to issue official directives . religion , and In many places , the electricity bills received remain just on paper .

( Mr. Dang Hoa Nam , Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Association for the Protection of Children 's Rights )

However, what worries Mr. Nam is that many directives remain only administrative documents. “The Prime Minister requested strict management of children during the summer to ensure safety and prevent drowning. But how to manage them, who is responsible, and what are the consequences for failure to comply… almost no one has provided specific answers,” Mr. Nam said.

According to him, practical intervention models and solutions for preventing drowning have been developed by relevant authorities for many years. The problem lies in the implementation and resource investment. Among these, the most fundamental solution remains teaching children to swim and equipping them with water safety skills.

“To achieve this, we need a budget and specific assignments. A locality can absolutely compile statistics on how many children still don't know how to swim in order to develop an annual support plan. For example, in Nghe An, with decisive directives, the locality has increased the construction of swimming pools in schools in areas with many rivers and high risks,” Mr. Nam cited as an example. Mr. Nam also argued that the local drowning prevention plan is still largely superficial. “Everywhere reports having programs and plans, but if there is no funding or manpower, how can they be implemented?” he questioned.

According to the Vice President of the Vietnam Association for the Protection of Children's Rights, many seemingly basic requirements have not yet been fully implemented. “How many communes have created maps of dangerous water areas? How many ponds and lakes have warning signs and guards? Who is on duty, and during what hours? Even printing warning leaflets and posters for students to take home is something many places haven't done,” Mr. Nam lamented, emphasizing that drowning prevention efforts are only effective when implemented at the grassroots level, with specific responsibilities assigned to each force such as village heads, neighborhood leaders, women's associations, youth unions, and schools.

"If directives are only issued from the province down to the commune level through written documents without concrete action, resources, and thorough supervision, then drowning tragedies will continue. For 10 years working in this field, every year I have proposed and advised the competent authorities to issue directives, and in many places, these directives remain untouched on paper," Mr. Dang Hoa Nam observed.

Heartbreaking drowning incidents have highlighted a significant gap between directives and their practical implementation at the local level. As summer begins, many parents worry about the dangers their children face in ponds, lakes, and streams. And if prevention efforts remain limited to slogans or repeated annual directives, the tragedy of child drownings will continue to be a persistent source of pain.

Nghe An province sees a significant reduction in drowning incidents thanks to investment in swimming lessons.

In reality , many localities have reduced the number of child deaths due to drowning by decisively implementing preventive measures . Among them , Nghe An is considered one of the localities with the most significant changes . Instead of just focusing on propaganda or issuing plans , Nghe An has ... Investing in the construction of more swimming pools in schools , especially in areas with many rivers and streams where the risk of accidents is high , is crucial . Simultaneously , organizing safe swimming lessons and equipping children with the skills to handle situations in water environments is also important .