Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha visited and encouraged the forces on duty during Tet in the capital.

On the afternoon of February 8th, the 29th day of the Lunar New Year 2024, amidst the joyful atmosphere of the approaching Tet holiday, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha visited and extended New Year greetings to officials, workers, elderly people, and children at the Hanoi Social Protection Center 3; officers and soldiers of the Fire Prevention, Fighting, and Rescue Police Department (Hanoi City Police); doctors, nurses, and patients at the Hanoi Oncology Hospital; and officers and soldiers at the fireworks display site in the Hoan Kiem Lake area…

Photo caption — Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha extends New Year greetings to elderly people without family support who are being cared for and celebrating Tet at Social Protection Center 3. Photo: Van Diep/TTXVN

Expressing his emotion during his visit and New Year greetings at the Hanoi Social Protection Center 3, the Deputy Prime Minister wished the elderly and children good health and a joyful Tet holiday. He also urged the staff and workers to maintain their enthusiasm in conveying kindness and love to the children and elderly being cared for at the Center. The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that the Party and State always pay attention to and allocate significant resources to social welfare work; mobilizing the participation of organizations, associations, and individuals throughout society with the goal of "leaving no one behind."

With the achievements made, the Deputy Prime Minister requested ministries, sectors, and localities to continue effectively implementing Resolution 42-NQ/TW on continuing to innovate and improve the quality of social policies, meeting the requirements of the cause of national construction and defense in the new period. “With the leading role of the state, through various forms of care and investment, social protection centers have truly become a warm home for children with particularly difficult circumstances and a home for elderly people without support,” the Deputy Prime Minister shared, while also expressing his hope that Hanoi's social protection centers will have even better and more complete facilities. Since its establishment, Hanoi Social Protection Center 3 has received, managed, cared for, and nurtured over 1,500 lonely elderly people without support and orphaned children with particularly difficult circumstances and no source of support. Over 500 children have grown up from the center, found stable jobs, and started families.

Extending New Year greetings to officers and soldiers of the Fire Prevention, Firefighting, and Rescue Police Department, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha expressed his joy and warm feelings upon visiting and encouraging "those who keep the safety and peace" of the people during Tet – a task of immense importance and significance. Highly appreciating the achievements of the force in 2023, the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that, in recent years, the field of fire prevention, firefighting, and rescue has received special attention from the Party and State, from policies and guidelines, technical standards and regulations to operational mechanisms and organizational management; gradually developing and modernizing, approaching advanced technologies worldwide . During the traditional Lunar New Year holiday, the Deputy Prime Minister requested that the Fire Prevention, Fighting, and Rescue Police force pay attention to the risk of fire and explosions from the burning of firecrackers or votive paper, and to electrical safety in production facilities and offices. Along with the entire force, ministries, sectors, localities, agencies, organizations, and the people should raise awareness of fire prevention and fighting, maintain vigilance, and control fire and explosion risks to ensure a joyful, peaceful, and lucky Tet holiday. Currently, the Fire Prevention, Fighting, and Rescue Police Department of Hanoi City Police has over 1,800 officers and soldiers, 246 vehicles, 17 fire fighting and rescue boats, and many pumps and other rescue equipment. In 2023, the Department advised on many important documents on fire prevention and fighting; strengthened propaganda and training for the public; Developing models of neighborhood fire-fighting points, equipping each household with fire extinguishers, and implementing fire safety models for residential areas, collectives, clusters of craft villages, and industrial zones... Along with maintaining training and a constant readiness for fire prevention and firefighting, the Department has researched and implemented the digitization of traffic maps, water sources, vehicles, and technical boxes to promptly utilize them for fire prevention, firefighting, and rescue operations.

Later that afternoon, during a visit to encourage doctors, nurses, and patients at the Hanoi Oncology Hospital, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha expressed his appreciation for the dedication and high sense of responsibility shown by the doctors and nurses who sacrificed themselves for the common good of the country and their families to serve the patients; he also shared his sympathy for the hardships that patients and their families are experiencing, especially during the Lunar New Year season.

Highly appreciating the professional capacity of the staff at Hanoi Oncology Hospital, the Deputy Prime Minister requested the leaders of Hanoi city to pay attention to and direct the construction of the hospital's second facility, aiming to make it a center for research, leadership, training, and transfer of the best treatment methods and technologies to lower-level medical facilities; and to further improve screening and prevention efforts based on living environment.

Hanoi Oncology Hospital is a leading specialized oncology hospital, a first-class specialized hospital in the city, providing examination and treatment for cancer patients nationwide (with health insurance coverage). The hospital has 615 beds, 36 departments and wards, nearly 700 staff members, including 152 doctors; and a modern system of machinery and equipment. In 2023, the bed occupancy rate reached 164%, successfully performing over 9,000 surgeries and mastering many new and complex techniques. The hospital is currently in the process of applying for investment to build a second facility.

Later that evening, the Deputy Prime Minister offered incense at the statue of King Ly Thai To and the Ngoc Son Temple historical site.

Inspecting the fireworks display site at Hoan Kiem Lake, the Deputy Prime Minister requested that the units carrying out the task follow the correct procedures and regulations, ensuring safety so that the people of Hanoi and tourists can enjoy the artistic fireworks display, which conveys many messages about a peaceful and more successful new year.