Cam Pha City: Proactively prevent drowning in the summer

Every summer, the situation of children drowning is always a concern for parents and the whole society. In order to minimize risks and ensure the safety of children, Cam Pha City has been implementing many practical solutions, focusing on equipping children with knowledge, swimming skills, and handling underwater situations.

Teaching swimming to children at the swimming pool of Cam Pha City Cultural and Sports Center.

The City People's Committee has directed specialized departments and agencies, along with the authorities of communes and wards, to actively organize communication activities to raise awareness and responsibility of the whole society in the work of preventing and combating accidents, injuries and drowning in children. Propaganda activities are carried out in a variety of ways, such as radio, leaflets, social networks and direct activities at schools, residential areas, etc. In particular, propaganda is focused on implementing to each classroom and each household, to spread awareness widely from schools to the community.

The media content not only warns of risks, but also emphasizes the benefits of learning to swim, the role of survival skills in the water environment, as well as the responsibility of families in supervising and caring for children, especially during the summer. Cam Pha City Youth Union has also proactively coordinated with schools, residential areas and families to organize the handover and management of students during the summer break; at the same time, it guides the organization of healthy, age-appropriate recreational activities that attract a large number of children to participate.

Many parents have proactively sent their children to swimming classes during the summer. This is not only a sport activity that helps children improve their health, but also an important life skill that helps children know how to protect themselves in dangerous situations. In Cam Pha City, there are currently 15 swimming pools (8 fixed pools and 7 assembled pools), along with 3 large beaches to serve the needs of learning to swim and playing in the water environment.

In particular, this year the city established a swimming club with 28 members, both professional and amateur athletes, which also organizes free swimming classes for children in difficult circumstances. Ms. Nguyen Hong Van (Cam Trung ward) shared: With the increasing number of drowning cases in the summer, I decided to register my 7-year-old son for swimming classes. Instead of forcing him to study more, I think learning to swim to help him protect himself is the most important thing.

Launching Cam Pha Swimming Club to teach swimming for free to students in difficult circumstances.

Currently, the whole city has 14,643/38,598 students who know how to swim, accounting for about 37.9%. Of which, high school students reach 49.2% (3,569/7,252), middle school students reach 50.57% (7,675/15,177), and primary school students reach only 21% (3,399/16,169).

In parallel with skills training, the city has also conducted a review and assessment of areas at high risk of drowning such as the sea, rivers, streams, ponds and lakes in and near residential areas and schools. As a result, 15 wards and communes have installed 94 warning signs at locations where accidents and injuries frequently occur. People are advised to strictly follow the regulations when swimming in the sea, not to swim in dangerous areas such as river mouths, alluvial plains, areas without lifeguards and need to be equipped with basic skills such as using safety buoys, grasping weather information, escaping from whirlpools and first aid when an incident occurs.

Despite many efforts, the city has still recorded one child death due to drowning since the beginning of the year. This shows that raising awareness and monitoring children still needs to be further promoted. According to the leader of the City Health Department, it is currently the peak summer season, the time when children often participate in outdoor activities and are exposed to water. Therefore, the management,education and protection of children requires drastic participation from the government, schools and especially close support from families.

Preventing and combating child drowning is not only the responsibility of the education sector or local authorities, but also the responsibility of the whole society. With synchronous solutions from communication, skills training, infrastructure construction and the active participation of parents, Cam Pha City is gradually creating a safe and healthy environment for children.

Hieu Tran

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/chu-dong-phong-chong-duoi-nuoc-cho-tre-em-trong-dip-he-3362742.html