The Government announced a resolution on January 15, granting visa exemptions to citizens of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland from March 1 to December 31 this year, as part of a 2025 tourism stimulus program.
The resolution states that citizens of these countries are eligible for visa-free entry for stays of up to 45 days for tourism purposes, according to the Vietnam News Agency.
The program applies to travelers on itineraries organized by Vietnamese international tour operators, regardless of passport type, as long as they meet Vietnam’s legal entry requirements.
Previously, under Resolution 128/NQ-CP, Vietnam officially granted a 45-day visa exemption from the date of entry, regardless of passport type or entry purpose, to citizens of 13 countries: South Korea, Japan, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Belarus.
103-year-old man recovers from stroke
A 103-year-old man has made a remarkable recovery after receiving advanced stroke treatment at Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi, reported the VnExpress news site.
Dao Van De, from Hung Yen Province, was admitted on January 2, just 1.5 hours after showing stroke symptoms, including paralysis on his right side and loss of speech. His family said the symptoms began after watching a football match.
Doctors diagnosed him with a stroke and treated him during the critical “golden hour,” using a combination of thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy. This dual approach, which dissolves and removes blood clots, was applied cautiously due to his advanced age, according to Dr. Dao Viet Phuong, deputy director of the hospital’s stroke center.
Within 24 hours, De recovered fully, with no lasting complications. The hospital reported he can now recite poetry, retains good memory and mobility, and even reads newspapers without glasses.
Landlord treats tenants to festive year-end dinner
A landlord in HCMC hosted a festive year-end dinner for her tenants on Monday, providing a warm celebration for workers and their families ahead of the Tet holiday.
Nguyen Minh Hoang, 65, organized the event at her 100-room rental complex in Binh Tan District, with support from the District Labor Federation and the Women’s Union. Around 15 banquet tables were set up in the courtyard, where tenants, mostly laborers and freelancers, gathered.
“I hope everyone stays healthy and achieves success in their work in the new year,” Hoang told the Thanh Nien news site.
In addition to the meal, Hoang and her partners distributed gifts worth VND300,000 to VND1 million to tenants.
Tet celebration for young cancer patients
About 200 young cancer patients at the Blood Transfusion and Hematology Hospital and at the City Children’s Hospital, both in HCMC, received Tet (Lunar New Year holiday) gifts from the “Uoc mo cua Thuy” program on January 15.
This is part of the “Sharing Tet” program jointly held by the HCMC Youth Union and Tuoi Tre newspaper. The program plans to present 1,000 Tet gifts to young cancer patients under treatment at 10 hospitals in HCMC, Hanoi, Danang, and Hue at a total cost of VND800 million. This meaningful program has had the participation of Miss Universe Vietnam 2023 Bui Quynh Hoa, and Nguyen Quynh Anh, first runner-up of Miss Universe Vietnam 2024.
On January 10, the first 35 Tet gifts were given to young cancer patients at the Children’s Hospital 2 and the Oncology Hospital in HCMC. Also in the city, the program will present 480 Tet gifts worth VND384 million to young cancer patients at the Blood Transfusion and Hematology Hospital, City Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital 2, and Oncology Hospital.
