Many who fought on the battlefields of Southern Vietnam were unfortunately exposed to chemical toxins before their discharge. Those afflicted by these toxins suffer from dangerous illnesses, and some have been left with lasting effects on their children and grandchildren. Regardless of the severity of the consequences, the physical and mental pain persists daily. Despite suffering many losses and sacrifices, many have yet to receive the benefits they are entitled to as victims of Agent Orange. 6,000 pending cases During the resistance war against the US imperialists, Hai Phong had approximately 17,047 resistance fighters and their children who were exposed to and infected with chemical toxins. 14 out of 15 districts and counties have victims of Agent Orange (excluding Bach Long Vi district). Of these, 4,700 cases are eligible for preferential allowances. Currently, Hai Phong still has about 6,000 pending applications for this benefit… There are cases where applications have been submitted for 3-4 years without being assessed for approval, and some cases even involve individuals who passed away before receiving the benefit, such as Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan, born in 1950, residing in residential area No. 14, Tran Thanh Ngo ward (Kien An district), who died of cancer shortly after receiving his final decision. According to Colonel Nguyen Huu Y, Chairman of the Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin in the city, the reason why many resistance fighters exposed to chemical toxins have not received social assistance is that, during the process of preparing applications for preferential treatment for those who rendered meritorious service to the revolution, they did not keep sufficient documents as required by Government Decree No. 54/2006/CP on guiding the implementation of some articles of the Ordinance on preferential treatment for those who rendered meritorious service to the revolution. The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs revised and supplemented Section 7 of Circular No. 07/2006 guiding the documentation and procedures for implementing preferential treatment for those who rendered meritorious services to the revolution. This includes 14 types of documents proving the location of activities in the battlefield, the current health of the resistance fighter, the condition of deformities and disabilities of their children, hospital treatment records, local meeting minutes, and lists of resistance fighters exposed to chemical toxins posted by the commune-level People’s Committee… Meanwhile, the majority of people, especially farmers, no longer retain records, biographies, or documents related to resistance fighters. Furthermore, the lack of guidance and assistance in filling out the forms leads to numerous errors, prolonged waiting times during the assessment process, and discouragement and giving up. According to Colonel Nguyen Huu Y, several obstacles remain in the process of receiving and resolving policies and benefits for resistance fighters exposed to chemical toxins in the city. According to Circular 1609/2011 of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs on guiding the handling of difficulties in receiving applications for this benefit, for the time being, only cases of serious illnesses, cancer, and those with medical records prior to April 7, 2009 (the date Circular 08/2009 guiding the application process for preferential treatment for resistance fighters exposed to chemical toxins was issued) will be accepted and processed. Furthermore, the authorities will only accept and forward applications to the Medical Examination Council for illnesses listed in Decision No. 09/2008 of the Ministry of Health; illnesses not on the list will not be referred. However, in reality, according to data from the City’s Association of Agent Orange Victims, the number of files related to cancer is not large; the majority are acute and subacute peripheral neuropathy, type 2 diabetes, infertility, congenital malformations (in future generations), and neurological disorders… Expediting the assessment process According to Colonel Nguyen Huu Y, resolving the benefits for those who participated in the resistance war and were exposed to chemical toxins is an urgent requirement to help alleviate difficulties and avoid negative thoughts that affect the humanitarian policies of the Party and the State. This responsibility does not only belong to the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, and the Ministry of Health, but also to Party committees and local authorities at all levels to accelerate the assessment of files, organize timely assessments, reduce the backlog of files and stressful waiting times, especially for the elderly, the frail, and those with serious illnesses; Simultaneously, the city directed local authorities to provide full guidance and information, and to strictly adhere to regulations regarding the timeframe for preparing dossiers for subsequent beneficiaries… The city is considering supplementing the staff of assessors to help expedite the assessment of dossiers and resolve benefits for those who participated in the resistance war and were exposed to chemical toxins. On the other hand, the Ministry of Health is considering adding several diseases such as hypertension, male infertility, diseases caused by immunodeficiency resulting in a loss of working capacity of 21% or more, heart disease, and tremors, as proposed by the Central Medical Advisory Council of the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange, to the list of diseases related to Agent Orange/dioxin, ensuring the rights of meritorious individuals and creating the legal basis for resolving the current backlog of dossiers. Thanh Thủy (Hai Phong Newspaper, September 16)
Addressing the issue of benefits for those who participated in the resistance war and were exposed to chemical toxins.
