The "Heart for Children" program provides free heart disease screening for over 1,300 children in Nghe An province.
(Baonghean.vn) - On the morning of November 12th, the "Heart for Children" program organized free screening and surgical support activities for children under 16 years old at Nghe An Friendship General Hospital.
On November 11th and 12th, the "Heart for Children" program provided free screenings and examinations for congenital heart disease to over 1,300 children in the province. Following the program, those requiring intervention or surgery, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds, will be guided through the application process to receive completely free treatment.
Speaking at the program, Lieutenant Colonel Le Duc Chung - Director of Viettel Nghe An emphasized: “This is the third time the “Heart for Children” program has come to children in Nghe An province; previously, in 2016 and 2019, the program organized screening examinations for nearly 3,000 children in the province. To make the program a success, in addition to the support and attention of local leaders, the sponsorship of businesses, organizations, and individuals, the important contribution of leading cardiovascular specialists from Viet Duc Friendship Hospital, Nghe An Friendship General Hospital, and Do Luong General Hospital is crucial, as they directly examine, advise, and perform heart surgeries; with the goal and desire to bring joy and a new life to underprivileged children.”
The "Heart for Children" program was founded and is managed by the Vietnam Military Telecommunications Group (Viettel) and the Vietnam-Taiwan Heart Foundation - Vietnam Television from 2008 to the present.
Free heart screening for underprivileged children in local areas has become a regular activity of the "Heart for Children" program. Over the past 15 years, the program has organized 97 free screening programs to detect congenital heart disease early in more than 159,000 children in disadvantaged regions of the country.
The program has supported the surgical costs for over 6,900 patients, with an average surgical cost of up to 40 million VND per case. Having a child with congenital heart disease is a real burden, and not every family can afford it. Therefore, the program, implemented with funding from Viettel (committed to providing 5 billion VND/year) and social contributions, will cover the entire surgical cost for underprivileged children with congenital heart disease.
