Support free heart surgery, save children's lives from Cambodia

According to Dr. Nguyen Tri Hao, Head of the Cardiology Department, Children's Hospital 1, left atrial septal defect in the heart is very rare. Each year, Children's Hospital 1 only receives one to two children with this disease.

Doctors at Children's Hospital 1 examine a Cambodian child patient after heart surgery. (Photo: Dinh Hang/VNA)

On November 12, Ho Chi Minh City Children's Hospital 1 announced that it had just performed emergency surgery and raised more than 100 million VND in support to save the life of a Cambodian boy with a severe congenital heart disease.

Two weeks ago, a boy named QN (2 years old, Cambodian) was brought to Children's Hospital 1 in a state of difficulty breathing and restlessness. Through an interpreter, Ms. Say Nia (26 years old, Cambodian, mother of boy named QN) said that 4 months before, her son often had a fever in the afternoon, coughed with phlegm, and had difficulty breathing. She took her son to the doctor, who said that her son had pneumonia and was being monitored for tuberculosis. She took her son back for check-ups many times and was prescribed medicine to take at home...

Doctor Nguyen Thi Phuong Chau, Department of Cardiology, Children's Hospital 1 said that when baby boy QN was brought to Children's Hospital 1, doctors found that the baby boy had a left atrial septal defect in his heart and severe pulmonary hypertension.

This heart defect causes the baby to breathe quickly, which can be mistaken for pneumonia or pulmonary edema similar to tuberculosis. Because it was not diagnosed early, the baby's heart muscle contractility is greatly reduced, and pulmonary artery pressure is high. The patient needs emergency surgery, otherwise his life will be affected.

However, as soon as the doctors decided to perform emergency surgery, the patient's family asked to take him home because the cost was too high and the family could not afford the surgery.

With the motto “save the patient first, think about the future later,” doctors at Children’s Hospital 1 decided to perform emergency surgery to save the child’s life. After more than a week of surgery, the child’s health is now stable and he is ready to be discharged.

The total cost of the surgery, more than 100 million VND, was supported by Children's Hospital 1, which called for support from benefactors.

Sitting and watching her son become smart and active again, Ms. Say Neria could not help but be happy. “When I came to Vietnam, I brought 10 million VND, but after only one week, it was almost gone. By the time the doctor told me that my son had to have surgery, I only had a little over 1 million VND left.

I intended to take my child home, but the doctors encouraged me and supported me with the expenses, thanks to which my child is now healthy. I am very grateful to the Vietnamese doctors,” said Say Nia.

According to Dr. Nguyen Tri Hao, Head of the Cardiology Department, Children's Hospital 1, left atrial septal defect in the heart is very rare. Each year, Children's Hospital 1 only receives one to two children with this disease.

Notably, children with heart defects will have pulmonary congestion and are easily misdiagnosed as having pneumonia or tuberculosis.

Therefore, doctors recommend that when children have typical suspected symptoms of heart defects, manifested by signs such as prolonged cough, difficulty breathing, fever, etc., parents need to take their children to the doctor, detect the disease and intervene promptly./.

(Vietnam News Agency/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/ho-tro-phau-thuat-tim-mien-phi-cuu-song-benh-nhi-tu-campuchia-post992741.vnp