Giving children a healthy heart.

Tens of thousands of students have had the opportunity to have heart problems checked and detected early through the free congenital heart disease screening program for children implemented by the Association for the Protection of Poor and Disadvantaged Women and Children of the city.

Báo Đà Nẵng•11/04/2026

Lien Chieu

Preschool-aged children in Lien Chieu ward are screened for congenital heart disease. Photo: LAM PHUONG

In late March and early April 2026, a team of doctors and medical staff from the Department of Congenital and Structural Heart Disease, Cardiovascular Center, Da Nang Hospital, in coordination with the Association for the Protection of Poor and Unfortunate Women and Children of Da Nang City, organized a screening and examination campaign for congenital heart disease in children in 10 localities.

In Hai Van ward, 4,250 preschool, primary, and secondary school students underwent heart screening. During the examinations, doctors discovered many cases with heart problems and recommended early surgery. In Lien Chieu ward, 2,435 preschool and primary school students were screened. After four days of examinations, doctors found 20 children with heart problems, eight of whom were recommended for surgery.

Nguyen Phan Bao Chau (from group 82, Lien Chieu ward) was diagnosed with and scheduled for atrial septal defect surgery, costing approximately 60 million VND. However, her family is struggling financially; both parents are manual laborers, so they are very worried about the surgery costs.

Ms. Tran Thi Loc, Chairwoman of the Charity and Child Protection Association of Lien Chieu Ward, said that most cases of congenital heart disease detected come from disadvantaged backgrounds, and the cost of heart surgery is very high, beyond the family's means. Therefore, the local authorities coordinate with the families to prepare documents requesting financial assistance from the City's Association for the Protection of Poor and Unfortunate Women and Children for the surgery.

The congenital heart disease screening program helps to detect and treat heart problems in children early. Photo: LAM PHUONG

Mr. Huynh Van Hoa, Chairman of the Association for the Protection of Poor and Disadvantaged Women and Children in Da Nang City, said that the congenital heart disease screening activity is part of the "Program for treating congenital heart disease in poor and disadvantaged children in Da Nang City" for the period 2022 - 2026. This is a collaborative activity between the Department of Health, the Department of Education and Training, and the Association for the Protection of Poor and Disadvantaged Women and Children.

According to the plan, the first phase of the 2026 screening program will take place from March 17th to May 22nd. The medical team will conduct screenings at preschools, primary schools, and secondary schools in 10 localities across the city. As of April 9th, the team had completed screenings in three localities: Hai Van ward, Lien Chieu ward, and Dong Giang commune. Through these examinations, 30 children were found to have congenital heart defects requiring surgery.

The Association for the Protection of Poor and Unfortunate Women and Children in the city stated that, based on the diagnosis and doctor's recommendations, the unit guides localities and families to prepare dossiers to send to the association to mobilize organizations and philanthropists to support the surgical costs with an average of 40 million VND per case; helping the children receive timely intervention, restoring a healthy heart so that they can study and grow up with peace of mind.

In 2025, as part of the program to treat congenital heart disease in underprivileged children, the Association for the Protection of Underprivileged Women and Children in the city organized 126 screening points for 37,473 students. Through this, 218 children were found to have heart problems, and surgery was recommended for 63 cases. The Association mobilized and provided financial support for 22 cases with a total amount of 1.156 billion VND.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/mang-lai-trai-tim-khoe-cho-tre-em-3331849.html