"A Heart for You" brings hope to children in Long An.

This is the "Heart for Children" program, which aims to provide free surgery for underprivileged children under 18 in Vietnam and organize screening activities for congenital heart disease in children.

On the morning of June 28th, a free screening program for congenital heart disease in children under 18 years old was inaugurated at Van An General Hospital (Tan An city, Long An province).

This is the "Heart for Children" program, which aims to provide free surgery for underprivileged children under 18 in Vietnam and organize screening activities for congenital heart disease in children.

The program has been founded and run by the Military Telecommunications and Industry Corporation ( Viettel ) and the Vietnam-Taiwan Heart Foundation of Vietnam Television since 2008.

“The program is for all children under 18 years old, with the goal of identifying children with congenital heart disease who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Viettel will cover all surgical costs after verifying that the child is from a disadvantaged background,” said Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Dinh Tu, Director of Viettel Long An.

With a system of nearly 1,000 Viettel stores nationwide, which also serve as application centers for families of pediatric patients seeking assistance from the program, Viettel's consultants at these centers will guide families through the application process, thereby shortening the time and minimizing travel costs.

At the opening ceremony, dozens of parents brought their children to have their hearts screened by doctors from the University Medical Center of Ho Chi Minh City and Van An General Hospital.

Ms. Tran Thi Gai, residing in Chau Thanh district, Long An province, brought her granddaughter, Dang Ngoc Nhu Y, over 3 years old, for a heart screening and said: "Our family has never taken the child for a heart check-up before, so now that we have the opportunity, we're bringing her here for peace of mind."

Seventeen-year-old Nguyen Thi Thuy An from Chau Thanh district went for a health screening with her mother and uncle. Holding her daughter's test results, the family felt a heavy heart. The doctor said she had a moderately severe heart valve defect and needed a follow-up appointment in six months. Thuy An's mother shared that her daughter showed no unusual symptoms when she was younger. Recently, she has been experiencing significant fatigue and shortness of breath when doing strenuous work or speaking loudly. Due to the family's difficult circumstances, they had never paid attention to her health before, and this was the first time she had been diagnosed with the condition.

According to Huynh Minh Phuc, Director of the Long An Provincial Department of Health : Despite many efforts in healthcare for the people, especially children, the locality still has many cases of children with congenital heart disease that have not been detected or have not received treatment.

This screening program is a highly practical and humane activity. “We are committed to working closely with the Organizing Committee to ensure the program runs smoothly, effectively, and safely. At the same time, we will continue to promote communication, encourage families to bring their children for screening, strengthen post-screening monitoring and care, and create conditions for children to access the best treatment methods,” shared Dr. Huynh Minh Phuc.

To receive early diagnosis and treatment for congenital heart disease, cardiovascular specialists recommend that children who have been diagnosed or suspected of having congenital heart disease, or who exhibit the following symptoms, should undergo screening to determine the condition: frequent and recurring coughing and wheezing; abnormal breathing (rapid breathing, chest retraction during inhalation); frequent pneumonia and bronchitis; slow feeding (lasting more than 30 minutes) or inability to finish a feeding; rapid breathing and sweating, especially after feedings; slow growth, pale skin, cold extremities, excessive sweating, and easy fatigue; bluish lips, tongue, and fingertips; shortness of breath during exertion.

Launched in October 2008, "Hearts for Children" is a humanitarian heart surgery program for underprivileged children under 18.

Over its 17-year journey, the program has supported surgical costs for more than 7,600 pediatric patients and organized 113 free screening programs to detect congenital heart disease early in nearly 176,000 children in disadvantaged areas of the country.

With the average cost of surgery reaching 40 million VND per case, the program, implemented with funding from Viettel (committed to providing 5 billion VND/year) and social contributions, will cover all surgical costs for underprivileged children with congenital heart defects.

In Long An, after screening, cases requiring intervention/surgery and facing difficult circumstances will be guided by the "Heart for Children" program to prepare the necessary documents for completely free treatment.

The free screening program for congenital heart disease in children under 18 years old will take place on June 28-29.

(VNA/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/trai-tim-cho-em-mang-hy-vong-den-voi-tre-em-long-an-post1052328.vnp