“Heart for you” will come to children in Binh Thuan

"Heart for Children" is a program that provides free surgical support for underprivileged children under 16 in Vietnam, supports the improvement of medical capacity, and organizes screening activities for congenital heart disease in children. The program was founded and is managed by the Vietnam Military Telecommunications Group ( Viettel ) and the Vietnamese Heart Foundation - Vietnam Television from 2008 to the present.

Over the past 15 years, the program has supported surgical costs for 6,500 patients and organized 86 free screening programs to detect congenital heart disease early in nearly 150,000 children in disadvantaged areas of the country. 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 all surgical costs for children with congenital heart disease from disadvantaged backgrounds.

This is the first time the "Heart for Children" program has reached children in Binh Thuan province. This program is implemented by Viettel Binh Thuan and the Vietnamese Heart Foundation, with the support of doctors from the University Medical Center of Ho Chi Minh City and the Binh Thuan Provincial General Hospital. After screening, cases requiring intervention/surgery and from disadvantaged backgrounds will be guided by the "Heart for Children" program in preparing the necessary documents for completely free treatment.

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 symptoms such as: 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, sweating, especially after feedings; slow growth, pale skin, cold extremities, sweating, and easy fatigue; bluish lips, tongue, and fingertips; shortness of breath during exertion, should participate in screening to determine the condition. If the disease is detected and the family circumstances meet the criteria of the "Heart for Children" program, treatment will be completely free.

With a network of over 1,000 Viettel stores nationwide serving as application centers for the program, Viettel's consultants in the area will guide families through the application process. This shortens the time and reduces travel costs for families. Program hotline: 024 62 969 969.

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