200 doctors and nurses were involved in voluntary activities and 22 hospitals accompanied the program and more.
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A doctor of the program providing screening test for a child |
These significant figures were the reported outcomes of the “Operation healthy heart” charitable program launched by the Military Industry-Telecoms Group Viettel and Vietnam Television’s Vietnamese Heart Fund.
About the program, former Vice-President Nguyen Thi Doan said that the program has been greatly supported by a number of doctors, groups, individuals, and enterprises. It has given free health checkups to diagnose heart diseases for tens of thousands of poor children in remote and mountainous areas and provided modern medical equipment for various cardiac hospitals.
Doan added that more than 2,000 children with congenital heart disease facing adversity in life have received timely surgeries and were given opportunities to live, study and play as normal people with healthy hearts. The program also brought joy to thousands of families, contributing practically to the care and education for children and to the Party’s and State’s hunger elimination and poverty reduction as well as social welfare warranty and to the national good tradition of “The good leaves protect the worn-out leaves”.
According to Professor, Doctor Nguyen Huu Uoc, Head of the Cardiology and Thoracic Department of the Viet Duc (Vietnam-Germany) Friendship Hospital, with healthy hearts, children will have a brighter life. Initiated by Viettel, the program has drawn the participation of various enterprises. The “Operation healthy heart” program has become a charitable program with contributions from thousands of domestic and international individuals and groups.
Uoc said that “I love working with Viettel because they have whole-heartedly done charity, regardless of benefits”. Uoc also highlighted Viettel’s transparent and clear finance policy and flexibility in handling situations.
Besides, Viettel has possesses a network of personnel nationwide, from mountainous to coastal areas, from urban to rural locations. The network has become a support for the group to verify plights of needy children and to deal with administrative procedures, so that these children could benefit from the program as soon as possible.
By the end of 2017, the program attracted over 1,000 doctors and nurses, received VND 133.6 billion from individuals, groups and businesses to operate on children with congenital heart disease, provided free health checkups for 52,374 children in 45 remote and mountainous areas nationwide and giving financial support for 4,012 poor children with heart disease. The program has also given support to improve treatments for heart diseases within the medical system of Vietnam.
Under the program, over 800 of Viettel’s shops nationwide have become places to receive applications for the program’s support. In localities, Viettel has received applications, identified children’s conditions and instructed families to complete applications for doctors' approval on surgery.
Senior Colonel Tong Viet Trung, former Viettel’s CEO, said that heart disease is considered a disease of the rich. The poor cannot even dream of having their children treated due to the fact that they could not afford the cost of the surgery which can amount to VND 40 million and more. Acknowledging this fact, Viettel has conducted the program. “We really want to bring a healthy heart to the children, bringing them a new life. This program shows Viettel’s philosophy of “Combining doing business with humanitarian and social activities,” said Trung.
Translated by Mai Huong