Doctors carry out checks on Cheng Meili, a
child from Anhui Province who will undergo surgery for congenital
heart disease as part of the China Heart Hope project helping
children from needy families.
Eleven children from Anhui Province came to Shanghai yesterday
for surgery as part of a project which is sponsoring 100 children
from poor families who are suffering from congenital heart
disease.
Launched by China Poverty Alleviation and Development
Association, Children's Hope Welfare Foundation under China
Association of Social Work and Shanghai Yodak Cardio Hospital, the
project - China Heart Hope - seeks to help children and arouse
public awareness.
Seven to eight children of every 1,000 babies born in the
country suffer congenital heart disease. About 150,000 to 200,000
children are born with the disease every year.
"About half of congenital heart diseases can be cured if
undergoing proper surgery in time," said Zhang Xinli, president of
Shanghai Yodak Cardio Hospital. "The cost of 50,000 (US$6,757) to
100,000 yuan can't be afforded by many poor families. Delaying
treatment can worsen the disease and even kill the children."
Under the project, most of the medical expenses are shared by
parents, the associations and the hospital. For those in extreme
poverty, the project takes care of the entire cost.
Chen Huaxu, a farmer from Suzhou in Anhui Province, said his
five-year-old daughter was diagnosed with heart disease when five
months old. "We couldn't afford surgery," Chen said. "After hearing
about the project, we applied immediately. Fortunately, she came to
Shanghai this time for surgery."
(Shanghai Daily November 30, 2007)
