Illustrative image (Source: VNA)Children in northern Hoa Binh province have received free heart examination by the province's General Hospital and the Hanoi-based Hospital E's Cardiovascular Centre.
Of the 1,500 children examined, doctors found heart problems in 76 of the children, 40 of which may require heart surgery.
Hospital E director Le Ngoc Thanh said that the rate of children with heart problems was high.
A preliminary study conducted by the provincial hospital found high rates of innate heart problems among children and that many failed to receive timely intervention and treatment due to financial difficulties, he said.
The free health examination in Hoa Binh is part of the Heart for Children charity organised by Viettel and Vietnam Television (VTV).
Since 2011, the programme has offered free checkups for over 20,000 children in poor provinces and diagnosed almost 500 children with innate heart problems. It has also raised funds to pay for several heart surgeries.-VNA
