"Heart for Children" is a program that supports free surgery for poor children under 16 years old in Vietnam, supports improving medical capacity, and organizes congenital heart disease screening activities for children. The program was founded and operated by the Military Industry - Telecommunications Group (Viettel) and the Tam Long Viet Fund - Vietnam Television from 2008 to present.

Mr. Nguyen Huy Quang - Director of Viettel Thua Thien Hue said that free heart disease screening for poor children in localities has become a regular activity of the program "Heart for Children". Over the past 15 years, the program has supported surgery costs for 6,500 patients, organized 87 free screening programs to detect early congenital heart disease for nearly 150,000 children in disadvantaged areas of the country.

This is the second time the program has been held in Thua Thien Hue province. Previously, at the end of 2017, the program had organized screening for more than 1,500 children in the province. In this screening program, it is expected that about 1,000 children under 16 years old will be screened. Cases found to have congenital heart disease in difficult circumstances will be consulted and supported with free heart surgery.

According to Dr. Ho Anh Binh - Director of the Cardiovascular Center (Hue Central Hospital), congenital heart disease is one of the most common congenital abnormalities, accounting for about 0.8-1% of all newborns. According to the natural progression, more than 50% of patients die if they do not receive surgery or intervention at the right time and with the right method.

With the strong development of modern medicine, many patients have been operated on at a young age and returned to normal life. However, there are still many children with congenital heart disease that progress silently and are not detected early at lower-level medical facilities. Therefore, screening and early detection of congenital heart disease plays an extremely important role, bringing health benefits to children and deciding their future.

As a leading medical center in the Central region, Hue Central Hospital has been screening for congenital heart defects in children from the 20th week of pregnancy. Over the years, the unit has also performed successful interventions and surgeries for many complicated congenital heart cases; some cases were born just a few hours after birth with very low weight, from 2-3 kg.

Speaking at the program, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Binh - Permanent Vice Chairman of Thua Thien Hue Provincial People's Committee affirmed that the program "Heart for Children" came to the province's children for the second time, giving them the opportunity to have surgery and treatment for congenital heart disease to have a healthy heart, health to be able to study, work, and have a better life.

The free screening program for children under 16 years old to detect congenital heart disease has a great humanitarian meaning, truly connecting love, care, sharing, mobilizing social resources to help children in difficult circumstances to be treated, giving them the opportunity to revive a healthy heart. Thereby, contributing practically to the work of protecting children as well as the cause of hunger eradication, poverty reduction, and ensuring social security in Thua Thien Hue province.