Yunnan hospital steps in to help Myanmar children

Medical aid program "Belt and Road, brotherhood" is enhancing good relations between China and Myanmar, said a government official.

Initiated by China Charity Federation, Yunnan Charity Federation, and Fuwai Yunnan Cardiovascular Hospital, the program offers free medical treatment for children with congenital heart disease from areas that lack sufficient healthcare systems in Myanmar.

With the program's financial support, a total of 10 children aged between 2 and 11 from Myanmar have received medical treatment in southwest China's Yunnan province this year. The number was 12 last year.

U Soe Paing, consul general Myanmar in Kunming, spoke highly of the program.

"We appreciate the high-quality medical treatment provided from Fuwai Yunnan Cardiovascular Hospital and the support from China Charity Federation and Yunnan Charity Federation. We will try our best to offer what we can to help with the medical aid," he said.

"China and Myanmar have developed a good relationship and Yunnan has been a pivot in China's Belt and Road Initiative. We believe both countries will have a deeper cooperation through medical communications," U Soe Paing said.

Yadanar Khin, who is aged 11 and comes from Myit Kyo county, is one of the 10 children who just completed her surgeries.

"I just entered the fourth grade and my favorite class is physical education. But I can only watch my classmates run, play games. My dad does not let me join them because of my heart disease," she said.

Yadanar Khin was diagnosed with congenital heart disease when she was born. He father said the family could not afford the surgery, so she has been taking pills for past 11 years.

"I am so excited when thinking that I can play with my classmates. I'm not nervous about the surgery," Yadanar Khin said before the surgery.

"I wish to be a doctor in the future so that I can save more people's lives, just like they saved mine," she said.

Till Oct 31, a total of six children have undergone surgeries and returned to Myanmar.

The program started collecting applications this September, following a series of checkups and treatment plans.

"We are making efforts to guarantee that children are receiving proper treatment and good hospital environment," said Ma Linkun, deputy head of Fuwai Yunnan Cardiovascular Hospital.

Zhou Hongmei, Party secretary and executive head of the hospital, said that they have sent some of their most experienced doctors for the children's surgeries. Meanwhile, the hospital offered free translations during and after the surgeries to make their experiences more convenient.

The hospital has been dedicated to offering medical aid to children in need since its foundation. Till now, it has offered free checkups to over 920,000 children across China and provided free medical treatment to about 900 children diagnosed with congenital heart disease.

It also offered free medical checkups to about 20,000 children from Cambodia and treatment to about 21 children with congenital heart disease.