City charity donates fixes for faulty hearts

A charity programme to provide free heart surgery to low-income patients from seven southern and Central Highlands provinces was launched last month by the HCM City Association of Sponsors for Poor Patients and the Medical-Pharmacy University Hospital.

The programme aims to help about 1,000 young patients 7-17 years old from the provinces of Gia Lai, Tay Ninh, Hau Giang, An Giang, Binh Phuoc, Ca Mau and Tra Vinh.

Hospital deputy director Nguyen Hoang Bac said many of these patients, from poor families which cannot afford to pay for surgeries, would die if not operated upon in a timely manner. The association will work through eight hospitals in HCM City during 2007-08.