A group of Italian experts will offer free operations to regenerategenitals for nine child patients and give free checkups to 20 otherswith genital problems at the Da Nang maternity and children’s hospitalin central city of Da Nang.

The activities are part of theprogramme themed “Thien Nhan and his friends”, which was launched fouryears ago by the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation (AIP).

AIPPresident Greig Craft said the programme organisers made every effort tomobilise donations from the public to cover expenses for theactivities.

In the framework of the programme, Dr. Roberto DeCastro - a leading Italian expert in genital treatment - and hiscolleagues will also provide free operations to 32 children in Hanoi, DaNang and Ho Chi Minh City. As many as 100 others with genitaldeformities and injuries will be also given free examinations.

OnJune 16, a workshop updating information on genital surgery forchildren was also held in the hospital, offering a good chance forVietnamese and Italian doctors to share experience and transfertechnologies in the field.

Speaking at the workshop, De Castrosaid a centre for examining and treating children with genital problemswill be set up in Vietnam in the future.

The idea of theprogramme was initiated by Craft after he was inspired by the story ofPhung Thien Nhan, a young boy with genital problems whose story ofovercoming a difficult past after being abandoned by his natural motherand attacked by wild animals inspired the whole nation.

Duringthe last four years, experts from Vietnam, Italy and the US performedfree surgeries for 74 disadvantaged youth with genital deformitiesacross the country, bringing new hope to them.-VNA