A project on promptly discovering and treating children with congenitalheart disease, the first of its kind in Vietnam , was signed in thecentral province of Thanh Hoa on June 29.

Signatories were representatives from the provincial Department of Health and the East Meets West Foundation.

The 2.6 billion VND project will be carried out from now until March,2014 in Dong Son and Cam Thuy districts. It aims to enhance the capacityof healthcare stations throughout the province, including building akey contingent of qualified cardiovascular doctors and providingadequate medical equipment to offer the best healthcare services.

In addition, the project will also hold a campaign targetinghouseholds with children below 6 years old and pregnant women to raisetheir awareness of inborn heart disease. Any query regarding this kindof disease will be cleared up through a telephone hot line, soon to beinaugurated.

According to the latest statistics inThanh Hoa, nearly 10,000 babies with heart disease are yet to bediscovered. On top of this, it is thought that over 400 babies are bornwith the disease every year.

However, only 40percent of children with heart defects were discovered and got medicaltreatment at central and local hospitals.

Theproject will also help ease loads at central and local hospitals, easingthe economic and social burden caused by late diagnosis andtreatment.-VNA