Chinese medical aid program helps Myanmar children suffering from congenital heart diseases
By Lin Rui, Wang Hui, People’s Daily
“I’m so grateful to China,” said Wutyee Tun, a 13-year-old
Burmese girl who received treatment from a Chinese medical program aiming to
saving Burmese children suffering from congenital heart disease.
The girl, who now has a chubby face and rosy cheek, lives in
a
town of southern Yangon Region, capital of Myanmar. She was
diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), a
complicated heart disease when she was only one year old.
“I was so ill when I was little that I could hardly walk. Every
time when I needed to go out my father had to carry me on his back,” said Wutyee
Tun.
“Local hospitals are incapable of curing this disease, so we
were confused and desperate,” U Myint Thein, the girl’s father told People's
Daily, recalling the family’s misery back then.
The medical program from which Wutyee Tun received
assistance was launched by China Charity Federation under the framework of the
Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2017. By cooperating with Yankin Children
Hospital in Yangon Region, Chinese doctors examined more than 170 child
patients, among which 36 have received surgeries in China’s Beijing Anzhen
Hospital and Fuwai Yunnan Cardiovascular Hospital in three batches so far. Wutyee
Tun's situation was the worst among the first batch of 12 Burmese child
patients.
In April 2017, Wutyee Tun, accompanied by her father,
arrived at Beijing Anzhen Hospital.
“The doctors made detailed treatment plan, and told us all
the possible scenarios that could happen. With the efforts of the Chinese
doctors, my daughter made it. Now, she is just as healthy as other children.
Chinese doctors are really amazing,” said U Myint Thein.
“Now I’ve completely recovered from the disease. And my
father smiled again - something that had disappeared in my family for a long
time. China and the BRI are great,” said Wutyee Tun.
According to Dr. Myint Myint Khine, director of Yankin
Children Hospital, there are more than 50,000 children with congenital heart
diseases in Myanmar, but few of the hospitals in the country is able
to treat them.
In order to cure every child patient they receive, the
Chinese doctors have made painstaking endeavors and great
efforts.
“We discuss treatment plans with Burmese doctors every day
on WeChat,” said Duo Lin, head of the research department of chronic diseases
in Fuwai Yunnan Cardiovascular Hospital.
“Some children not only suffered from congenital heart
disease, but also other diseases, so we held group consultation with doctors
from other departments. We share the same goal: to cure the children
completely,” Duo said.
Thiri Ko is a 7-year-old Burmese girl living in a small
village in suburban Yangon with her mother Daw Thandar Moe. Her father passed
away years ago, and a small grocery store her mother runs is all the source of
income for the family.
When she was 7-month-old, Thiri Ko was diagnosed with
congenital heart disease. Daw Thandar Moe had to choose only drug therapy for
her daughter as the surgery was totally unaffordable for her. Seeing her
daughter getting worse day by day, Daw Thandar Moe’s became distraught.
After receiving free treatment in Fuwai Yunnan
Cardiovascular Hospital in Oct. 2018, Thiri Ko fully recovered.
“After my daughter was cured, the Chinese side also offered
a loan to us to support my grocery store,” Daw Thandar Moe introduced.
The loan was offered by a supporting program providing
economic assistance for the child patients' families. The program, launched at
the end of 2019, was jointly operated by Kunming Yundi Behavior and Health Research
Center and Myanmar Chinese Cooperation & Communication Center.
“We have customized plans for different families according
to their demands. There are 11 families currently receiving our help,” said Li
Bobo, executive chairman of Myanmar Chinese Cooperation & Communication
Center.
“We hope to try our best to help those Burmese families overwhelmed
by the diseases. This is a natural
decision driven by the friendship between the people of China and Myanmar,”
noted Li.
“I’m so happy to see the children recover, not to mention
the economic assistance the Chinese side has offered. Such good deeds deserve
our respect. The seeds of friendship have been planted in our hearts. May China-Myanmar
‘Phauphaw’ (fraternal) friendship be carried on from generation to
generation,” said Dr. Myint Myint Khine.
Thiri Ko and her mother Daw Thandar Moe.
(Photo by Lin Rui/People’s Daily)
Chinese medical aid program helps Myanmar children suffering from congenital heart diseases
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