To precisely implement child health protection under the Healthy China strategy, alleviate medical burdens on families of children with congenital heart disease (CHD), and achieve early detection, diagnosis, and treatment, the Anyang Red Cross, in collaboration with the Red Cross Society of China Foundation, Henan Provincial Red Cross, and a team of experts from Beijing Jingdu Children’s Hospital, launched a two-day “Angel Journey” CHD screening and assistance program on July 17. The initiative kicked off simultaneously at Anyang Regional Hospital and Linzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital, offering free CHD screenings for children and adolescents aged 0 to 18 in the region. Additionally, eligible children from impoverished families will receive medical assistance to help them regain health.
Congenital heart disease is one of the major threats to children’s health, and early screening, intervention, and treatment are crucial to improving cure rates. With the “Angel Journey” program in Anyang, children identified as eligible for surgery through screening will have their surgical fees, round-trip transportation, and accommodation costs fully covered by the Red Cross Society of China Foundation, fundamentally addressing the concerns of “high medical costs” and “difficult access to treatment.”
At the screening sites, a medical team consisting of experts from the Cardiac Surgery and Ultrasound Departments of Beijing Jingdu Children’s Hospital brought professional equipment to conduct meticulous examinations for each child. Through auscultation, cardiac ultrasound, and other methods, they accurately assessed the children’s conditions and provided professional treatment recommendations, ensuring high-quality screening with advanced medical expertise.
Ms. Li, a local resident, said, “This public welfare activity has been a great help. It saves us the cost of examinations, and we can have experts consult our child in person—it’s really thoughtful.”
Notably, eligible children will receive financial assistance for medical expenses beyond medical insurance coverage. Moreover, the program will cover the round-trip transportation costs for the child and one accompanying family member, eliminating the need for self-payment of medical fees. A parent at the screening site shared, “We’ve been worried about potential heart problems in our child, but we were always afraid of the high costs of examinations and treatment. This time, with free screening and full funding, it’s really put our minds at ease as an ordinary family!”
“The heart health of children is the hope of families and the responsibility of society,” stated a representative from the Anyang Red Cross. It is hoped that through this initiative, more children with CHD will receive timely intervention, allowing every child to have a healthy heart and grow up happily. During the program, a total of 74 children were screened, and 14 were assessed by experts as eligible for surgery. Next, the Anyang Red Cross will follow up on the screening results, assist eligible children in receiving subsequent treatment, ensure that public welfare assistance “remains uninterrupted and continuous,” effectively raise public awareness of the disease, and build a solid defense for children’s health from the source.
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