The People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City has officially issued a directive for the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, the Department of Finance, and several relevant units to implement free heart examinations and surgeries for children under 6 years old.
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| Children being examined at Children’s Hospital 1 (Photo: SGGP) |
All children under 6 years old with permanent residence in Ho Chi Minh City and temporary residence permits (KT3) will have their medical records established by Children’s Hospital 1 and Children’s Hospital 2, and will be referred to the Ho Chi Minh City Heart Institute for surgery at no cost (funded by the city’s budget).
For patients from other provinces coming to the city for treatment, depending on the contractual agreements between each province and Ho Chi Minh City, patients may need to pay fees upfront and then submit invoices for reimbursement to their local authorities, or the hospital may cover the costs initially and later settle with the local government.
In cases where children under 6 years old come directly to the Heart Institute for treatment, the Department of Health and the Department of Finance are currently studying a payment mechanism that is appropriate.
It is known that the average cost for an open-heart surgery currently stands at approximately 35 million VND. There are around 600 children under 6 years old in the city diagnosed with congenital heart disease.
In addition to the Ho Chi Minh City Heart Institute, Children’s Hospital 1 will only be able to perform open-heart surgeries starting in June 2007.
