Two Myanmar children to get free heart surgery in Thailand Page 1 of 4 Tuesday, 30 October 2012 Read in Myanmar Sea Home National News Business Lifestyle Sports Opinion In Depth Special Features Most Read - National News Telecoms giants jostle ahead of licence tender ‘Help us build a new Myanmar’ BBC pushes for Myanmar presence Hluttaw approves investment law Central Bank steps in to stop KBZ panic President tipped ahead of Nobel Peace Prize on Oct 12 Tatmadaw to join US military exercises Returning USAID promises cooperation President pays UN tribute to Daw Suu Peace marchers face charges http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/2732-two-myanmar-children-to-get-free-heart-surg... 30/10/2555 Two Myanmar children to get free heart surgery in Thailand Page 2 of 4 Follow The Myanmar Times The Myanmar Times on Facebook Like 43,125 43,125 people like The Myanmar Times. Kyaw Duhthu Htay Chit 1,504 followers http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/2732-two-myanmar-children-to-get-free-heart-surg... 30/10/2555 Two Myanmar children to get free heart surgery in Thailand Page 3 of 4 Two Myanmar children to get free heart surgery in Thailand By Nuam Bawi | Monday, 29 October 2012 ถกใจู 0 0 0 A team of doctors from Bangkok-based Bumrungrad Hospital screens a child with a congenital heart defect at Yangon Children’s Hospital on Thursday, October 25, 2012. (Ko Taik / The Myanmar Times) Bangkok-based Bumrungrad International Hospital is to offer free operations to two Myanmar children suffering from heart disease who cannot afford treatment. The hospital has been giving free treatment to Thai children for the past five years, and has already performed 625 operations without charge. This is the first time they are offering free operations to foreign children. “They’ve chosen Myanmar because we are a neighbouring country, and because many Myanmar people receive treatment at Bumrungrad,” said Dr Mo Nyan Kyaw, Myanmar representative and country manager of Bumrungrad International Hospital. A 24-member team, including five doctors from Bumrungrad International Hospital, arrived in Yangon on October 25 and the following day examined 30 children suffering from congenital heart disease who applied to participate in the program. From the applicants the hospital will choose two children, who will also have to be cleared by medical staff to be healthy enough to travel to Thailand for treatment. “All the 30 patients on the list really need an operation but we can’t send them all. I just gave information [about the project] to everyone who came to the hospital and we gave them all the chance to get a check-up with the doctors from Bumrungrad International Hospital,” said Dr Khin Maung Oo, a consultant in paediatric cardiology at Yangon Children’s Hospital’s Department of Paediatric Cardiology. http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/2732-two-myanmar-children-to-get-free-heart-surg... 30/10/2555 Two Myanmar children to get free heart surgery in Thailand Page 4 of 4 “Some children with congenital heart disease cases are very difficult [to treat] and we can’t do the operation in Myanmar because of technical shortages. Therefore, we will choose [the two participants] based on who needs treatment at a better-equipped hospital and also their families’ inability to afford such an operation,” Dr Khin Maung Oo said. “Although the doctors in Myanmar do as much as they can the problem is there are no surgeons here who specialise in treating heart disease in children. Now the children are receiving operations here with a surgeon for adults. Although there is no problem when the doctors encounter simple cases, when they meet difficult cases they worry that they cannot make the operation successful. ... Congenital heart disease cases are very complex.” Kaorop Wongprasert, senior manager of Bumrungrad International Hospital, said a shortlist of 10 children would be announced on October 27. “We will choose 10 children and the two children with the most urgent needs will get the operation in December and the rest will be put on a waiting list. We will offer them operations depending on the funding for this charity project,” he said. December 5 was chosen as the date for the operation to coincide with the birthday of the King of Thailand. Want to comment on this story? Let us know what you think : [email protected] Copyright © 2012 The Myanmar Times. All rights reserved. Home National News Regional News Business Lifestyle Sports Opinion Special Features Nay Pyi Taw Yangon Mandalay and Upper Myanmar Property News Technology Travel Dining Classifieds For Sale For Rent To Buy Jobs Property Car Education About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Advertising Subscriptions Facebook Twitter RSS Work With Us http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/2732-two-myanmar-children-to-get-free-heart-surg... 30/10/2555.