Tibet provides medical aid to heart disease patients

The Tibet autonomous region has carried out a plan to provide free medical treatment to children who are suffering from congenital heart disease, the regional government said on Wednesday.

The plan calls for treatment to be given to Tibetans who have congenital heart disease, are younger than 18 and are suitable subjects for surgeries or interventional therapies.

Meanwhile, a long-term means will be found to give free treatments to new patients, the plan said.

Arctic-alpine conditions and the low amount atmospheric oxygen found in Tibet have left the region with a relatively high number of children who suffer from congenital heart disease. Of the more than 10,000 children in the region who have the condition, about 3,000 have received free treatments.

The treatments have been estimated to cost 248 million yuan ($39.33 million), an amount to paid through aid from 17 provinces and 17 State-owned enterprises. The autonomous region's government plans to pour in another 50 million yuan in assistance for financially burdened patients' families.