Free check for congenital heart disease for children of Beijing

Beijing will screen children under the age of six living in the municipality for congenital heart disease. Those with household registration in Beijing can enjoy the service free of charge. All suspected patients are entitled to the “green passage” medical service arranged by Beijing Municipal Health Bureau.

Beijing will issue “administrative measures for screening congenital heart disease for children under six” to provide free screening services for children registered in Beijing, said Deng Xiaohong, spokesperson for Beijing Municipal Health Bureau, on July 2. Surveys show that congenital heart disease has been the primary cause of death of Beijing children under the age of five for 10 consecutive years.

The administrative measures soon to be released stipulate that children under the age of six who were born in or now live in Beijing are entitled to a congenital heart disease screening at their communities’ medical service institutions, or institutions appointed by district- or county-level health bureaus that provide children’s healthcare services. The screening costs will be footed by the government for children with household registration in Beijing. Screening should be conducted when medical institutions visit newborns at home or when children under the age of six have their regular health checkups. The screening must follow medical staff’s guidance and obtain informed consent from the children’s guardians.

Deng said that if a child is suspected to have congenital heart disease, screening institutions must advise parents to bring a referral form for an advanced screening to a medical institution appointed by Beijing Municipal Health Bureau. The Bureau has appointed four major hospitals—Beijing Children’s Hospital, Fuwai Hospital, Beijing Anzhen Hospital and Hua Xin Hospital—for diagnosis and treatment. “Parents need only bring the referral form issued by basic-level medical institutions to these major hospitals. These children will receive care from the hospitals and experts. Essentially they are guaranteed to see a doctor on the same day.”

Translated by LOTO