Handicapped Children Cared For in ChinaWith financial aid provided by China Love Outreach, a program designed to help handicapped children in poverty-hit areas, three poor children from the western part of Hunan Province who suffer from congenital illness have been receiving medical treatment in a hospital in Changsha, the provincial capital.Song Xiuliang, a girl with a harelip, Zhang Xiuhuan who suffers from congenital anal atresia, and mentally-retarded Yang Shanjin, who also has 12 fingers are the first beneficiaries of China Love Outreach, launched by China Primary Health Care Fund early this year. All come from Huitong County in Huihua. Yang Hai, an official in charge of foreign affairs said that money for China Love Outreach mainly comes from overseas. According to Yang, China Love Outreach will help the three children regain their health and will also help them complete schooling. Song Xiuliang is the top student in her class. Whenever she receives treatment in Xiangya Hospital in Changsha, she will always brings a lot of books with her. "My ambition is to go to college and become a journalist. I will call on more people to care for unfortunate children in the future." Information from the Chinese Ministry of Health said there are now more than 3,300 children rehabilitation centers across the country. In the past seven years, 310,000 handicapped children have regained their health with the help from these centers. The Chinese government has set a goal of realizing "health care for all this year", and health care for handicapped children from poverty-stricken areas. Most of these children are deserted by their parents. Sources from the China Primary Health Care Fund said that an international medical team will be organized this year to provide medical services to handicapped children in China's poverty- stricken areas. |
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