Chinese, American doctors offer free surgeries to poor children

NANJING - More than 100 medical experts from China and the United States are performing free surgeries for 60 children at a hospital in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province.

Targeting children with congenital diseases or disabilities from poor families and orphanages, the medical charity program started last Friday and will run a week, according to the People's Hospital of Jiangsu Province.

This is the fourth year that Chinese and American medical experts have performed surgeries at the hospital under the program "Healing with Love," which was jointly launched by the Children of China Pediatrics Foundation and the hospital in 2015.

Yang Xinying has suffered from scoliosis, an abnormal curvature of the spine, from the age of five. As she grew, the disease became more serious, even causing difficulty in breathing.

Last year, the 13-year-old girl's spinal deformity was corrected by the medical team for free. Her teacher said before the surgery she was very shy, but now shows much more confidence and initiative at school.

Over the last three years, the program has offered treatment for over 200 children and more than 100 free surgeries have been performed.

"It helps connect outstanding medical experts from China and the United States, expanding the social impact of charity activities and benefiting more patients," said Zhao Jun, Party chief of the hospital.