Chinese navy hospital ship sets sail on first overseas medical mission

Soft power at play.

Chinese navy hospital ship sets sail on first overseas medical mission
English.news.cn 2010-08-31 21:20:29

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2010-08/31/c_13471883.htm

NINGBO, Zhejiang, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese navy hospital ship Peace Ark set sail from Zhoushan Port in eastern China's Zhejiang Province Tuesday to head to the Gulf of Aden on its first overseas medical mission.

During the 87-day mission, the ship will provide medical treatment to soldiers and officers serving in the Gulf of Aden, according to Guan Bolin, a senior official with the logistics department of the Chinese Navy.

The medical staff aboard the ship will also provide medical treatment to people in five African and Asian countries - Djibouti, Kenya, Tanzania, the Seychelles and Bangladesh.

In addition, the ship's staff plan to conduct various exchange programs with medical workers in the countries the ship calls at, said Guan, also the deputy commander of the mission.

Peace Ark is the first hospital ship in the world with a 10,000-tonne capacity. China independently developed and built it.

It has 428 soldiers, officers and medical workers aboard.