Chinese naval hospital ship concludes humanitarian mission in Timor-leste

DILI, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese naval hospital ship Ark Peace has finished its eight-day humanitarian medical service in Timor-Leste and left the Dili Port for home.

During its stay in Timor-Leste till Thursday, a total of 7,289 people were treated by Chinese doctors.

The Prime Minister of Timor-Leste Mari Alkatiri made a visit to the ship and accepted health examination on Dec. 17.

Alkatiri said he appreciated Chinese doctors for the warm and attentive treatments and he believed in their medical skills just like believing in China.

The President of Timor-Leste Francisco Guterres, also known as Lu-Olo, and his wife also boarded Ark Peace and visited the veterans being treated in the ship.

The president was very excited when he saw shrapnels being surgically removed out of a veteran's body.

Lu-Olo praised that Ark Peace had made great contributions to the veterans of Timor-Leste.

Ark Peace implemented humanitarian medical services around the world, which reflected the international responsibility of China as a main power, he added.

The arrival of Ark Peace was good news for local people. A medical team was dispatched to Atauro Island, 30 km from Dili, on Dec. 16.

Evodia Soares was a 17 years-old girl in a local high school. Her hearing ability was decreased gradually after having a serious fever four years ago. She said she felt pains in her left ear, but she never saw a doctor these years.

Chinese doctor Wang Wei examined her ears carefully, and then he gave a prescription and some suggestions to his patient for protecting ears.

"The Chinese doctor is very kind. I want to be a doctor in the future," said Evodia.

The Director of Atauro Vila Hospital Lucas Morais said that his hospital was the only medical utility in the island with eight doctors, eight midwives and four nurses, working for 12,000 residents.

Morais hoped that the medical team could stay there for more days.

Not only the residents need medical services, but also his colleagues wanted to learn more medical skills from Chinese doctors, Morais added.

Ark Peace dispatched four teams to different places, especially remote areas, and provided free medical services to local people.

Chinese medical experts also carried out joint rescue exercises with officers and soldiers of Timor-Leste army, first of its kind between the two countries.

Rajesh Pandav, WHO's representative to the country, praised that Ark Peace showed China's responsibility and good image in the world.

Ark Peace set sail from Zhoushan, China on July 26 for humanitarian medical services. It arrived in Timor-Leste, the last leg of its mission on Dec. 14 after visiting seven African countries, including Djibouti, Sierra Leone, Gabon, the Republic of Congo, Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania.

Since 2008, Ark Peace has visited over 30 countries and provided free medical services for over 170,000 people. Enditem