Chinese hospital ship Peace Ark leaves Myanmar

YANGON - Chinese hospital ship Peace Ark left Thilawa Port of Yangon Tuesday to continue its tour to Indonesia to launch its medical services there after ending its six-day visit to Myanmar.

The hospital ship medical staff were generally welcomed and praised by local residents and Myanmar military troops due to the medical services they provided during the visit.

Myanmar soldiers wave goodbye to Chinese hospital ship Peace Ark in Yangon on Tuesday. [Photo/Xinhua]

During their stay in Yangon, the "Peace Ark" hospital ship opened 31 special departments and served as the main platform.

It received a total of 3,190 outpatients, accomplished 77 surgical operations, hospitalized 49 in-patients, provided special examinations to 2,766 people as well as offered health check-up examinations for 250 persons from civilian, military officers, Chinese Embassy staff and overseas Chinese.

In addition, the hospital ship sent a medical team to Myanmar National Defense Women and Children Hospital, Thanlyin People's Hospital, Kyauktan People's Hospital and Chinese Commercial Center and provided treatment to 2,982 people.

The medical teams were also sent to a primary school and an orphanage school in Thanlyin to conduct health care and cultural activities with them.

"Our current visit by Hospital Ship Ark Peace has indeed achieved the purpose of strengthening the mutual understanding, promoting cooperation and developing the friendship. And also we have realized our sincere wish to serve Myanmar people heartily and carried forward the international humanitarianism," said Commander Shen Hao who is also the former Deputy Chief of Staff of the East Sea Fleet of the Chinese Navy Rear Admiral.

The hospital ship set sail from Chittagong Port of Bangladesh on August 26. By far, "Ark Peace" has visited six destinations including Brunei, Maldives, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Myanmar during the mission.

"Ark Peace" is the first indigenous maritime hospital, with full load displacement over 10,000 tons.

The hospital ship has 300 beds, 20 ICUs, eight surgical operating theaters, and is capable of accommodating 40 major surgeries a day.

The medical equipment on the ship is on a par with that in China's top-level hospitals.