Cheer for the good work of Chinese builders

The Civil Service Hospital of Nepal built by China Tiesiju Civil Engineering Group stands safe and sound amid the Nepalese quake.

HEFEI: When I heard from a friend at the Hefei-based China Tiesiju Civil Engineering Group, I greeted her news with an immense sense of relief. All the houses her group built in Nepal survived the earthquake and have become much-needed shelters.

The magnitude-7.8 quake struck the capital Kathmandu and the densely populated Kathmandu Valley on April 25, killing at least 7,000 and injuring more than 14,000. The vast majority of the buildings in Kathmandu suffered severe damage. However, the dozens of civil engineering and housing projects Shu Renyu's company constructed withstood the effects of the quake.

The projects Shu's company built include the Civil Service Hospital of Nepal, the Himalayan Bank Ltd., the 2nd and 3rd phases of the Chinese Embassy in Nepal, and projects involving Vigas City, Sankhamul, Sanepa, Pulchowk, Naxal and Kamalpokhari. These buildings have become important shelters for the victims, and the Civil Service Hospital of Nepal has played a pivotal role. As of April 29, the hospital treated more than 1,000 victims, of which 80 percent have gone home to recuperate. Starting construction in June 2006 and completed in Aug 2008, the Civil Service Hospital of Nepal, designed to withstand magnitude-eight quakes, was officially handed over to the Nepalese government in Oct 2008. The hospital has two outpatient buildings and an inpatient building with 132 beds. The Chinese also provided equipment, including CT scanners, X-ray machines, ICU facilities, operating room facilities and physiotherapy equipment.

The Himalayan Bank Ltd. built by China Tiesiju Civil Engineering Group stands safe and sound amid the Nepalese quake.

I applauded the good work of these Chinese constructors, who are genuinely helping the victims in Nepal. Hearing the news, company general-manager Wang Chuanlin said: "This is something we confidently expected. We have no doubt about our project quality."

Company chairman Zhang Hechuan noted: "We have copied our experience at home and mobilized outstanding technicians and constructors in our construction projects overseas to safeguard their high quality and have 'zero tolerance' for any quality defects. This has helped us to ensure their superb quality, and is the major reason for our projects in Nepal withstanding earthquakes."

Shu's colleagues in Nepal are helping in other ways: Participating in quake relief work under the coordination of the Chinese Embassy in Nepal, loading and unloading materials and dispatching tents to victims.