The medical team onboard, who landed from Djibouti yesterday, September 19, will provide free medical services for the general public from September 21 to 25.
The Ark Peace, which comprises 112 Chinese military medical personnel, has toured 29 countries around the world. It will depart from Sierra Leone to Gabon on a mission to provide medical services to more than 100,000 people across the world.
The arrival of the ship reflects the continuous commitment of the Chinese government’s support to improving medical services in Sierra Leone, in line with the Strategic Partnership of Comprehensive Cooperation between the two friendly countries.
The Task Group Commander and Rear Admiral, Guan Bailin applauded the Vice President of Sierra Leone, Hon. Victor Bockarie Foh on behalf of his 381 officers, for what he described as awesome preparation and warm welcome for his team.
The Rear Admiral stressed that the goodwill mission of the Chinese Hospital Ship was commissioned by the President of China, President Xi Jinping with the aim to salvage the situation of health complications in developing countries across the world.
Guan Bailin said the ship will also visit Gabon, Republic of Congo, Angola, Mozambique, Tanzania and East Timor.
The visiting crew will carry out free medical services and humanitarian assistance and conduct exchange cooperation along the armed forces of the aforementioned countries, in order to consolidate and promote friendly relations and deepen professional exchange and cooperation between Chinese and other navies.
Responding to the Rear Admiral, Sierra Leone’s Vice President, Hon. Victor Bockarie Foh welcomed the entire Chinese team on behalf of President Koroma and the people of Sierra Leone.
Hon Foh explained that the bilateral relationship between Sierra Leone and China will always continue to blossom and thrive.
He further explained the rich history of the diplomatic ties between the two countries since July 29, 1971.
‘The best of friends never part ways as the two countries remained solidly behind each other through thick and thin’, the VP noted.
He recalled that barely three months after Sierra Leone officially entered into diplomatic relations with China, it voted in favor of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, which recognized the People’s Republic of China as the only legitimate representative of China in the UN Body of Nations.
Hon Foh applauded the Chinese government for their continual support to Sierra Leone’s health sector as he mentioned during the Ebola scourge and post Ebola period in which the country experienced an exponential growth its ties with China.
He said China’s rapid response via the deployment of medical personnel and the overall support underscored the strong friendship between the two countries.
A total of 426 medical personnel were deployed in Sierra Leone from September 2014 to June 2015.
The ship set to provide diagnosis and treatment of common diseases and different kinds of operations.
There will also be inspection and maintenance services for medical equipment like CT, DR, X-RAY machines and other electronic devices like ultrasonic machines, ECG, biochemical analyzers, blood cell analyzers, dental equipment and much more.
The medical experts are expected to provide both basic and advanced life support training such as cardiovascular to local medical personnel.
Before the arrival of the ship, a delegation of the PLA medical experts were in Freetown and held fruitful preparation meetings with Ministry of Defense and other MDAs of the government of Sierra Leone.
The team has the full support of the Office of the President, and line government Ministries, Departments and Agencies including the security forces, in preparations for the orderly provision of the free medical services to the general public.
Screening and Registration Centers will be set up at the Brima Attouga Mini Stadium (at Old Railway Compound, Cline Town) from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from September 21 to 25.
