[imagesource:getarchive]

The Chinese naval hospital ship is making its way to our shores to provide the Mother City with some tender loving care.

The hospital ship, known as the Peace Ark or ‘Vredesark’ in Afrikaans, is made to provide humanitarian medical assistance to various African countries as a part of the modern-day Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Peace Ark is equipped with advanced medical facilities, including 16 departments, eight operating rooms, more than 300 beds and an onboard medical rescue helicopter. It also boasts several blood banks, examination rooms and various diagnostic and treatment facilities.

Since its launch in 2007 and on its mission Harmony, the Peace Ark has visited over 45 countries and regions and provided medical care services to more than 290,000 people, IOL reports.

On 3 August, the Peace Ark treated more than 2,000 nationals and Chinese expatriates in Seychelles. The vessel has 12 other stops on its voyage, including Tanzania, Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa, Angola, Congo, Gabon, Cameroon, Benin, Mauritania, Djibouti, and Sri Lanka.

Before heading off to Cape Town, the Peace Ark rolled up its sleeves and tended to over 7,300 patients during its week-long goodwill stopover in Mozambique. The crew performed 74 surgeries, from sorting out cataracts to whipping out a submandibular gland and even doing a bit of calculus extraction.

Teams were also sent out to local hospitals and military bases to conduct joint consultations, medical tours and military medical exchanges, per the China Mail.

Cape Town’s stopover comes hot on the heels of a visit from Liu Jinchao, China’s Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, who popped by the Mother City on the 2nd and 3rd of August. It’s all part of the push to tighten the bonds between China and South Africa.

The Peace Ark’s visit to Cape Town will give some serious weight to Minister Liu’s words on China-South Africa and China-Africa relations, highlighting the big plans cooked up by President Xi Jinping and President Ramaphosa. They’re all about building a top-tier China-South Africa community with a shared future.

The visit of the Peace Ark will further develop solidarity and cooperation with African countries as part of China’s foreign policy.

[sources:iol/capetownetc]