Chinese Ark Peace delivers first baby in Tanzania

DAR ES SALAAM: A FRIEND in need is a friend indeed so it is said and practically witnessed when a hospital ship of the People’s Liberation Army Navy of China docked in Dar es Salaam, now the third time with a peace mission.

As word went around of its presence in the city offering free medical attention and people scurrying to get onboard, making history was a young Tanzanian woman named Sarah (32), who found herself in advanced labour pain and had to deliver in the ship.

Visited by a gaggle journalists, she was full of happiness and at times shed tears of joy narrating how the Chinese medics attended to her with utmost care, assuring her that she was in safe hands.

Praising the friendship, she noted that China and Tanzania cooperation should continue and guarded by all the coming generations because its fruits are enjoyed by all the citizens, regardless of one’s class in life.

She added: “When I heard of a free service in the naval ship, I didn’t look behind of a language barrier to seek service.

I automatically knew I was in safe hands, especially on seeing fellow Tanzanians coming out of the ship with testimonies that there are all sorts of medical facilities in the ship.

“Thereafter, what followed was delivering a baby boy in the hands of the Chinese medics. Cuddling the baby, the Head of Nurses in the ship Gu Liyan said: “Our mission is to save lives, maintain world peace and cement friendship.

Primarily built in China, the ship is an emergency medical support platform at sea. She assumes the role of treating, caring and evacuating casualties at sea during wartime; giving medical attention for the residents and stationed troops on china’s islands and reefs in peace time.”

Attending to averagely 1000 people per day since it anchored in Dar es Salaam Port on 16th July to 23rd, 2023, the ship is a candid friendship that has existed between Tanzania and China ahead of celebrations to mark the 60th Anniversary of the cooperation and the same 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF) on September 01, 1964.

ALSO READY: How Peace Ark Medical Ship strengthens TZ-China bilateral relations

Having provided medical services at Muhimbili National Hospital, Lugalo Hospital, Kunduchi, Amana Hospital, Bunju, Mwananyamala and Temeke, along with other areas for which official visit was scheduled with assistance of the TPDF, the gesture shows how China is with Tanzania, not only at the diplomatic level, but right into the grassroots to help ordinary citizens in their medical woes.

Apart from attending to diseases ranging from dental care and treatment for gynaecological issues, ear, nose and throat conditions, urinary diseases, cardiac care and burns treatment and minor surgeries, it was an opportunity for Sara to trust the friendship and deliver in the ship in the safe hands of the Chinese medics.

Commenting, a TPDF officer who asked for anonymity said: “We are overwhelmed. The demand is much higher than we anticipated. We are doing our best to see into it that Tanzanians get medical attention in the ship.”

That was a historic occasion for the ship that was established on April 23rd, 1949 as a strategic, comprehensive and international service of the People’s Liberation Army Navy of China.

Known as a staunch force for world peace, it is an important strategic support for maintaining state sovereignty and national dignity and safeguarding national security and developing interests of the Chinese people.

The naval ship was dispatched to carry out mission harmony series of medical services in 2010 to 2023 every year and has visited Tanzania this time around 2024 the third time- showing how Tanzania is given priority in the Chinese mission abroad.

In its list of countries it has visited, the Ark Peace has successfully visited 45 countries and regions in Asia, Africa, America and Oceania by conducting frree medical and humanitarian services for more than 290, 000 Chinese and overseas people.

If you have heard of those ships voyaging on the sea and providing free humanitarian medical aid, this time think of the Peace Ark, commissioned into the Chinese Navy in 2008. Hence, what is the Peace Ark? How special it is? What has it done? Let’s take a close look at the ship.

Ship for rescue The Peace Ark hospital ship, known as Heping Fangzhou in Chinese, is the country’s first standard oceangoing hospital ship and the world’s first 10,000-ton-level professional hospital ship.

Weighing 14,300 tonnes and independently designed by China, it is identified in the People’s Liberation Army Navy as Daishan Dao, equipped with cutting-edge medical technologies.

Painted white with red crosses to mark it as a hospital ship, the Peace Ark is one of a handful of vessels in the world that are not converted from other types of ships and was specifically designed for medical purposes from scratch, unlike others which are remodeled from oil tankers.

The ship’s hospital equipment is on par with some top medical facilities in China. The crew includes some of China’s leading medical experts and professionals in neurology, gastroenterology, physiotherapy, traditional Chinese medicine, infectious diseases, reconstructive surgery and burns.

It has over 100 medical staff working in dozens of clinical and auxiliary departments, harbors multiple operating rooms, nursing stations and exam rooms, thus being capable of accommodating roughly 1,000 patients at once and diagnosing and treating various illnesses.

Upholding the principle of building “a community with a shared future for humanity” and “a maritime community with a shared future,” the hospital ship aims at bringing much-needed medical care to people from around the world free of charge.

Hospital that braves winds and waves So far, the Peace Ark has set sail on 10 overseas missions in its 15-year-old voyage. Instead of having patients brought to the hospital, the ark comes to cure patients who are in dire need.

Having visited 43 countries and regions, the love spreading ark has provided medical services to more than 250,000 people.

Carrying out a series of the multinational humanitarian mission dubbed Harmony, it has sailed more than 260,000 nautical miles, which is equivalent to circling the equator 11 times, since its commission in 2008.

The Peace Ark has left its footprints all over six continents and three oceans. From Djibouti, one of the least economically developed countries in the world, to Sierra Leone which suffered from ravaging Ebola, and to the Philippines which experienced the fatal Typhoon Haiyan, the voyaging hospital has brought medical support to those in dire need, dispatching anti-pandemic materials and vaccines to people in need, and aiding countries battered by natural disasters.

During its latest mission in Indonesia, with 111 medical staff from a naval medical university, the medical team conducted 13,488 diagnoses and performed 37 surgeries in just seven days.

The medical personnel also helped deliver a baby on the ship, marking the seventh newborn on the ark.

Well equipped with a magnetically guided capsule endoscope, an intravenous anesthesia robot, a new type of portable endoscope and other sophisticated medical apparatuses, the Peace Ark enabled medical staff to diagnose and treat complicated diseases on board.

The Peace Ark’s humanitarian diagnosis and treatment services overseas bespeak the Chinese people and military’s love of peace and respect for life…….. According to ship’s Commander He Yongming that vessel can also provide international humanitarian medical assistance, respond to major disasters and emergencies, as well as undertake international exchanges and cooperation tasks on military medicine.

He added: “It is equipped with advanced medical facilities, such as CT, DR and color ultrasound as well. One such rescue helicopter is available onboard.”