Chinese medical aid team departs for PNG

CHONGQING, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- A medical team consisting of 10 members departed from southwest China's Chongqing Municipality for Papua New Guinea (PNG) on Sunday to provide medical aid for the duration of one year.

The team includes eight medical professionals, a cook, and a translator, with an average age of 39.5 years old. It is the 13th medical team Chongqing has sent to aid PNG.

Catering to the clinical needs in PNG, the medical experts were selected from various departments, including neonatology, nephrology, and radiation oncology. The team also includes an expert in acupuncture and massage.

The PNG has been grappling with significant healthcare disparities and limited medical resources. With a population of over 9 million, the country has only 0.7 doctors for every 10,000 people, a figure significantly lower than the global average of 22. This situation has placed substantial demand on the Chinese medical team.

As of September this year, Chongqing had dispatched 12 teams of 120 people to PNG. They have not only provided healthcare services to the patients, but also contributed to the medical progress of PNG by sharing their expertise with local doctors.