Thousands of patients in Tonga wished the Chinese medical ship Ark Peace had stayed longer than scheduled, according to the Chinese Embassy in Nuku‘alofa.
While the Chinese medical experts were in Nuku’alofa on August 13 for a week they treated 5,532 patients.
The number included 2,598 persons who received auxiliary examinations, 28 inpatients who were hospitalized,while 34 surgeries were performed.
The Chinese mission to the kingdom was a success.
“With the strong support of the Tongan government and concerted efforts of both sides, the visit was a complete success and was applauded by the people of all walks of life of Tonga,” a spokesperson told Kaniva News.
“We heard many local people comment that the duration for the medical service was a bit short and they expected it to stay longer.
“This is the second time that Ark Peace visits Tonga after its first visit to the Kingdom in August 2014, and it is anticipated that it will visit Tonga again in the future though the specific time is yet to be discussed and decided by China and Tonga.”
Asked if they could give us an estimate of how much the ship spent to conduct its mission in Tonga, the spokesperson said:
“We do not have information on how much the Ship spent to complete the mission in Tonga.”
