THE Chinese naval hospital ship Ark Peace, consisting of more than one hundred medical personnel is next week expected to arrive at the Dar es Salaam port for a friendly visit and humanitarian medical service.

During their stay, the medical personnel will provide medical services to local patients with on-board facilities, while sending medical teams to carry out free clinic and academic exchange activities in local hospitals and communities.

Accompanying the Chinese hospital ship Ark Peace are mid-to-senior-level professionals in specialized technical positions (74 percent) while 39 percent have graduate degrees and 67 percent of them have carried out major medical operations.

Since its commission, Ark Peace has carried out the mission harmony to provide medical service for nine times (2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2023), visited 46 countries and regions across three oceans and six continents, provided medical services to over 290,000 people, Thus, it is reputed as the ship of life.

Designed and built by China, the hospital ship was commissioned in December 2008 with the hull number 866. It is 178 meters long, 24 meters wide and 35.5 meters high. Her loaded draft is 8.5 meters and full displacement 14,300 tons. She has got Force 12 wind resistance and 20 knots top speed. One rescue helicopter is available on-board.

It has five medical areas for casualty transfer, triage, outpatient, inpatient and evacuation with eight operation rooms. Ark Peace is equipped with medical facilities such as CT scanners, DR systems, colour Doppler ultrasounds, gastroscopies, fully automatic biochemical analysers, multi-function monitors, ventilators, high-pressure sterilization cabinets, etc., with up to 2,030 sets of medical devices of 250 different types. 

Offered services 

The hospital ship is the primary platform for treating patients. Available Diagnostic and Treatment Services on-board Ark Peace include physical examination services such as height, weight, blood pressure measurement; routine blood tests, blood biochemistry (liver and kidney functions, electrolytes, and blood lipids); routine urine and stool tests; multi-lead ECG, abdominal ultrasound, gynaecological ultrasound; chest X-ray examination.

More on that, the ship will also conduct laboratory blood tests, blood type, blood biochemistry (liver and kidney functions, electrolytes, blood lipids), coagulation function, immune function testing (hepatitis A, B, C, syphilis, HIV), cardiac enzyme spectrum, etc.; routine urine and stool tests; 

Special Examination Room: multi-lead ECG, echocardiography, abdominal ultrasound, gynaecological ultrasound, superficial organ ultrasound examinations.

Essential departments available in the hospital ship includes cardiology, pulmonology, gastroenterology; general surgery, orthopaedics; otorhinolaryngology, ophthalmology, obstetrics and gynaecology, dentistry, paediatrics, dermatology, traditional Chinese medicine physical therapy; special examination room (Ultrasound, ECG), imaging department (Digital Radiography, CT).

Dispatch of expert and medical teams

Expert teams can be sent to local hospitals to conduct joint ward rounds, diagnose, and perform surgeries, and engage in medical exchanges. Medical personnel of visited countries can also be invited to use the hospital ship's main platform to carry out the aforementioned activities.

Dispatch of medical teams can be dispatched to rural areas, communities, military bases, islands, nursing homes, etc., to provide medical services. 

With a scope of medical services that includes preliminary diagnosis and medication treatment suggestions for common diseases, such as respiratory infections, gastrointestinal diseases, surgical injuries, skin diseases, health guidance for chronic diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease medication adjustment, and lifestyle advice and Health consultations to help the local population understand their health status and provide lifestyle recommendations;

Teams composed of medical personnel and cultural elites can be sent to schools, orphanages, welfare homes, nursing homes, Confucius Institutes, and disability centres to carry out health services and cultural exchange activities. These include lectures on hygiene knowledge, oral health care, song and dance performances, and demonstrations of Chinese Kung Fu, tea ceremony, painting, calligraphy, and celebrating birthdays for orphans.

Maintenance teams

Medical equipment maintenance engineers can be dispatched to military and civilian medical institutions to repair and maintain radiological, electronic, and laboratory medical equipment, or to provide on-site suggestions for equipment maintenance.

Epidemic prevention teams

 Epidemic prevention teams are sent to embassies, schools, nursing homes, communities, and military bases to organize environmental sanitation extermination and to teach knowledge on health and epidemic prevention.

Trainings

Professional medical personnel base on providing training in basic life support and advanced cardiovascular life support to foreign medical personnel and conduct technical guidance and assessments for the trainees.

Demonstrations of aseptic operation skills, infant and toddler care skills, basic nursing skills, and etiquettes.

Depending on the situation, joint casualty medical evacuation drills with military medical institutions of visited countries can be conducted, including organizing drills of rescue of persons overboard, on-site first aid, mass casualty triage, emergency surgery, and comprehensive evacuation.

Combat injury treatment experts can be dispatched to militaries of visited countries to provide "ventilation, hemostasis, bandaging, immobilization, transport" and other battlefield emergency medical techniques, and to teach advanced theories on modern combat injury treatment.