Medical aid to be increased to developing countries ( 2003-12-03 00:27) (China Daily)
Vice-Premier Wu Yi, also China's minister of health, said in Beijing Tuesday
that the nation will further enhance medical aid to developing nations and
improve its health care partnerships with them.
Wu made the remarks during a ceremony to mark the 40th anniversary of China's
overseas medical programmes.
In 1963, China sent its first medical team abroad to Algeria, when it was
amid a hard struggle to tackle its own financial and economic problems.
After more than 20 years of economic reform, China has improved its economy
greatly.
"But our friendship with developing nations and sense of international
responsibility won't change,'' Wu said. She asked Chinese health and financial
departments to attach great importance to working with the foreign medical aid
service and further improving relevant polices to ensure the smooth operation of
the programme.
Gao Qiang, executive vice-minister of health, said that China has sent over
18,000 medical workers on overseas aid programmes during the past four decades,
covering 65 countries and regions in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe and
Oceania.
"Six hundred and thirteen Chinese medical staff have been awarded honours by
the countries they worked in, and 45 members laid down their lives at their
posts,'' Gao said.
He said that China currently has 42 medical teams with about 1,100 staff
working overseas in 40 foreign countries.
In all, 30 medical teams and 100 team members were honoured at the ceremony
for their superb performances by the ministries of health, foreign Affairs and
commerce.
