Peace Ark, the Chinese Goodwill Hospital Ship Reached Bangladesh

Peace Ark, the Chinese navy hospital ship reached Chittagong city of Bangladesh on 19 August 2013.  The ship is on a week-long goodwill visit to Bangladesh to provide free medical services to its people and conduct academic exchanges with the country's military hospitals.

Peace Ark has 300 beds and a medical crew of 102. The ship is equipped with CT, Doppler Ultrasound, automatic biochemical analyzer, operation theatres, and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) facilities.

This is the second visit of the ship to Bangladesh. On its first visit to the nation in November 2010, it treated more than 3200 patients and provided health check-ups to 173 persons and 23 persons underwent surgical procedures.

This year’s visit is the part of the Mission Harmony 2013 of Chinese navy to advocate China’s philosophy of harmonious world and harmonious ocean.

According to the Chinese embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh would be the only country among the eight Asian countries under the mission that the hospital ship visited twice.

Bangladesh Navy will coordinate the Peace Ark’s mission and doctors onboard will see at least 300 patients every day. The ship will also send medical team to local Navy Patenga Hospital, Ash Alor and Navy Primary School for medical services.

The Peace Ark began its four-month mission on 10 June 2013 and came to Bangladesh after sailing in Brunei, the Gulf of Aden, Maldives, Pakistan and India.

The ship will leave Bangladesh on 25 August 2013 and sail to Indonesia and Cambodia before wrapping up the mission on 6 October 2013. The hospital ship Peace Ark commissioned in December 2008.

About Mission Harmony 2013

• Mission-Harmony is an initiative of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy to advocate China's philosophy of Harmonious World and Harmonious Ocean.

• Peace Ark is on four-month-long trip to Asia starting from 10 June 2013 to 6 October 2013.

• The Chinese hospital ship has an emergency medical support system. Its tasks include treatment and evacuation of injured and sick personnel on the sea, and medical support for troops stationed at islands and atolls.

• In Mission Harmony 2013, the ship is visiting eight Asian countries. Bruei, Myanmar, Indonesia, Cambodia, Maldives, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.