Finding inner peace on ocean wave (2)

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He admitted that he hadn't slept well for months and noticed that his heartbeat has been unusually rapid. "I heard three months ago that the Peace Ark was coming to provide medical and psychological services. Since then, I've been counting the days," he said.

The Chinese hospital ship sailed from East China's Zhejiang province on June 10 on a 118-day voyage to provide medical services to eight countries in Asia and the Indian Ocean. The work the ship's medical specialists have undertaken on behalf of the Chinese and foreign escort fleets in the Gulf of Aden has been one of the most important aspects of the 2013 Peace Ark mission, according to Guan Bailin, head of the Chinese Navy's health department and Peace Ark's deputy commander.

"Life on deployment is tough. Sometimes only sheer willpower keeps everything going," he said. "In addition to the general medical treatments, the ship also provides psychological services. Peace Ark is like a battery recharge for the crews in the gulf and helps them stay healthy, physically and mentally."

During its stay in gulf waters, the ship was visited by the crews of three Chinese escort vessels. More than 500 sailors and officers came aboard for general health checks and around 20 of them, including Li Wei, received psychological counseling.

"It was good to have someone to talk with," said Li. "When you're out at sea, you can be with hundreds of people but still feel lonely. At my lowest ebb, I thought I couldn't finish the deployment, but I feel much better after the consultation."

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