"Peace Ark" provides medical treatment for foreign soldiers

（Xinhua） 08:07, July 16, 2013

Medical personals on Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy hospital ship "Peace Ark" wave to soldiers from Netherlands' Van Speijk vessel in Gulf od Aden, July 14, 2013. It was the first time PLA Navy hospital ship "Peace Ark" provided medical treatment for foreign soldiers during its 10-day mission to Gulf of Aden. (Xinhua/Ju Zhenhua)

BEIJING, July 15 (Xinhuanet) -- A Chinese naval hospital ship has begun providing medical services to foreign escort fleets in the Gulf of Aden.

This is the first time the "Peace Ark" has begun providing medical services for foreign ships in the pirates-plagued waters.

CRI's Lucy Du has the details.

On a misty morning, 8 Dutchmen got aboard the "Peace Ark" after minutes of voyage on a small speed vessel in a rough sea.

They came from the nearby HNLMS Van Speijk frigate, a Dutch anti-piracy warship operating in the Gulf of Aden.

This is their first time to get aboard the Chinese hospital ship, which is currently in the Gulf of Aden on a medical service mission.

The 8 Dutchmen are also the first group of foreign naval staff the "Peace Ark" receives in its current stay in the Gulf of Aden.

Hans Guldie, a sailor from the Dutch team, has been suffering from toothache for over a week. He could not get any effective treatment as the Dutch warship has no dentists or dental facilities.

After getting aboard the "Peace Ark", the Dutch sailor came straight to Zhang He, a dentist on the Chinese hospital ship.