China-Maldives ophthalmology center assistance, cooperation program inaugurated

Vice President of the Maldives Faisal Naseem (front L4) and Chinese Ambassador to the Maldives Wang Lixin (front L3) and other officials attend inauguration ceremony in Hulhumale Hospital, the Maldives, on Feb. 11, 2023. (Photo by Anas Mohammed/Xinhua)

The China-Maldives ophthalmology center assistance and cooperation program not only benefits local patients but also provides an excellent opportunity to train local doctors and nurses in the ophthalmology profession, said Vice President of the Maldives Faisal Naseem.

COLOMBO, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- An inauguration ceremony of the China-Maldives ophthalmology center assistance and cooperation program was held in Hulhumale Hospital on Saturday with the participation of Vice President of the Maldives Faisal Naseem and other officials.

Naseem expressed his gratitude for the China-aided center and the medical expert team sent by China, and voiced his confidence in strengthening China-Maldives relations.

Naseem said the program not only benefits local patients but also provides an excellent opportunity to train local doctors and nurses in the ophthalmology profession.

The material support and technical expertise provided by China will bring an elevated standard of care for the Maldivian citizens, said Minister of State for Health Shah Abdullah Mahir at the inauguration ceremony.

China's medical aid model to the Maldives is shifting from "giving people fish" to "teaching people how to fish," which will not only set a new model of sustainable cooperation between the two countries, but also bring tangible benefits to the Maldivian people, said Chinese Ambassador to the Maldives Wang Lixin.

Chinese experts from China-Maldives ophthalmology center give surgical instructions to local doctors at Hulhumale Hospital, the Maldives, on Feb. 8, 2023. (China-Maldives ophthalmology center/Handout via Xinhua)

The program will assist Hulhumale Hospital in the diagnosis and treatment of ophthalmic diseases, with the priority focused on training local medical teams, said Chen Weirong, head of the China-Maldives ophthalmology center.

Chen added that local medical staff will be invited to China for professional training to enable them to complete the diagnosis and treatment of common ophthalmic diseases independently.

At the inauguration ceremony, Wang and Chen donated a batch of medical equipment to Hulhumale Hospital on behalf of China's National Health Commission and the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center of Sun Yat-sen University based in south China's Guangdong Province.