Barbadians will be able to access free medical and surgical services during Christmas week when the Chinese naval hospital ship Silk Road Ark docks on the island later this month.
The ship is scheduled to arrive on December 20 and remain in port until December 27, with the public able to access services from Sunday, December 21, to Friday, December 26, between 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., and again from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily, the Ministry of Health and Wellness said.
The visit forms part of the vessel’s first overseas humanitarian medical mission and will provide Barbadians with access to more than 60 types of medical and surgical services, including consultations, diagnostics and selected procedures.
The Silk Road Ark is equipped with five major medical zones for casualty transfer, triage, outpatient care, inpatient services and evacuation, as well as eight operating rooms. It also carries a helicopter for emergency response and includes 14 clinical departments and seven auxiliary diagnostic units.
Services will be offered in key areas such as cardiovascular medicine, respiratory medicine, gastroenterology, general surgery, orthopaedics, ophthalmology, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, dermatology, otolaryngology, and traditional Chinese medicine physiotherapy, along with imaging and special examinations.
Among the procedures that may be performed are appendectomies, hernia repairs, breast lump and skin lesion removals, fracture fixation, cataract treatment, routine endoscopies, urological procedures and selected obstetric services, as well as acupuncture and cupping therapy.
To reduce the risk of infectious disease transmission, patients with temperatures above 37.5°C, open tuberculosis, coma, or critical infectious conditions will not be permitted onboard.
The Ministry said all medical personnel working on the ship will be registered with the relevant professional councils in Barbados, and members of the public may attend with or without referral letters from their personal doctors.
Health officials have encouraged Barbadians to take advantage of the visit, describing it as a major humanitarian medical outreach by the People’s Republic of China during the holiday season.
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