Chinese doctors treat 2,000 Filipino typhoon survivors

The medical team of more than 50 doctors and nurses sent by Chinese government treated 874 patients over the past five days since they set up a tent hospital in Abuyog town, one of the typhoon-affected areas in central Philippines.

"We received 226 outpatients and emergency cases providing 288 check-ups on Thursday alone," said Ye Zhen, head of the medical team sent out by China's Ministry of Public Health.

"The day before, an experienced Chinese surgeon had a Sebaceous glands cyst resection operation for a 29-year-old Filipino, and he recovered well, without any sign of postoperative infection," he added.

The medical team is composed of experienced doctors in surgery, pediatrics, internal medicine, dermatology, orthopaedics and internal medicine from east China's Zhejiang Province. The team brought six tons of medical supplies with them.

After reaching Abuyog on Nov. 24, the medical team immediately put up a tent hospital and later moved to the general hospital of Abuyog which had ceased operation. There has always been a long queue in front of the hospital waiting for treatment by Chinese doctors.

In addition, the two medical teams sent to Tacloban city in Leyte province, one of the worst-hit areas, treated 1,030 patients in the first three days after a tent hospital became operation in Tacloban.

When the team was informed of mass diarrhea at De San Juan Bagaday village on Tuesday, it reported to the Philippine Red Cross Society (PRCS) immediately. With PRCS s consent, the team went to the village for epidemiological investigation on the following day and sent samples to China's Peace Ark for further analysis, which is later confirmed as ordinary enteritis, according to Zhang Hua, spokesman of Chinese Embassy in the Philippines.

China's Peace Ark Hospital Ship has received 112 patients as of Thursday. To provide services to more wounded typhoon victims, the hospital ship have built three field hospitals in Palo, Leyte province. Chinese doctors were sent to make a round of visits to villages hit by typhoon Haiyan (local name Yolanda). Patients with complicated symptoms were transferred to the ship for further treatment.

On Thursday, a baby girl was born on the Peace Ark Hospital Ship, bringing hope for her parents, whose home was washed away by floods triggered by typhoon Yolanda.

Though Chinese medical workers have tried to treat as many patients as they can, many Filipinos in the affected areas still have to wait for their turn.