Barbadians will have access to a wide range of free medical services later this month when the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy hospital ship, Silk Road Ark, makes its overseas humanitarian mission stop.
The ship, currently in Jamaica as part of its Mission Harmony 2025 series assisting in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, is due here from December 20 to 27 The state-of-the-art medical vessel is equipped with five major treatment zones: casualty transfer, triage, outpatient, inpatient and evacuation.
It houses eight operating theatres, 14 clinical departments and seven diagnostic units. A helicopter on board enhances emergency response capacity, and the ship offers more than 60 medical and surgical procedures, all performed under strict safety and efficacy standards.
During its port call, the ship will open to the public from Sunday, December 21, to Friday, December 26, with visiting hours from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Departments available include cardiology, respiratory medicine, gastroenterology, general surgery, orthopaedics, ENT (ear, nose and throat), ophthalmology, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, dermatology, stomatology, imaging and traditional Chinese medicine.
Surgical procedures range from routine gastrointestinal endoscopy, appendectomies and hernia repairs to orthopaedic fracture fixation, cataract extraction, ENT surgeries, Caesarean sections, and acupuncture and cupping treatments. (NS/BGIS)
