ISLAMABAD, Mar. 28 (INP): A team of Chinese medical experts, along with medical supplies, arrived here on Saturday as the country struggles to contain the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood were at the airport to welcome the medical team and to express thanks to the government and people of China, on behalf of the government and people of Pakistan, for the timely support in this difficult time. NDMA Chairman Muhammad Afzal and Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing also attended the ceremony. According to Gowadar Pro App, the eight-member team, arranged by the National Health Commission of China and sent by Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, consists of experts from the center for disease control and prevention (CDC) of Xinjiang, as well as People's Hospital Of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, and Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The experts specialize in areas including respiratory, intensive care, testing, traditional Chinese medicine and nursing. Their missions will include sharing experience in COVID-19 prevention and control with local hospitals and experts, offering advice on epidemic prevention and control, patient treatment and laboratory work, and providing training and guidance for medical staff and community prevention and control personnel in Pakistan, in combination with the epidemic prevention measures, diagnosis and treatment process of Pakistan. The Chinese medical team will remain in Pakistan for two weeks. Also on board the plane were medical supplies donated by Xinjiang, including 10,000 N95 masks, 100,000 medical masks, 5,000 protective suits, 12 ventilators, 5 defibrillation monitors, 10,000 nucleic acid testing kits and other medical materials and drugs. So far, China has sent seven batches of medical groups to Iran, Iraq, Italy, Serbia and Cambodia to help them fight the virus, with three batches sent to Italy, each of which was mainly sent by one of China’s provinces.

INP/JAVED