The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) has said that doctors from the Chinese hospital ship Peace Ark scheduled to arrive in the Maldives later this month, will work in nine islands.

Speaking at a meeting held at Coast Guard Building today, Commanding Officer of MNDF Medical Services, Lieutenant Colonel Dr Ali Shahid said that the Chinese hospital ship will be docked at the Maldives Ports Authority harbour when it arrives in the Maldives.

Peace Ark will be in the Maldives from 29 June to 5 July 2013.

During this period, doctors from the ship will work in eight islands in addition to Male’. The islands are Kaafu Guraidhoo, Alif Alif Rasdhoo, Alif Dhaalu Mahibadhoo, Haa Dhaalu Kulhudhuffushi, Gnaviyani Fuvahmulah, Baa Eydhafushi, Gaafu Alifu Villingili and Addu City.

MNDF said that the specialist doctors from the ship will visit the islands on different days. He said that work will commence now, in cooperation with the health centres or hospitals in the islands, to facilitate making appointments to consult the doctors on the days they visit the islands.

MNDF said that in addition to the service of consulting doctors, the hospital ship team will provide free medication.

In Male’, the doctors will treat patients at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) and MNDF’s Senahiya Hospital.

The visit by Peace Ark to the Maldives is part of its Mission Harmony 2013 project. According to the Chinese Embassy, its first operation was in Brunei, and after Maldives, it will move on to Bangladesh, Pakistan and India.

In a statement, the embassy expressed confidence that this visit would strengthen relations between Maldives and China.

The hospital ship, commissioned in 2008, is 170 meters long and can serve about 400 patients simultaneously. It has 20 ICU wards, eight operation theatres and can perform 40 surgeries per day.