The Chinese naval hospital ship Silk Road Ark visited Nicaragua’s Corinto Port from November 10-14 to provide medical care to the local population.
In the vessel’s first visit to the western hemisphere, a crew of more than 400 doctors, nurses and auxiliary personnel treated patients free of charge and shared experiences with Nicaraguan medical professionals.
During that time, Chinese doctors worked together with Nicaraguan specialists to see 1,125 patients from the Chinandega area. They treated patients needing specialised medical support – from pediatrics to gynecology, obstetrics to internal medicine, orthopedics to urology. They carried out examinations on patients’ eyes, ears, noses, throats, hearts, kidneys, gastrointestinal tracts, and tested for infectious diseases. The team also performed ultrasounds, surgeries, and treated patients using traditional Chinese medicine.
In addition, specialists from China and Nicaragua held a meeting to share experiences on topics such as robotic surgery, chronic kidney disease, congenital heart disease, maternal and fetal health, and breast cancer.
This ship is part of “Harmony Mission 2025,” a Chinese humanitarian initiative to provide free medical care and strengthen international ties. So far, it has previously visited Fiji and Tonga, providing 3,330 consultations and performing 426 surgeries in Fiji, and treating more than 5,000 people in Tonga.
Speaking at the opening ceremonies, the Chinese Ambassador to Nicaragua, Qu Yuhui, expressed hopes that this Peace Ship will serve as a vehicle for the seeds of friendship between the navies of both countries to take deep root and foster a spirit of peace and cooperation, which will be passed down from generation to generation in furthering relations between China and Nicaragua.
At the closing ceremony prior to the ship’s departure, Laureano Ortega Murillo, Presidential Advisor for the Promotion of Investment, Trade and International Cooperation, said:
“We have come on a visit, delegated by our Co-Presidents, Commander Daniel, Comrade Rosario, to bid farewell to this Hospital Ship of the People’s Republic of China, of the People’s Liberation Army, to bid farewell to this laudable work of solidarity carried out by the Chinese people and Government with the peoples of the world.
“We are extremely grateful and we will continue to advance in this relationship of brotherhood, cemented in the relationship between our parties, the Sandinista National Liberation Front and the Communist Party of China. So, on behalf of our people and our Government, our gratitude, our love, our affection to the people and Government of the People’s Republic of China. Long live China and long live Nicaragua!”
The following articles were originally published by Sovereign Media and El 19 Digital. The latter was published in Spanish and was machine translated.
Nicaragua First Country in Hemisphere to Receive Chinese Hospital Ship
19 November (Sovereign Media) – Chinese hospital ship Silk Road Ark, with a crew of more than 400 doctors, nurses and auxiliary personnel arrived in Nicaragua’s Corinto Port to attend patients free of charge and to share experiences with Nicaraguan medical professionals.
Nicaragua is the first country in the Americas to receive a visit from the hospital ship Silk Road Ark, as a symbol of solidarity from the People’s Republic of China.
“We recognize the friendship, solidarity, cooperation, and respect shown by the People’s Republic of China toward the peoples of the world and, in this case, toward our blessed Nicaragua,” said Rosario Murillo, Co-President of the Republic, in an announcement of the arrival of the Silk Road Ark.
This ship is part of “Harmony Mission 2025,” China’s humanitarian initiative to provide free medical care and strengthen international ties. So far, it has visited Fiji and Tonga, providing 3,330 consultations and performing 426 surgeries in Fiji, and treating more than 5,000 people in Tonga.
Silk Road Ark is the latest ocean-going hospital ship designed and built by China, with capacity to perform more than 60 types of medical procedures and see 300 patients at a time. With a crew of more than 400, the ship has 14 clinical departments and seven auxiliary diagnostic units. An onboard helicopter enhances its emergency medical rescue capabilities.
Silk Road Ark was docked in Nicaragua’s Corinto Port from 10 to 14 November. During that time, Chinese doctors worked together with Nicaraguan specialists to see 1,125 patients from the Chinandega area free of charge. The international teams attended patients needing specialized medical support — from pediatrics to gynecology, obstetrics to internal medicine, orthopedics to urology. They carried out exams on patients’ eyes, ears, noses, throats, hearts, kidneys, gastro intestinal tracts — and tested for infectious diseases. The team also did ultrasounds, surgeries, and attended patients using traditional Chinese medicine.
In addition, specialists from China and Nicaragua held a meeting to share experiences on topics such as robotic surgery, chronic kidney disease, congenital heart disease, maternal and fetal health, and breast cancer.
Speaking at the opening ceremonies, the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Nicaragua, Qu Yuhui, expressed hopes that this Peace Ship will serve as a vehicle for the seeds of friendship between the navies of both countries to take deep root and foster a spirit of peace and cooperation, which will be passed down from generation to generation in further relations between China and Nicaragua.
“We are extremely grateful and will continue to advance this relationship of brotherhood, cemented by the relationship between our parties, the Sandinista National Liberation Front and the Communist Party of China,” said Laureano Ortega Murillo, Nicaraguan Presidential Advisor for the Promotion of Investment, Trade, and International Cooperation, speaking at the closing ceremonies.
“So, on behalf of our people and our government, we express our gratitude, our love, and our affection to the people and government of the People’s Republic of China.”
Authorities of the Sandinista Government say a warm and fraternal farewell to the Hospital Ship “Arca de la Ruta de la Seda”
November 14 (El 19) – A delegation of Government of Reconciliation and National Unity, headed by him Comrade Laureano Ortega Murillo, Presidential Advisor for Investment Promotion, Trade and International Cooperation, said goodbye this Friday to the crew of the Hospital Ship “Ark of the Silk Road”.
They were also present at this emotional departure of the boat, which is number 867 of the Navy of the People’s Liberation Army of the People’s Republic of China, comrade Valdrack Jaentschke, Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nicaragua; retired General Óscar Mojica, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure; Dr. Carlos Sáenz, Vice Minister of Health; the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China in Nicaragua, comrade Qu Yuhui.
In the farewell meeting they held inside the Hospital Ship, there was an exchange of words between the authorities, which included a tour, with the presence of the commander of the Mission of the Arca de la Ruta de la Seda Hospital Ship, Captain Peng Guliang; as well as the political commissioner of the Mission of the Silk Road Ark Hospital Ship, Captain Fang Jinsong.
He Hospital Ship “Ark of the Silk Road”, as part of the brotherhood, friendship and cooperation between Nicaragua and the People’s Republic of China, he performed consultations and surgeries, according to the specialties, for the benefit of the nicaraguan families.
The boat remained docked there Port of Corinto, department of Chinandega, from Monday, November 10 to Friday, November 14.
Grateful for this laudable work of solidarity
Comrade Laureano expressed, “we have come on a visit, delegated by our Co-Presidents, Commander Daniel, Comrade Rosario, to say goodbye to this Hospital Ship of the People’s Republic of China, of the People’s Liberation Army, to say goodbye to this laudable work of solidarity carried out by the Chinese people and Government with the people of the world.
In that sense, the Presidential Advisor for the Promotion of Investment, Trade and International Cooperation he thanked, on behalf of the Co-chairs, Commander Daniel Ortega and Comrade Rosario Murillo, first of all, to Comrade President of the People’s Republic of China, Comrade Xi Jinping; to the Communist Party of China, to his people and his Government.
“We have been received (on the Hospital Ship) by the first captain Fang (Jinsong) of this great ship, for all its crew who have come to accompany us with love, with all the Nicaraguan people and, especially, with the people of Corinto, of Chinandega, who have been cared for on this Hospital Ship, share with the institutions of our Government, with him Army, Ministry of Health, iexchange, encourage, strengthen, strengthen ties of brotherhood and cooperation”, he valued.
To conclude, Laureano exclaimed “we are extremely grateful and we will continue to advance in this relationship of brotherhood, founded on the relationship of our parties, Sandinista National Liberation Front and the Communist Party of China. So on behalf of our people and our Government, our gratitude, our love, our affection for the people and Government of the People’s Republic of China Long live China and long live Nicaragua!”.
