A Chinese health official said on Friday that the country has sent more than 20,000 medical workers abroad since 1963, and they have helped 260 million patients worldwide.
China sent its first medical aid team to Algeria in 1963, and it was personally seen off by the late Premier Zhou Enlai.
Wang Liji, deputy director of the International Cooperation Department under the Ministry of Health (MOH), said 69 countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, Europe and Oceania had received Chinese medical support.
Nearly 1,300 Chinese were still working at 123 medicare stations in 48 developing nations, he said.
According to MOH statistics, more than 700 doctors have been awarded state-level medals by local governments, and 40 Chinese medical workers have died in the line of duty.
The Chinese doctors sent abroad have a wide range of skills beyond Western medicine. Many know foreign languages. Others offer traditional Chinese treatments, such as herbal medicine, acupuncture and massage, which can be more cost-effective than Western medicine and are popular with local residents.
Source: Xinhua
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