Chinese eye doctors to provide free treatment in 6 BRI nations

China has announced plans to send medical teams to provide free surgery to 3,000 cataract patients in six countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative in the next three years. 

Kazakhstan will be the first country to benefit from the program, with the other five still to be confirmed, the Chinese Foundation for Lifeline Express said on Tuesday.

Nellie Fong, head of the foundation, said the first medical team will head to Kazakhstan this month.

In addition to free surgery, she said Chinese experts will also train two local doctors in each country to improve their treatment capabilities.

Under the program, China will also help build Lifeline Express eye centers in the six countries.

"The medical aid is expected to bring a higher quality of life to more people in countries along the Belt and Road Initiative," said Li Mingzhu, an inspector with the National Health Commission’s International Department.

Since 2016, the foundation has sent medical teams to Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Pakistan, treating a total of 1,502 cataract patients.

"The patients were from the poorest places in those countries. Power supplies were unstable — once we completed a surgical procedure despite losing electricity eight times," said doctor Zhao Chan, who was part of a team sent to Sri Lanka in 2016.

"The number of surgeries we can perform a year is limited, but we aim to train local doctors during our visits, which will benefit more patients." 

The foundation, established in 1997, has helped more than 197,700 people in 28 Chinese provinces and autonomous regions, and has built 80 Lifeline Express eye centers nationwide. 

"We wanted to help patients not only in China but also along the Belt and Road routes," Fong added.