Peace Ark begins journey home

Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark has set off for home after offering diagnosis and treatment to more than 13,000 patients in Indonesia during its seven-day mission, according to the Chinese Navy.

The week-long Mission Harmony-2022 was conducted from Nov 10 to Thursday, during which a total of 37 surgeries have been carried out on the hospital ship, the navy said in a news release on Friday, adding the maritime hospital also witnessed the successful birth of an Indonesian baby, the seventh birth on the Peace Ark since it was commissioned in 2008.

Furthermore, experts from the Peace Ark held online academic seminars with experts from the Indonesian naval hospital and conducted online joint consultation on difficult diseases with experts from multiple countries, the release said.

After the departure ceremony on Friday morning, the Peace Ark also carried out exercises with the hospital ship KRI Semarang of the Indonesian navy in subjects such as joint communication, lighting and flagging, and sailing in formation, the navy added.

Peace Ark is the Chinese military's first hospital ship and has a displacement of more than 10,000 metric tons. In addition to the Indonesia journey, it has engaged in nine overseas missions, sailing about 240,000 nautical miles and serving more than 230,000 people in 43 countries and regions around the world.