Medical rescue drill was held on Peace Ark

Doctors operate on a "patient" on the hospital ship during the medical rescue drill held on the Peace Ark on June 16, 2014. [Photo by Zhang Shaohu/chinadaily.com.cn]

A maritime medical rescue drill was held in the western Pacific on June 16 by crews of the Peace Ark hospital ship. The ship was on its way to Hawaii for the 'Rim of Pacific 2014' naval drill.

The drill, simulating a humanitarian mission to aid a country hit by a wind storm, included the transportation of wounded by helicopters and fast yachts, injury assessment and medical treatment on the hospital ship. After taking stock of injuries in a triage area, the "wounded" were sent to the operating room or ICU for further medical treatment.

The facilities on the ship, China's first domestically developed, 10,000-ton hospital ship, are the same as in a high-class hospital. It's been called the 'life boat' by the navy.

Meanwhile, the electronic triage system onboard can transfer patients' information and assess their situation to save a lot time, according to Sun Tao, captain of the hospital ship.