Chinese doctors arrive

yesterday.
They were met at Harare International Airport by senior Government officials and military officers.
The doctors, who came under the China-Zimbabwe Friendship Brightness Trip, will be in the country until March 25.
Welcoming the doctors, Acting Secretary for Defence Mr Patrick Machaya said Zimbabwe was grateful for the assistance rendered by the Chinese doctors.
“About 60 000 people in Zimbabwe are blind from cataracts.
“The lack of equipment and medical personnel is the major handicap so your coming will help us clear the backlog,” he said.
Mr Machaya said the Ministry of Defence, which is providing assistance to the doctors, would continue to provide support to the communities.
“As the Ministry of Defence we are proud that we are the prime movers of this initiative, the military come from the community and we are here to help the community as part of our social responsibility,” he said.
Mr Machaya said the visit was made possible due to the cordial relations between the two countries.
“All this has been made possible because of the cordial relations between our two countries,” he said.
Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Xin Shunkang said the arrival of the doctors ahead of a visit by the country’s Deputy Prime Minister Wang Qishan would have a positive impact on the two country’s relations.
“This is a second Brightness Camp and our doctors will treat over 500 patients and it is an opportunity for them to assist Zimbabwe people,” he said.
Acting Secretary for Health and Child Welfare Dr Christopher Tapfumaneyi said they were engaging the Chinese to resuscitate operations of eye clinics at Parirenyatwa and Harare Central Hospitals.
“As you are aware we already have an eye hospital at Parirenyatwa and Harare Hospital but because of problems of attrition of staff, poor equipment we had downsized operations.
“But with the co-operation with the ambassador we can upscale the operations that had been run down,” he said.
The Chinese doctors from Beijing Tongren Hospital were in the country in November last year and operated over 300 patients.