On Aug 3, Li Bin, head of the NHFPC, visited a Chinese medical assistance team in Mauritania after she attended the Mauritanian presidential inauguration ceremony as special envoy of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

This year marks the 46th anniversary of China’s first medical assistance team in Mauritania. Li Bin praised the works of different batches of medical teams as they have overcome difficulties and rescued patients. They carry forward the international humanitarian spirit. Their work won praise from the Mauritanian people and has enhanced the friendship between China and Mauritania, Li said.

Li Bin said that the Central Committee of the CPC and the State Council are paying great attention to medical assistance to foreign countries. In the future, the work of medical assistance should follow the remarks from China’s top leaders. Medical assistance teams in foreign countries should innovate their work, improve the way they send personnel, and enlarge assistance to promote their influence and efficiency. The NHFPC will make efforts to improve the working and living conditions of Chinese medical assistance teams in foreign countries, Li said.

Launched by Heilongjiang province, the Mauritanian medical assistance program was started in 1968. So far, a total of 31 batches of 800 Chinese medical personnel were sent to the country. In the past 46 years, services provided to Mauritanian people totaled 1 million, with 70,000 operations done. Meanwhile, the Chinese medical assistance teams also provided training for about 1,000 local medical personnel in Mauritania.