A Chinese medical team arrived in the Kazakh capital Nur-Sultan on Thursday to assist Kazakhstan's ongoing efforts in fight against COVID-19.
The 10-member team also brought medical assistance including 4,800 N95 respirators, 49,600 disposable surgical masks, 2,000 protection suits, 2 ventilators and other medicines.
The team includes experts from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in the fields of infectious control and prevention of respiratory and severe diseases as well as clinic treatment.
"All the team members are with firsthand experiences in treating COVID-19 patients or controlling the epidemic," said deputy team leader Lu Chen, who is also vice president of People's Hospital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
"The major experience from China's battle against the COVID-19 can be referred as 'four concentrations,' namely the concentration of patients, hospitals, experts and treatment. We will unreservedly share our experience with Kazakh counterparts," said Lu Chen.
Kazakh Deputy Health Minister Kamalian Nadyrov said that China's experience in treating COVID-19 patients and conducting epidemiological investigation is very important. "We are carefully studying experience of our international colleagues. I am sure that the discussion (with Chinese experts) will be very useful," said Nadyrov.
"This is the first Chinese medical team dispatched to Central Asia to fight against COVID-19," said Zhang Xiao, Chinese ambassador to Kazakhstan who greeted the Chinese experts in the airport. "A true friend is known in the day of adversity. China will never forget about the Kazakh aid which was sent two months ago when China was badly hit by the virus. The mutual support shines the permanent comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Kazakhstan."
Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Yerzhan Ashikbayev said the dispatch of Chinese medical team is a part of efforts to implement the consensus reached between leaders of the two countries. "Kazakhstan is supported not only by the central Chinese government, but also by the regional authorities. Many Chinese companies, large or small, are contacting our diplomats in China and show their goodwill to provide assistance," said Ashikbayev.
The Chinese medical team will stay in Kazakhstan for 15 days, in the cities of Nur-Sultan, Almaty and Karaganda.
Kazakhstan reported 781 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 8 deaths as of Thursday.
