China's "Bright Journey" cataract treatment program for the Bahamas was recently launched in the capital city of Nassau. A team of ophthalmologists selected from Hunan Province will perform surgeries on approximately 200 Bahamian cataract patients. Yan Jiarong, Chinese ambassador to the Bahamas, and Darville, Minister of Health and Wellness of the Bahamas, jointly announced the launch of the program.

Located in the Caribbean Sea, people in the Bahamas face year-round challenges of cataracts and diabetic retinopathy, caused by intense ultraviolet radiation, and compounded by severe shortages of local medical resources. In August 2022, Hunan Province and the Bahamas held a virtual signing ceremony to establish a friendship-city relationship between Hunan and Grand Bahama Island. Subsequently, the Bahamas submitted a request to the Chinese Embassy in the Bahamas, hoping to leverage the friendly ties between Hunan Province and the Bahamas to jointly launch a "Bright Journey" campaign, so as to help local patients regain their vision.

In April 2024, a Hunan delegation visited the Bahamas, with its first stop being the launching ceremony of the "Bright Journey" cataract treatment program. With the initial dispatch of seven medical experts from Xiangya Hospital and the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University (CSU), and with this renewed collaboration, Hunan's sustained medical assistance has allowed the friendship between China and the Bahamas to take root and flourish in the sphere of people's livelihoods.

Li Yun is head of the Chinese medical expert team and deputy director of the Department of Ophthalmology at the Second Xiangya Hospital. She noted that the team is comprised of medical personnel from the Department of Ophthalmology at the CSU Xiangya Hospital and the CSU Second Xiangya Hospital, along with accompanying engineers from Beijing. The Chinese team are looking forward to exchanging expertise with their Bahamian counterparts, supporting the development of the Bahamian public health sector, and contributing to the advancement of China-Bahamas friendship.

This article is from Hunan Provincial Government. www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Yu Jiangjiang

Chinese source: hunantoday