Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, has welcomed the planned medical outreach by the Chinese Navy hospital ship, Ark of Peace, scheduled to take place in Lagos from November 10 to 17, 2026.
Pate described the initiative as an important step towards strengthening Nigeria-China health cooperation, improving access to healthcare services and fostering people-to-people relations between both countries.
The minister expressed appreciation to the Chinese government, its ambassador to Nigeria and other stakeholders for facilitating the visit, noting that the humanitarian mission would create opportunities for knowledge exchange and professional collaboration between Nigerian and Chinese healthcare professionals.
He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to prioritising the health and well-being of Nigerians through improved healthcare delivery at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels.
Pate also pledged to brief President Bola Tinubu on the proposed mission, expressing optimism that the initiative would contribute to improving service delivery, quality of care and health outcomes.
He called for sustained engagement among relevant government institutions and stakeholders to ensure effective coordination and maximise the benefits of the outreach.
The details of the proposed mission were presented at a coordination meeting by the representative of the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Senior Colonel Ouyang Haisheng, who said the exercise would provide medical services to Nigerians while deepening cooperation between healthcare professionals in both countries.
According to Haisheng, the hospital ship, also referred to as the Auspicious Ark, is a fully equipped floating medical facility with a displacement of approximately 16,000 tonnes, eight operating theatres and more than 100 doctors and other medical personnel.
He said the vessel was expected to attend to about 600 or more patients daily during the main service period, subject to operational arrangements.
The planned services include medical consultations, physical examinations, laboratory investigations, diagnostic imaging, surgical procedures and cataract-related treatment under the Brightness Initiative.
The medical team will also demonstrate traditional Chinese medicine techniques, including acupuncture, moxibustion and scraping therapy, while exploring opportunities for joint clinical activities with Nigerian medical professionals.
Beyond services provided aboard the vessel, the mission plans to deploy mobile medical teams to communities and selected institutions, including schools, orphanages, homes for older persons and disability centres.
Temporary medical facilities may also be established at accessible locations, such as stadiums, churches and schools, to extend services to residents.
Haisheng added that specialist teams would engage Nigerian hospitals and universities through professional exchanges, health education and cultural activities.
He disclosed that China’s overseas medical missions began in 2010 and had provided healthcare services to hundreds of thousands of patients in different countries.
The Chinese official expressed optimism that the Lagos mission would further strengthen bilateral health cooperation through improved access to medical services, knowledge sharing and professional collaboration.
Speaking at the meeting, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, described the initiative as a high-priority government-to-government engagement and a significant step in the growing partnership between Nigeria, Lagos State and China.
Abayomi, who participated virtually from London while on official assignment, said the state had established a multidisciplinary committee comprising health strategists and specialists from major general hospitals to coordinate the exercise.
He said the state was working with relevant stakeholders, including the Nigerian Navy, security agencies and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, to ensure effective coordination, regulatory compliance and operational readiness.
According to him, the seven-day outreach would combine onshore medical services at selected general hospitals along the Lagos Marina axis with referrals of patients requiring advanced specialist attention to the hospital ship.
He explained that the arrangement would facilitate patient triage, ease logistical challenges and maximise the available medical expertise.
The commissioner also proposed extending the outreach to hard-to-reach riverine communities across Lagos State by leveraging the ship’s waterborne capabilities and available boats to reach underserved populations.
He highlighted opportunities for academic and professional exchanges between Nigerian health officials and Chinese specialists, particularly in clinical practices, specialised services and healthcare delivery models.
Abayomi assured the coordinating minister of the state’s readiness to work with the Nigerian Navy and other relevant authorities to host the humanitarian and diplomatic mission.
He also disclosed plans to facilitate a courtesy visit by the Chinese delegation to the Lagos State Governor, alongside other senior government officials, to formally welcome the visiting team.
The commissioner said he would brief the governor on the proposed activities and ensure the necessary state-level support for the successful implementation of the mission.
Meanwhile, the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Prof. Fatima Kyari, said the council had verified the professional status of the participating doctors and completed their licensing arrangements.
Kyari said the regulatory measures were designed to protect patients and ensure that Nigerians received appropriate specialist care during the humanitarian exercise.
She explained that temporary registration had been granted to the visiting medical personnel, with restrictions on the locations where they could practise and the duration of their authorisation.
Also speaking, the representative of the Chief of Naval Staff, Surgeon Commodore Momoh Jimoh Salihu, assured stakeholders of adequate security arrangements throughout the exercise.
He described the medical outreach as a welcome development and pledged the necessary support to ensure its success.
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