Chinese Hospital Ship Brings Vital Medical Aid To Hurricane-Struck Jamaica

China’s PLA Navy hospital ship Silk Road Ark has arrived in Montego Bay, Jamaica, launching a 12-day medical support mission as the island continues to recover from the severe impact of Hurricane Melissa, which struck in late October and left more than 45 people dead and caused an estimated US$9 billion in damage.

The vessel reached Jamaica on 4 December, as part of Mission Harmony 2025, and is scheduled to provide medical services at Montego Bay, Kingston, and Falmouth at the request of the Jamaican Government.

The hurricane badly damaged hospitals on the southwest coast and put huge pressure on Jamaica’s health system, leading the country to request international medical help.

The Silk Road Ark, which carries 300 hospital beds and a team of around 100 doctors and support personnel, will deliver outpatient care, diagnostic tests, and elective surgeries.

Jamaican health authorities have confirmed that the Chinese medical team will perform cataract and hernia procedures, along with CT scans, ultrasounds, and bloodwork diagnostics.

Jamaica’s Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, toured the ship shortly after its arrival. He told local media that he appreciated China’s quick support and said the ship came earlier than first planned.

He described the ship as the newest vessel in China’s fleet of hospital ships and observed that its presence was timely given the challenges the country is facing after the hurricane.

Video Credits: CGTN/YouTube

The United States has also been a key part of the relief effort. According to Wayne Chen, chairman of Jamaica’s southern regional health authority, the U.S. Government pledged more than US$22 million in aid.

In statements referenced in interviews, he mentioned that U.S. Chinook helicopters distributed food and water to cut-off communities in the immediate aftermath of the storm. He also pointed out that El Salvador, Britain, and Venezuela contributed on-the-ground support.

Despite the U.S. contribution, both of the U.S. Navy’s major hospital ships, USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort, remain docked at home ports. The Comfort completed a Caribbean deployment earlier this year but did not include Jamaica in its itinerary.

The arrival of the Silk Road Ark comes at a time of rising geopolitical tension in the Caribbean. The United States has deployed almost a dozen warships, including a major aircraft carrier, and more than 15,000 troops across the region for what it first called a counter-narcotics mission aimed at Venezuela.

Several Caribbean nations have urged restraint to maintain what they describe as a “zone of peace”, although Trinidad and Tobago and the Dominican Republic have opened their waters, airspace, and bases to the U.S. military.

For Beijing, the Caribbean remains a diplomatically significant region, especially as seven of the remaining states that recognise Taiwan are located in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The timing of the mission follows political changes within the region, including the recent electoral defeat of St Vincent and the Grenadines’ Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, who had been a long-standing supporter of Taiwan.

The Silk Road Ark sailed from China in early September for a planned tour of Barbados, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Its schedule was later adjusted after the full impact of Hurricane Melissa on Jamaica became clear.

During its 12-day stay, the ship’s medical team will run clinics and carry out procedures at the three Jamaican ports. Authorities expect the visit to support national recovery efforts as hospitals continue repairs and people seek medical services disrupted by the storm.

References: globalsecurity, straitstimes

Source: Maritime Shipping News