On August 28, 2024, according to a report by the Epoch Times, Chinese state media recently promoted a Navy medical ship providing free medical services in South Africa. However, at the same time, Chinese citizens have long faced issues such as difficulty and high cost of medical treatment, with some resorting to suicide due to lack of funds for healthcare. Netizens sarcastically questioned when this free medical ship will come to China.
On August 27, state-run media outlets like Observer Network reported that the Chinese Navy’s large hospital ship, the “Peace Ark,” docked in Cape Town, South Africa on August 22 to carry out a week-long mission of “providing free treatment to South African patients.” By the 27th, the ship had treated 1300 local residents and performed 17 cataract surgeries.
Reports also cited foreign media stating that “South African patients flocked to the Chinese hospital ship docked at the pier.”
State media boasted that the “Peace Ark” has a displacement of 14,000 tons and medical facilities equivalent to a Grade 3A hospital in China. As of June this year, it has visited 45 countries and provided medical services to 290,000 people.
An article by the CCP’s People’s Daily on August 28 advocated for building a so-called Sino-African health community. The article claimed that by 2023, China had sent 30,000 medical team members to 76 countries and regions, treating 290 million patients, including those in African countries.
The official promotion has sparked discontent among Chinese netizens. Some netizens sarcastically commented, “When will it come to China?” and others mocked the CCP by saying, “Which country’s people are so great, it must mean their country is thriving. I hope our domestic Grade 3 hospitals can also learn from the great spirit of the Peace Ark and regularly conduct free medical treatment activities, so that our own people can benefit too.”
In recent years, China’s economy has been in continued decline, leading to increasing pressures on lower-income citizens. Many patients have been forced to give up treatment due to financial constraints. Videos of patients falling from hospital buildings have circulated on mainland social media.
On August 26, it was announced that the annual payment standard for urban and rural residents’ medical insurance in mainland China would increase by 20 yuan compared to last year, reaching a minimum of 400 yuan per person per year. Netizens questioned, “It rises every year, when will it stop?” The healthcare costs are a heavy burden for many households with multiple members.
In recent years, there have been frequent reports of financial difficulties in local Chinese governments. However, on August 27, American economist David Huang told the Epoch Times that concerns about insufficient central or local finances depend on how the money is used. He stated that there are ample reserves if less is spent on unnecessary projects, lavish spending, official receptions, and maintaining numerous party committees and departments. In fact, the CCP even has the capacity to support national health insurance in African countries and contribute to infrastructure in Russia and other Asian and African nations.
“You say they have no money, but they do. They just don’t spend it on the people. They spend too much and are unwilling to allocate funds to public welfare,” Huang concluded.