New emergency medical team in China verified by WHO

CHENGDU - An international emergency medical team consisting of medical professionals from southwest China's Sichuan province has been verified by the World Health Organization (WHO), a local hospital said Tuesday.

Capable of providing advanced medical services, it is the first Chinese medical team to be verified as Type 3, the highest level in WHO's emergency medical teams initiative, according to West China Hospital under Sichuan University.

China International Emergency Medical Team (Sichuan) consists of 166 personnel including 41 doctors and 65 nurses. It is able to treat 200 outpatients and perform 15 major surgical procedures and 30 minor surgical procedures per day.

The team is a partnership between several hospitals in Sichuan and local centers for disease control and prevention.

The WHO initiative helps countries affected by disasters or outbreaks and emergencies to identify teams that are appropriately trained and equipped when they seek international medical assistance.