A heartfelt ceremony was held Sunday at the headquarters of the Algerian Health Ministry to bid farewell to the 27th Chinese medical team that has been steadfast in their service to the North African country.

The Chinese team members received an honorable certificate issued by the Algerian government during the ceremony, which was attended by Algerian Health Minister Abdelhak Saihi, Chinese Ambassador to Algiers Li Jian, and other health officials and professionals.

Saihi expressed gratitude for the tireless efforts and invaluable support during the Chinese medical personnel's stay in Algeria, noting that their services and knowledge sharing have fostered lasting friendships and strengthened the bonds between the two nations.

During the event, Li congratulated all the team members for the successful completion of their work in Algeria and being awarded the honorable certificate, which also testified the two countries' deepened friendship.

He noted that 60 years ago, China made a pathbreaking move to send its first medical teams to Algeria upon the latter's request, and since then, batches of Chinese medical workers have not only benefitted the locals with their professional services but also fostered friendship among the two peoples.

China has dispatched 27 batches of medical teams to Algeria since 1963, which treated about 27.44 million patients, performed about 1.75 million operations and delivered about 2.08 million newborns.

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(Cover: Patient Alili Kheira, L, goes to the hospital to thank Li Hongling, a member of the Chinese medical team to Algeria, at a hospital in Ain Defla, Algeria, February 27, 2023. /Xinhua)