Chinese med teams start treatment in Philippines

Members of the Red Cross Society of China international rescue team line up before departing to Tacloban, the region hit hardest by Typhoon Haiyan, in the Philippines, on Friday. [Phto by Wang Jing / China Daily]

MANILA - Three Chinese medical teams have arrived in the areas that were hit the hardest by typhoon Haiyan in central Philippines and begun treating patients.

Typhoon Haiyan (local name Yolanda) has killed 5,235 people and wounded 23,501 others. Another 1,613 people remained missing, the Philippine government said.

With the death toll ballooning, China increased its relief assistance and sent medical teams to help the needy in the typhoon- affected areas, particularly in Leyte and Sarma provinces.

The Chinese government emergency medical team put up a field hospital in Abuyog, Leyte, Saturday night and began accepting patients.

"We treated 75 patients in the first three hours of operation," the team leader said.

The team is composed of 46 specialists in paediatrics, gynaecology and obstetrics, pneumology, orthopedics, infectious disease and internal medicine from east China's Zhejiang Province. They brought with them six tons of advanced medical equipment and medicine.

Meanwhile, two medical teams sent by the Red Cross Society of China have also built a tent hospital in Tacloban, one of the worst-hit cities in Leyte. It became operational on Sunday.

The team members have working experience either in China's Sichuan earthquake in 2008 or the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia.

China's navy hospital ship Peace Ark, the first 10,000-ton- class hospital ship in the world, will arrive on Monday in Samar province, also a typhoon-ravaged region. The ship has 300 ward beds of various types and is equipped with advanced medical systems. On board will be 106 medical professionals.

In photos: Chinese aid pours into Philippines' typhoon-hit areas