Doctors from the Chinese Red Cross team attend to an elderly resident's broken leg in Magagun, Nepal, on May 6, 2015. Provided to China Daily
Red Cross workers trek long distances to serve areas that lack access to medical care
When the Chinese Red Cross team eventually encamped in the small village of Magagun, 20 km from the epicenter of the Nepal earthquake, its field hospital was like a light in the darkness for the locals.[Special coverage]
The mother of Mithun, a 10-year-old boy, said her son had been really sick since the earthquake and his belly had become bigger than normal.
"We were afraid that he was desperately ill," she said.
Mithun was sent to the Chinese Red Cross field hospital on Wednesday morning, where a doctor performed an ultrasound test and checked the boy's daily diet.
The examination results showed that Mithun's problem was caused by malnutrition and the harsh living environment since the quake.
When his mother, who also has another child, was told that her son would get well soon by taking the medicine prescribed, she was greatly relieved.
"Our home was destroyed during the quake, but as long as all my family members are fine, we will get better in time," she said.
Holding the Chinese doctor's hands, she said: "Thank you very much. Thank you indeed."
Mithun is one of 1,500 local patients who have been treated at the field hospital.
Since arriving in Kathmandu on April 30, the team sent by the Red Cross Society of China has been busy visiting patients and seeking a base for the hospital.
On May 1, International Workers' Day, the medical team walked nearly 30 km from Kathmandu to areas where no medical support had come since the quake struck on April 25.
Wang Ping, director of the Chinese Red Cross team to Nepal, said: "After consulting with the Nepal Red Cross, we found that most local and international medical teams were gathered in Kathmandu, the capital, which did not suffer the most damage.
