Pakistan honors Chinese surgeon for contributions to local healthcare

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari awarded the Star of Pakistan honor to Pan Xiangbin on Sunday in Changsha, Hunan province, for his cross-border service providing heart surgeries for children.

In an interview, Pan dedicated the honor to the entire Chinese medical team and called it a testament to the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan.

In January 2025, Pan, deputy director of China's National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, led an expert team to Pakistan for a congenital heart disease treatment project. They performed free surgeries on several children, all of whom are recovering well post-operation.

The children's rapid recovery can be attributed to the percutaneous and non-fluoroscopic (PAN) technique developed by Pan's team. According to Pan, with this cutting-edge medical technology, patients can undergo surgery while fully conscious, without the need for incisions, radiation, or contrast agents.

Pan said that Chinese medical assistance goes beyond sending doctors to perform surgeries by bringing China's advanced medical technologies to Pakistan.

According to Qassim Naveed Qamar, an official of the Sindh government in Pakistan, Pan is very well-known in the country, and they have few doctors capable of performing the surgeries he can.