Chinese doctors perform first ENT surgery in a flying hospital in Kyrgyzstan

The Shanghai-based Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University announced on Friday the successful completion of its first in-flight ENT (ear, nose, throat) surgery aboard the "flying eye and ENT hospital" during a mission to Kyrgyzstan, marking a milestone in expanding the aircraft's medical capabilities beyond ophthalmology.

Doctors performed the inaugural ENT procedure for a local patient in the flying hospital — a joint project of the Shanghai medical institution and the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China — on the previous day.

A ceremony was held on Thursday at the airport in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, to celebrate the flying hospital's ongoing charitable mission in the Central Asian country.

At the ceremony, the Chinese side donated diagnostic and treatment equipment and supplies worth 1.4 million yuan ($208,500) to the Kyrgyz side. Guests from both countries boarded the aircraft to get a firsthand look at the on-board Class I clean surgical cabin and the complete set of the domestically produced Chinese intelligent equipment for diagnosis and treatment.

Running from Sept 6 to Sept 30, the mission aims to connect with local hospitals to provide free medical consultations, academic support, and medical collaborations. The initiative is expected to serve over 2,000 patients and conduct more than 170 surgeries — focusing primarily on cataract surgeries while also offering specialized ENT procedures.

The efforts are aimed to help deepen Sino-Kyrgyzstan cooperation in health care, according to the Shanghai hospital.

"Crossing the Tianshan Mountains, the flying hospital is intended to bring not just surgeries and free consultations, but, more importantly, the establishment of a comprehensive, replicable, and scalable model integrating screening, diagnosis, surgery, training, remote consultation, and long-term cooperation, extending China's high-quality medical resources to a broader population," Zhou Xingtao, president of the Shanghai-based Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University, said.

Earlier this year, the flying hospital had conducted international medical missions in Vientiane, Laos, and Almaty, Kazakhstan.