"My own daughter once had breast cancer. We were told she would have to go overseas for treatment. We couldn't afford it. Then a Chinese team came and told her they could perform the surgery right here. She is now cancer-free."
Peter Korugl, editor-in-chief of Papua New Guinea's most influential newspaper, the Post-Courier, made the emotional disclosure on July 31 as he received a visiting cultural delegation from China's Guangdong Province at the paper's headquarters in Port Moresby.
During the meeting, Korugl praised the friendly exchanges between China and PNG, noting that China's practical assistance in infrastructure, education and healthcare has provided vital support for his country's development.
Post-Courier editor-in-chief Peter Korugl recalls how Chinese hospital ships provided medical assistance to communities in PNG.
He pointed in particular to the repeated visits of Chinese naval hospital ships to PNG, which have left a lasting impression on local communities. In April this year, the arrival of the Silk Road Ark drew massive crowds, with residents lining up for four to five kilometers to seek treatment. The ship's medical team attended to over 5,000 patients during its visit.
But for Korugl, one visit stood above all others.
In 2018, the Chinese hospital ship Peace Ark arrived in PNG with a team of medical specialists offering free care. At the time, his daughter was battling breast cancer. Local treatment options were severely limited, and seeking care abroad was far beyond the family's financial reach.
"The doctor examined her and told my daughter she had cancer, but that they had the facilities to treat her there," Korugl said. "That is a story that needs to be told."
"We often cover stories of China's assistance to PNG in my newsroom, and we will continue to do so," Korugl said. "I hope our fellow journalists in Guangdong can also bring more stories of our two peoples' friendship back to China."
Founded in 1969, Post-Courier is PNG's first national daily newspaper. With a circulation of 41,000, it is the most widely read newspaper in the Pacific Islands region and is considered influential in PNG.
Reporters | Chen Jinxia, Huang Xinyi
Photo | Guo Hongda
