Shanghai has sent 117 medical teams to 15 countries, mostly in Asia and Africa, including Cambodia, Algeria and Morocco, on charity missions over the past 40 years, officials from the Shanghai Health Bureau said at a meeting yesterday.

The bureau said that local doctors and nurses have treated some 4.8 million people in these countries, which are poor and lacking in good medical services.

"Due to a lack of professionals and poor medical facilities, many patients there can't receive high quality treatment. Our medical teams have done very well," said Song Guofan, a bureau spokesman.

Shanghai was among the earliest Chinese cities or provinces to become involved in the charity program. In 1963, it sent its first group to Algeria.

Since 1975, the main destination of local medical teams has been Morocco, whose government is keen on such medical experts.

In the past 28 years, 104 teams with 1,082 staff members have visited the North African country, treating 4.28 million patients.

"More than 210,000 patients received surgeries," Song said. "Our medical experts have won respect and honor from patients and the Moroccan government."

(Shanghai Daily December 27, 2003)