540 Tajik citizens benefit from Chinese eye surgery program

A total of 540 Tajik citizens have benefited from a China-Tajikistan cooperative eye surgery program launched from late May to mid-June 2024 in the capital of Dushanbe.

Specialists from China's Beijing Union Medical College Hospital were sent to a local hospital to provide treatment, including free cataract removal surgeries.

Many of the patients were from rural areas where access to professional surgical procedures is limited and the cost is prohibitive.

Farhod Safarov, a water truck driver in Dushanbe, is one of the patients, he said he was diagnosed with an eye disease years ago, which is serious for him and hampers his job.

"My job is considered a good deed because I water trees, flowers and grass. It benefits people. My life and livelihood depend on the income from this job. Without this job, I don't know what would happen," he said.

Safarov said he could not afford the surgery until he accepted treatment from the Chinese team.

"Doctors said surgery was necessary. However, under the current situation, I couldn't arrange money for the surgery," he said.

Safarov said he was grateful to the Chinese doctors for helping him regain his sight.

"Sight is very important for a driver. You need to see things clearly because this is all equipment and sometimes it can cause problems. The program has been a great help for poor people," he said.

Mardonov Saadullo, deputy director of the State Eye Hospital, was responsible for finding deserving patients, saying that delaying cataract surgery can have serious consequences.

"When the four stages of cataract aging expire, it leads to the disease of cataracts, which is glaucoma, after 24 hours. When a patient has glaucoma, the patient goes blind," he said.

The eye surgery program is part of public health cooperation between the two countries. The Tajikistan International Medical Center has signed a memorandum of cooperation with hospitals in China. China was also the largest contributor of supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ghafur Muhsinzoda, First Deputy Minister of Health and Social Protection, stresses that Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Tajikistan this week will pave the way for further cooperation in the health industry.

"I believe that the time has come for us to work even better. On the eve of the visit of the leader of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping, to Tajikistan, I think we will have even more plans and opportunities. Using this platform, we will continue to develop this cooperation," he said.

Tajik health officials also emphasize that there is potential for future cooperation between China and Tajikistan in the pharmaceutical industry and in traditional medicine.

540 Tajik citizens benefit from Chinese eye surgery program

540 Tajik citizens benefit from Chinese eye surgery program

China has seen rising sales of products such as cars and home appliances, during the week-long National Day holiday, which started on Oct.1, thanks to the ongoing trade-in program for consumer goods.

Shanghai has offered substantial subsidies for consumers replacing old appliances with newer, greener models, further fueling the buying frenzy amid the holiday.

The city's initiative expands upon the national trade-in program by including a wider range of eligible products.

In addition to the eight major appliance categories like refrigerators, washing machines, televisions, and air conditioners, the program now covers 60 additional product types, including robot vacuums, air purifiers, and hearing aids. Subsidies cover 15 percent of the sales price, up to a maximum of 2,000 yuan (around 285 U.S. dollars).

"There has been at least a 50 percent to 60 percent increase in customer flow compared to the previous promotional period," said Zhang Xiaoliang, operation director of a home appliance store.

The first three days of October witnessed a total sales revenue of home appliances reaching nearly 300 million yuan (roughly 42.74 billion U.S. dollars) in the city.

Meanwhile, consumer goods trade-in program rolled out by the Shanghai government has spurred rising sales of vehicles.

The subsidy for consumers in Shanghai who scrap old cars and buy new ones has increased to 20,000 yuan (about 2,850 U.S. dollars) for purchasing a new-energy vehicle (NEV) and 15,000 yuan (around 2,137 U.S. dollars) for a fuel vehicle.

"The current sales volume, sales turnover and the number of customers who come for a test drive, have all increased by some 30 percent respectively compared with the same period last year," explained Mr. Zhu, a sales representative at a dealership.

Hefei City in east China's Anhui Province held an auto show from Sept. 29 to Oct. 5, attracting many potential purchasers following the implementation of trade-in programs.

In addition to trade-in subsides of up to 20,000 yuan (about 2,850 U.S. dollars), the city has issued auto vouchers worth 37 million yuan (roughly 5.27 U.S. million dollars) to boost auto sales during the consumption boom period.

"The vehicle trade-in policy introduced by Anhui Province has effectively stimulated consumers' purchase intentions. It's a good news for our company. During this auto show, we offered discounts of up to 70,000 yuan (around 9,974 U.S. dollars)," said Yu Dongming, general manager of NIO's regional branch in Hefei.

From Sept. 29 to Oct. 4, about 447,000 visitors attended the exhibition, and a total of 18,807 vehicles were sold.

China's trade-in program spurs consumer market vitality during National Day holiday