MALE: “Doctor, I can see your name tag now. Thank you,” Ahmed Kalo said right after Chinese doctors at the China-Maldives Ophthalmology Center removed the bandages covering his eyes.
The 69-year-old has been blind for many years due to a stroke. Kalo’s son, Shafraz Ahmed, said his father was dealing with hypertension, diabetes and heart disease but had not received the required medical attention from multiple hospitals due to the intricate nature of his condition.
“This was said to be an impossible and unlikely operation to succeed. I’m extremely thankful to everyone who sent their wishes. Thank you, the people of China,” Shafraz Ahmed said in an X post.
The ophthalmology center is an iconic project under China-Maldives medical cooperation. Meanwhile, China is welcoming Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu for a state visit to start the new year. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said the two heads of state will discuss raising bilateral relations to new heights.
“The relations between China and the Maldives now stand at a new historical starting point,” the spokesperson said, stressing the time-honored friendship has set a fine example of equality and mutual benefit between countries of different sizes.
Over the past decade, bilateral relations have deepened and practical cooperation between the two countries achieved fruitful outcomes in various fields, including Belt and Road cooperation, Wang said. President Muizzu recently hailed the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge, which officially opened in August of 2018, as the archipelagic country’s most iconic and transformational project. –Agencies
