Qinghai Province is located in the western part of China. It is situated on the Tibetan Plateau with an average altitude over 3,000 meters. Qinghai Lake is the largest salt-water lake in China. Qinghai is the origin of three largest rivers in China including Yellow River, Yangtze River, and Mekong River. Despite the large stretch of land, Qinghai only has a population of 5.9 million (2016 census). It has over 50 minority groups with the largest ones being Tibetan and Hui.
The Cornerstone Association of Alliance Church, Hong Kong, has medical ministries in Qinghai. Their focus is to serve children with disabilities including harelip, cleft palate, and orthopedic problems. Upon request of the Cornerstone Association, HIS Foundation sent a surgical team to the Charity Hospital of Qinghai at Xining. The team consists of 20 volunteers including plastic surgeons, orthopaedic surgeon, anesthetists, nurses, and physical therapist. It served from June 11 to 17. The team performed operations on 18 children with harelips and cleft palate and 5 children with orthopedic problems. Please see attached color pages for pictures of patients and the team.
May God bless you abundantly!
Sincerely,
James Lau, M.D. Board Chairman
2017 Qinghai Orthopedic Team