A 10-member Chinese medical team, led by Dr Dong Qian, arrived in Dhaka on Sunday to provide specialised treatment for students seriously injured during the July-August mass uprising against dictator Sheikh Hasina.

Dr Sheikh Sayidul Haque, additional director general of DGHS, and Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen welcomed the team on their arrival at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

The Chinese embassy confirmed that the medical team included experts from West China Hospital, one of China's leading medical institutions. The team specialises in areas such as general surgery, trauma care, orthopedics, and critical care.

Ambassador Yao Wen, speaking at the airport, said, "During the recent uprising, many civilians were injured. As part of the strategic partnership between China and Bangladesh, the Chinese government extends its condolences to the victims and their families. In response to the invitation from the interim government, China has dispatched this national emergency medical team to provide humanitarian aid."

China will help Bangladesh assess the injuries and provide emergency humanitarian medical assistance based on Bangladesh's needs by taking measures including sending more emergency medical teams to treat patients on-site and providing necessary medical supplies, Yao Wen added.

Dr Sheikh Sayidul Haque expressed gratitude to the Chinese government for its assistance, adding that the Bangladesh government will fully cooperate with the Chinese medical team to ensure that the injured recover quickly.

He also noted that this is the first medical team sent by a foreign government to Bangladesh since the establishment of the interim government. Whether it is COVID-19, dengue, or floods, Chinese friends are always standing closely by the Bangladeshi people in times of emergencies.

It is worth noting that on Friday night, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, which led the student-people protests to oust Awami League (AL) government from power, provided an update to the list of casualties during the demonstrations.

In a video message, Tarikul Islam, the secretary of the health sub-committee of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, said the during July-August, 1,423 people were killed and over 22,000 injured as a result of Awami League government-backed repression.

Additionally, 587 people suffered permanent physical disabilities, and 685 lost their vision either partially or completely. About 92 people have lost sight in both their eyes. The government is still working on revising the list of the victims and the final version will be published soon, Islam noted.

It is worth noting that the interim government has set up the July Martyrs’ Memorial Foundation to financially support the injured and the families of the martyrs.

The families of those killed in the protests will receive Tk5,00,000, while the injured will receive up to Tk1,00,000, it was primarily decided in the first meeting of the foundation’s officials on Wednesday.

As per the earlier government decision, the health ministry will cover the medical expenses of the injured.