The Youai hospital ship attached to an auxiliary ship detachment affiliated with the navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command sets out from port to conduct a visit tour in islands and reefs in Xisha Islands in the South China Sea in the early summer of 2024. Photo: Screenshot from China Central Television

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy recently deployed a hospital ship on a mission to support troops stationed on islands and reefs in the South China Sea, with experts saying on Wednesday that physical and mental health is vital to combat capabilities particularly under challenging natural environment in the region.

The Youai hospital ship attached to an auxiliary ship detachment affiliated with the navy of the PLA Southern Theater Command recently embarked on a seven-day voyage covering more than 600 nautical miles, in which it visited multiple islands and reefs and hosted health checkups, diagnoses, treatments, psychological counseling and health lectures for troops stationed on the Xisha Qundao (also known as Xisha Islands), China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Tuesday.

Health is combat capability, and the hospital ship will go wherever the troops need it to, Liu Jingjun, a medical specialist member at a naval hospital, said in the CCTV report.

The hospital ship will provide medical services for troops stationed on islands and reefs, so they can safeguard maritime borders in optimal condition, Liu said.

During the voyage, the hospital ship also conducted a series of trainings including transiting the wounded under emergency situations, carrying out first aid at frontline and rescuing damaged vessels, the CCTV report said.

The report shows that the Youai released a small boat and a small landing craft during the training.

Another hospital ship of the PLA Navy, the Peace Ark, is well-known by the public as it has conducted several visit tours around the world to provide humanitarian medical services, but hospital ships like the Youai, which is smaller compared to the Peace Ark, have advantages when conducting missions in islands and reefs, experts said.

Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military expert, told the Global Times that since water is often shallow around islands and reefs in the South China Sea, smaller ships can move among them more flexibly.

The living conditions on islands and reefs in the South China Sea are challenging due to the natural environment and distance from the mainland, which inevitably have negative impact on physical and mental health, another Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Wednesday, noting that visits by hospital ships can ease such effect.

Providing international public security goods, China's deployment of hospital ships in the South China Sea also allows emergency treatments in case accidents happen to Chinese and foreign vessels passing by in the region, observers said.