Sixty-six military medical personnel from China, after ending their first joint humanitarian medical rescue operation codenamed "Peace Angel 2009", returned to Beijing yesterday.

During the half month in Gabon, more than 18,000 local patients benefited from the free medical services offered by the Chinese medical team. More than 300 of them got free surgeries.

The Chinese team consisted of medical and epidemic prevention personnel from the Bethune International Peace Hospital and the Academy of Military Medical Sciences of the People's Liberation Army.