China's Lifeline Express opens window of hope in Central Asia

Hou had studied and trained in Russia for more than a decade since the 1990s, which gave him an edge in participating in overseas undertakings in Central Asian countries since 2018.

"During international missions, we face multiple challenges — communicating effectively with local officials and medical staff, optimizing efficient use of limited medical resources and mobilizing local teams to complete workloads on tight schedules with us," Hou said.

Reflecting on his work across five cities in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, Hou emphasized that trust and friendship develop incrementally through shared efforts.

"Sometimes, just as we wrapped up work in one city and were about to leave, local doctors would ask us to stay longer as hundreds of more patients had registered and were waiting," said Hou. "As a result, we often return to the same cities multiple times."

Hou said Chinese medical professionals have also helped train local doctors and nurses and kept in touch with them through online messaging platforms.