Recently, the Embassy of the Republic of Sebia in China held a Serbian national decoration presentation ceremony to present the Gold Medal of Merit to the members of the Chinese anti-pandemic medical expert team dispatched to Serbia in recognition of their contributions to Serbia’s fight against the pandemic.

Hou Cailan, a member of the Chinese anti-pandemic medical expert team dispatched to Serbia and Director of the Department of Psychology, Mental Health Center of our hospital, attended the ceremony and received the Gold Medal of Merit from Stefanovic, Ambassador of Serbia to China, on the spot.

The Ambassador of Serbia to China said that China was the first country to provide medical assistance to Serbia, and also the first country to send medical experts to support Serbia after the outbreak of the pandemic. At that time, President Aleksandar Vučić received the Chinese experts at the airport in person. Nine Chinese medical experts arrived in Serbia successively to help Serbia prevent and control COVID-19. During their stay in Serbia, the expert team visited heavily affected cities in Serbia, made technical exchanges with local medical and public health institutions, and brought valuable experience to Serbia in combating the pandemic.

Thank-you letter signed personally by President Vučić and Gold Medal of Merit

“Over three years later, I am still in contact with my friends in Serbia. This activity brings back my memories of working alongside them once again. I am deeply moved, and feel honored to make my own contribution to deepening the friendship between China and Serbia,” Hou Cailan said in the interview by a reporter from Xinhua News Agency.

Group photo of Ms Stefanovic, Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to China, and embassy staff together with the Chinese anti-pandemic medical experts dispatched to Serbia

Source: Xinhua News Agency; Compiled by: General Office of the Mental Health Center

Updated: June 13, 2023