New horizons of Turkmen-Chinese cooperation in healthcare

On April 15, 2026, as part of a visit to Turkmenistan, a delegation from Beijing University of Chinese Medicine headed by the university’s rector Tan Zhishu visited the headquarters of the Charity Fund for Providing Assistance to Children in Need of Guardianship named after Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov located in the Arkadag city.

At the Fund’s headquarters, a meeting was held between the rector of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and members of his delegation, and Vice President for Medical Activities of the Charity Fund for Providing Assistance to Children in Need of Guardianship named after Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Oguljahan Atabayeva.

Welcoming the delegation from the friendly country, the Fund’s Vice President congratulated the guest on being awarded the title of Honorary Professor and on the opening of the “Office of Traditional Medicine” within the structure of Myrat Garryyev State Medical University of Turkmenistan.

She also emphasized the significance of the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Myrat Garryyev State Medical University of Turkmenistan and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine on the establishment of the Turkmen-Chinese Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, noting that this event reflects the advancement of interstate relations to a qualitatively new level.

For his part, Tan Zhishu highlighted the broad scope of the Fund’s charitable activities. In this regard, he noted that it was a great honor for him, during his visit, to meet with the Fund’s Vice President and discuss issues related to enhancing bilateral cooperation, expressing gratitude for the opportunity.

The Fund’s Vice President also noted that, at the invitation of the Chairwoman of the Soong Ching Ling Foundation, Li Bin, she had paid a working visit to China, during which she held a number of meetings with heads of institutions in the fields of education and healthcare. At that time, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Soong Ching Ling Foundation and the Charity Fund for Providing Assistance to Children in Need of Guardianship named after Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. At present, great importance is being attached to implementing the tasks arising from this document.

Oguljahan Atabayeva expressed her interest, as Vice President for Medical Activities of the Fund, in expanding cooperation in the areas of child healthcare, comprehensive treatment, and rehabilitation of young patients. Noting that five years had passed since the Fund’s establishment, she stressed that large-scale charitable work had been carried out during this period. Complex surgeries had been performed on sick children using the Fund’s resources.

In addition to providing medical services, the Fund promotes the moral, intellectual, and physical development of children, and also contributes to the construction of educational and sports complexes, Oguljahan Atabayeva emphasized.

Noting her interest in the features and achievements of traditional medicine, the Fund’s Vice President confirmed her readiness to study the proposals of the Chinese side with a view to applying such treatment methods in child healthcare.

Expressing gratitude to Vice President Oguljahan Atabayeva, Rector Tan Zhishu emphasized his strong interest in further expanding healthcare cooperation with Turkmenistan.

As the guest noted, centers of traditional medicine are currently operating in Australia, Russia, the United States, and Germany, and the inclusion of Turkmenistan in this list testifies to the great attention paid in the country to public health and to the use of effective treatment methods.

Thanking the guest for his kind words, Vice President for Medical Activities of the Charity Fund for Providing Assistance to Children in Need of Guardianship named after Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Oguljahan Atabayeva, also noted that such a natural restorative therapy as hippotherapy has been successfully developed in Turkmenistan.

Later, the delegation headed by the rector of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine visited the Children’s Health and Rehabilitation Center named after Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. Doctors at the Center briefed the guests from China on the types of medical services provided to children and the specifics of the equipment installed there.

The Chinese guests also visited the Gorogly State Equestrian Circus in Arkadag, where they familiarized themselves with its activities, unique features, and the possibilities of hippotherapy in the rehabilitation of young patients with musculoskeletal disorders.

A performance by the National Equestrian Games Group “Galkynysh” was also held there.

Members of the Chinese delegation led by Rector Tan Zhishu expressed their sincere gratitude to the President of Turkmenistan and Hero-Arkadag for the high organizational level of all events and for the rich and memorable visit program.