A team of 14 doctors sent by China left Beijing Sunday noon for Sri Lanka to offer medical aid for the tsunami victims there.

The team is the third one sent by China after two medical teams from Shanghai and Guangdong, according to Beijing Municipal Health Department.

The team is composed of medical workers from Beijing Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Beijing Friendship Hospital, including experts on epidemics, internal medicine and orthopaedics.

Some have participated in international medical aid teams in Africa and some have had experience in fighting severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS.

"We will work hard to relieve pains of the tsunami-hit victims and extend Beijing people's care for them," said Wang Bingqiang, an expert of orthopaedics and head of the medical team.

They have been equipped with sufficient medicines and medical appliances to provide medical service on arrival, said Jin Dapeng, director of Beijing Municipal Health Bureau.

The medical team left Beijing at around 1:00 p.m., and is expected to arrive in Sri Lanka Sunday night.

Another medical team is expected to leave Beijing two days later, according to Beijing Municipal Health Bureau.

Source: Xinhua