Patients getting diagnosed [Photo/China Daily]

A charity effort has brought 800 medical professionals from Beijing to Nyingchi in the Tibet autonomous region to deliver free medical services.

The nine-day program is called "China Hearts".

A ceremony was held on July 7 where medicine worth 8 million yuan ($1.18 million) was given to local hospitals and other medical institutions.

Doctors and volunteers were then sent to various parts of Nyingchi to provide medical services.

Under the program, initiated in 2008 by medical experts and philanthropists in Beijing, health services are provided to underdeveloped and remote parts of China.

A committee holds the program annually.

So far, the organization has sent more than 20,000 volunteers to deliver medical services to farmers and herdsmen in various regions.

Contributions and donations worth over 200 million yuan have been given to the needy and nearly 10,000 local medical workers have received training thanks to the program.

It is estimated that more than 500,000 people have directly benefited by the program in the past years, including free surgeries for nearly 1,000 children with congenital heart disease.