MUZAFFARABAD, Dec 12: A 21-member team of French doctors and paramedics started performing surgical operations at the Combined Military Hospital here on Sunday, a day after its arrival on a five-day humanitarian mission.

Led by Prof Bernard Debre, the mission comprises a general surgeon, two urologists, three anaesthetists, three gynaecologists, a gastroenterologist, two abdominal surgery specialists, a medical specialist, six specialist nurses, a medical student and an official of French pharmaceutical company Fabre.

Urologist Dr Debre is a member of the French parliament. The mission includes another MP, abdominal surgery specialist Prof Paul Henri Cugnenc. The country representative of United Nations Population Fund in Pakistan, Dr Olivier Brasseur, is accompanying the mission.

On Saturday, the mission visited the CMH where its members examined more than 40 patients. The mission short-listed 30 serious cases, operations upon 10 of whom were performed on Sunday.

In the morning a ceremony was held at the CMH, where Dr Debre handed over medical equipment and supplies which the mission had brought with it to the hospital management.