“I’m very touched to attend this commemoration, because this brings back my memory of offering medical aid in Equatorial Guinea,” said Liu Meizhen, a 86-year-old and white-haired doctor who joined one of the first batches of Chinese medical teams to Equatorial Guinea in 1971. 

Li Shufen, a doctor from the fourth Chinese medical team to Equatorial Guinea, and Liu Meizhen, a doctor from the first Chinese medical team to Equatorial Guinea, are taking photos. (Photo/ Xu Hao, Nanfang Daily)

A commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Chinese medical teams dispatched by Guangdong to foreign countries was held in Guangzhou on October 26th.

In the past 50 years, Guangdong province has sent 61 long-term medical teams with 907 medical staff to Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Gambia, Dominica and other countries, during which 2,391,000 patients were cured and 58,500 operations were fulfilled.

(Photo/ Xu Hao, Nanfang Daily)

Zhu Hong, Director-General of Health Commission of Guangdong Province, explained that this day 50 years ago, Guangdong sent its first medical team, including 12 medical staff, to Equatorial Guinea, kicking off Guangdong’s dispatch of medical teams to foreign countries. Guangdong has established medical aid projects involving China-Ghana Cardiac Center, Maternal and Children Healthcare Project of China and Dr. N D Abdulla Hakeem Ophthalmology Center with Ghana and Maldives. These projects are creative and bold practices in strengthening China-Africa medical cooperation and developing China’s medical aid career. 

Attendees watching at photo wall. (Photo/ Xu Hao, Nanfang Daily)

Zhang Congzhen, representative of a medical team to Equatorial Guinea, said with pride that Chinese doctors were the most popular ones among residents there. Indirect inguinal hernia is a common disease in Equatorial Guineans resulting from patient’s heads often being used to carry heavy things. “I have finished 13 operations at most in just one day, including 9 hernia repairs and 4 emergency cases.” Zhang said.

Wei Jianrui, captain of the first Chinese medical team to Ghana, set the target of “being safe, happy and valuable” to encourage medical teams afterwards and to allow Ghanaians a better understanding of Chinese doctors and Chinese culture.

Author: Rofel

Editor: Olivia, Steven, Jerry