China has been sending medical aid missions
to Mozambique since the 1970s. The efforts contribute to local healthcare, by
providing expertise and other resources. That includes Chinese doctors. CGTN
reporter Liu Yang talks to one dedicated doctor about his experiences, and the
lives he's saved.
Meet Jin Tao, a chief physician in the
Department of Urology at West China Hospital, affectionately known as the
"white diplomat" by patients.
Over a span of two years, he's provided
care for more than 50,000 patients, making him a symbol of health and
friendship between China and Mozambique.
JIN TAO Vice President of West China Tianfu
Hospital, Sichuan University "The medical levels in Mozambique are
equivalent to that of China in the 1960s and 1970s, so I wondered if we might
build a remote platform so local people could have high-quality medical
services."
In 2019, West China Hospital donated remote
diagnosis and treatment equipment to the Maputo Central Hospital in Mozambique.
It also established a remote consultation platform.
To date, over 50 consultations have been
carried out. The Chinese medical team has also performed the first extensive
liver cancer resection and the first urological laparoscopic surgery,
introducing the day surgery model to the country.
JIN TAO Vice President of West China Tianfu
Hospital, Sichuan University "On the one hand, doctors from the Chinese
medical team can help local doctors improve their levels of medical care. At
the same time, we can pass on our medical knowledge to them and enhance the
hospital's overall medical level."
Over the past six decades, China has
dispatched 30,000 medical team members to 76 countries and regions, delivering
290-million diagnoses and treatments to local populations.
West China Hospital has sent more than 50
medical personnel to Mozambique, Angola and other nations.
JORGE ALELUIA FRANCISCO VICENTE Director,
Department of Surgery III, Maputo Central Hospital "We've successfully
completed our first liver surgery because the Chinese medical team is here. In
the past, we sent patients who needed this surgery abroad. The Chinese medical
team's surgeons, anaesthesiologists, urologists, orthopedists, obstetricians
and gynecologists all showed outstanding professionalism and profound
knowledge. The innovative technologies they've brought here have also filled
the gaps in many medical fields in Mozambique."
Chinese doctors at Mozambique's largest
public hospital confront challenges ranging from a shortage of medical
supplies, water and power shortages, to a high incidence of infectious
diseases, including AIDS, which pose a significant challenge.
JIN TAO Vice President of West China Tianfu
Hospital, Sichuan University "A very painful experience during that period
was that I contracted urinary tract stones. During the COVID-19 epidemic, we
also lacked medicine, so I had to take expired painkillers to relieve the
pain."
Doctor Jin says his biggest reward is
reducing the suffering of patients in Mozambique. He hopes to help train more
Mozambican doctors in China, following the old Chinese proverb, "It's
better to teach a man to fish than to give him one."
Liu Yang, CGTN, Sichuan Province.
Editor's note: this article is from
CGTN. The original link is:
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-10-12/VHJhbnNjcmlwdDc1MTkw/index.html
