China's medical aid team to Zimbabwe has helped improve the local healthcare system by providing free medical services and professional training for medical staff.
Since 1985, China has dispatched 22 medical teams to Zimbabwe, providing sustained support to the country's healthcare sector.
As part of the aid program, China's Hunan Provincial People's Hospital and Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals (PGH), Zimbabwe's largest public tertiary hospital, launched a pulmonary and critical care project during the COVID-19 pandemic to enhance treatment capacity for pulmonary illnesses.
The project has improved respiratory and critical care medicine and enhanced pulmonary and respiratory treatment at the hospital, benefiting more than 2,000 local patients since its launch in 2022.
Tan Jianlong led the 21st Chinese Medical Aid Team to Zimbabwe and completed his service in Harare last March. He returned to the Zimbabwean hospital this month as an expert to train local doctors.
Tan said he feels proud to be part of the Chinese aid team helping patients in Zimbabwe.
"We assisted the local hospital in establishing Zimbabwe's most advanced respiratory and critical care specialty department, as well as the China-Zimbabwe First Aid Training Center for First Responders," he said.
The aid project also serves as a clinical skill training platform to advance the expertise of local medical workers. Around 300 local medical staff have already received training at the pulmonary and critical care medicine project.
"With the help of the Chinese team, [we are able] to advance the expertise in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and ventilator care and how to nurse ventilated patients. And they also helped us with equipment like ventilators, high-flow machines and CPAP machines, and this has helped us a lot in our country," said Fanbei Nash, a head nurse of Parirenyatwa General Hospital.
In addition to the treatment and training services at hospitals in Zimbabwe, the Chinese medical team also offers medical services to patients in remote areas of the south African country.
“The 22nd Chinese Medical Aid Team to Zimbabwe has already conducted 14 free medical outreach clinics. We usually go to remote mountainous regions and mining areas to provide medical assistance," said Zheng Xingyou, leader of China’s newest medical aid team to Zimbabwe, while treating patients at the Sabi Star mine in Zimbabwe’s Manicaland province.
"We want to thank the Chinese team for coming here. It's very difficult [for us] to get specialist consultation. I have a problem with my painful limp. And they examined me, and they wrote some medicine that I must use. They've told me what it could be and what I should do. Quite useful. I'm now going to follow up to see to it that I solve this chronic pain in my leg," said a local miner.
Besides providing medical treatment, the Chinese aid team also teaches local residents traditional Chinese fitness exercises such as Baduanjin to improve their understanding of health and wellness.
China's medical aid team helps improve healthcare in Zimbabwe
