The 21st Chinese medical team in Senegal donated medicines and medical equipment to the Diamniadio Children's Hospital, located about 40 kilometers from Dakar, the country's capital, on Tuesday.
The donation handover ceremony took place in the presence of representatives and officials from the Embassy of China in Senegal, Senegal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Health and Social Action. Members of the 21st Chinese medical team in Senegal, as well as the management and heads of relevant departments of the Diamniadio Children's Hospital, were also present.
The signing of the medical donation handover certificate by the Chinese ambassador to Senegal and the director of the Diamniadio Children's Hospital formalized this gesture of fraternity from the Chinese people toward the Senegalese people.
"Over the past five decades and more, China and Senegal cooperation in the health sector has evolved from assistance to joint developments, from the provision of medical services to technology transfer, and from predominantly government-to-government cooperation to the active participation of disease control institutions and non-profit organizations such as Gong Xiang Foundation," said Li Zhigang, Chinese ambassador to Senegal, at the ceremony.
The donation includes nearly 600 types of medicines and medical equipment, with a total value of approximately 38 million CFA francs (about 66,151 U.S. dollars). These supplies consist mainly of equipment urgently needed by various clinical departments, including ophthalmology, pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology.
The ceremony came at a symbolic moment, as it also marked the arrival of the 21st Chinese medical mission at the Diamniadio Children's Hospital.
According to Khadija Diagne, director of the hospital, this long-standing and fruitful cooperation between China and Senegal benefits above all the patients of this facility.
"The impact is first and foremost financial, but it also concerns the quality of care. So, for households, this is a relief for families who come to seek treatment. There is availability of medicines, as well as the medical supplies used in our healthcare services," she said.
Chinese medical team in Senegal donates to children's hospital
