By He Yin, People’s Daily
This year marked the 60th anniversary of China sending its first medical team to Algeria on April 6, 1963.
So far, batches of Chinese medical teams have offered sincere assistance to countries in need with outstanding medical skills and noble ethics. They have explained the spirit of the Chinese medical team featuring no fear of hardships, willingness to dedicate, saving lives and great love with practical actions, winning wide applause from the international community.
Patients from various countries thanked Chinese doctors for “creating medical miracles,” while foreign doctors applauded them for passing on valuable experiences from China.
Chinese medical workers have shown their great love with dedication. Over the past 60 years, China has dispatched around 30,000 medical personnel to 76 countries and regions across five continents, providing 290 million diagnoses and treatments for local people.
Currently, Chinese medical teams work at 115 sites in 56 countries, nearly half of which are in remote areas with harsh conditions. Overcoming difficulties in work and life, Chinese medical personnel are benefiting the people in those countries with medical proficiency and ethics.
Dedicating all their efforts to international medical assistance, they believe that the smiles of the patients are the motivation for their persistence, and doctors must do everything they can to save lives against all odds. The words interpret Chinese doctors’ respect for life.
Chinese medical workers are not only “angels in white” who save lives, but also envoys of friendship who pass on love.
In Algeria, Chinese medical teams often host academic saloons, lectures, acupuncture training programs and other teaching activities.
In Vanuatu, Chinese medical teams join local patrol missions, offer free clinical treatment, and launch investigations and health education activities apart from providing routine medical assistance.
In Malta, a traditional Chinese medicine center established by Chinese medical workers has held over 10 acupuncture training sessions, which were joined by trainees from multiple European countries including Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Serbia.
Chinese medical teams have also trained local practitioners based on each trainee’s aptitude, cultivating local medical talents for the community. With concrete actions, they tell Chinese stories to the international society and forge a closer people-to-people bond between China and other countries.
In the 1970s, Mei Gengnian, the leader of China’s first medical team to aid Ethiopia, sacrificed his life in the country when practicing medical service to local people and was buried in a local village. His tomb has been “guarded” for decades by local resident Zewdie Haile and his family for generations, which has become a warmhearted tale spreading throughout the village.
The Chinese people love peace and cherish lives, which is illustrated by their efforts in international medical assistance.
After the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa, China sent more than 1,200 medical workers to treat over 800 patients and provided public health training for more than 12,000 people.
After the outbreak of COVID-19 globally, China has shared pandemic prevention and treatment plans with 180 countries and over 10 international and regional organizations and held video conferences on pandemic response exchanges with over 160 countries and international organizations. It has also sent 38 expert teams to 34 countries, and offered anti-pandemic materials to more than 150 countries and 15 international organizations.
Besides, China has also sent short-term medical specialist teams overseas for particular diseases to safeguard the health of people in developing countries. Whether in regular health services or in response to major public health emergencies, China has always been an active provider of assistance, which fully showcases the country’s major-country responsibility.
There’s a Chinese saying that “a just cause finds great support and compassion knows no borders.” Chinese medical teams have composed a song of great love with concrete actions, making important contributions to promoting the noble cause of human peace and development.
China will keep playing an active role in international medical assistance and other international cooperation, build strong synergy for building a global community of health for all and work together with all parties to safeguard the health of all humanity.
