China-Pacific island countries’ medical cooperation yields fruitful results

Liu Rui, an aid-PNG doctor, offers health checks to a local patient. Photo by Li Feng from People’s Daily

Through various forms of medical cooperation, batches of Chinese medical teams have become the guardians of the people in Pacific island countries such as Papua New Guinea (PNG), Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu, writing memorable stories of friendship between China and these countries.

China sent the first medical team to PNG in 2002 at the request of the latter’s government. So far, 9 batches of medical teams consisting of 90 staffs have been sent to the country, providing medical services to over 100,000 people and conducting more than 1,000 medical trainings to local medical staffs. In addition, they have also donated medical instruments and medicines to local hospitals.

The Chinese doctors have won high reputation from the local community thanks to their high medical techniques and morality, as a result of which they are often called “angels” by the PNG people.

PNG Medical Board chairman Osborne Liko told People’s Daily that the medical donation from Chinese government and the assistance from Chinese medical teams had greatly boosted the development of PNG’s health care, as the latter was a country in need of advanced medical equipment and technologies.

Kevin Carter Marafi, a registered nurse from Vanuatu’s Ministry of Health started studying traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) techniques such as acupuncture and Chinese massage from a Chinese medical team in Vanuatu since around 2004.

He was very excited about the TCM progress in Vanuatu in the recent decade. He said that starting from zero in the country, TCM had made huge contribution to the health care development of Vanuatu.

In 2008, Marafi used TCM to help Vanuatu’s men’s football team that was troubled by injuries and lacked rehabilitation measures for many years. The football players soon recovered after receiving acupuncture and cupping treatment. Since then, the team got rid of the dependence on expensive medicines that were always out of stock for common injuries such as muscle strain.

“I’m grateful to China’s assistance in TCM treatment and training over the years. The country not only sends elite medical teams with high morality, but also attaches importance to follow-up medical training and exchange,” said Marafi, adding that China had well implemented the results of medical cooperation in Vanuatu.

Fiji is hailed as “jadeite on the Pacific Ocean”. However, the country with a population of over 900,000 has only 830 doctors, and only 30 of them have got master degrees or above.

The country has a high morbidity and early onset of cardiovascular diseases, and many of the patients receive treatment at a very late time. Due to the shortage of talents and equipment of cardiac intervention, Fijian residents suffering from coronary heart disease used to go to New Zealand or Australia for surgery. The trip is expensive, and it is difficult for the patients to fully regain their health.

Since 2007, southern China’s Guangdong province has sent batches of medical teams to Pacific island countries including Fiji and the Cook Islands, and they  have been warmly welcomed by the people there.

The health condition of a 40-year-old rugby player surnamed Sammy, who suffered gradual weakening of the left ventricle in the past, has been greatly improved after receiving cardiac intervention under the suggestion from Chinese doctors.

“I can finally go back to the rugby court after the surgery,” Sammy said.

“We are very thankful for China’s selfless assistance, and the Chinese doctors have rekindled hope of Fiji’s patients with coronary heart disease,” said Narendra Reddy, Acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Fiji.

“China has also aided top hospitals such as the one in Navua, and nurtured a great number of medical staffs by regularly sending Fijian medical professors and students to China for study,” he added.

By Qu Xiangyu, Li Feng, Wang Yunsong, and Zhao Cheng

(People’s Daily)