The outgoing Tenth batch of China medical have been awarded certificates by the Chinese embassy and South Sudan government recognizing their excellent medical services to the local people in the youngest nation.
Atem Nathan Nyuon, acting undersecretary in the ministry of health during the handover ceremony held on Thursday at the Chinese embassy in Juba, commended the successive China medical teams for their positive contribution in transforming the health sector of the country since 2012.
“China medical teams chose to stand with South Sudanese together to face the difficulties, the modernization of Juba Teaching Hospital is robust evidence showing China’s strong support to the development of our health sector. China medical teams come here not only to treat our patients, but giving us better understanding of modern medicine through various trainings to our young doctors,” Nyuon said.
Anthony Lupai Simon, director general Juba Teaching Hospital said the China medical teams have not only been stationed in Juba Teaching Hospital as they have been working in remote hard-to -reach areas such as Paloch, Panyagor and Rumbek.
“It is not only medical service that they do, clinical practice but there are also trainings that they have been conducting from time to time. We had the Tenth batch help us by training our cadres locally here and also some were sent for training in China,” Lupai said.
“As we speak we have a good number of people who are currently undergoing training in China because the hospital is expanding and we need a good capacity of people who are going to cater for the expanded hospital,” he added.
Chinese Ambassador to South Sudan, Ma Qiang (Middle) in a group photo with members of the Tenth and Eleventh batch of China medical teams at the Chinese embassy in Juba.
The first batch of China medical team arrived in South Sudan in 2012.
Xu Zhangwei, Team leader of the Tenth batch of China medical team said their infectious disease department and laboratory department launched a series of theoretical and practical training regularly, through Counterpart Hospital Cooperation Mechanism between China and South Sudan, initiated by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
He said this effectively improved local doctors’ ability of diagnosing and treating common infectious diseases.
“Under our tireless effort, a full-new pathology department, a telediagnosis center and an infectious disease laboratory with equipment and medical supplies of nearly 1 million U.S dollars are going to be handed over this year,” Xu said.
Chen Si, Team leader of the incoming Eleventh batch of China medical team in South Sudan, said his team is honored to follow in the footsteps of the 10th batch of the Chinese medical team and continue their commendable work in providing healthcare assistance to the people of South Sudan.
“The dedication and efforts of the previous team have set a high standard for us, and we are committed to upholding and surpassing their achievements,” Chen said.
Ma Qiang, Chinese Ambassador to South Sudan, said that this year marks the 60th anniversary of the dispatch of Chinese medical teams all over the world.
He said in 1963, China dispatched the first medical team to Algeria, adding that over the six decades, China has sent 30,000 medical personnel to 76 countries all over the world and treated 290 million patients.
Ma said the China medical teams have set up an electronic gastroscopy department, a cervical screening center in Juba Teaching Hospital and also supported four batches of 33 South Sudanese medical staff in studying and training in China.
“At the end of this year, the Phase II project in Juba Teaching Hospital will kick off. It will cover a total floor area of 16,000 square meters including a medical technology building, outpatients building, inpatients building, infectious diseases building, administrative building and other ancillary facilities,” Ma said.
Over the past 11 years since the 1st batch of China medical team to South Sudan arrived in Juba in 2012, 149 Chinese medical workers have come to South Sudan successively, treated 64,409 outpatients, performed 1,206 operations of various types, carried out gastroscopy examinations for 1,199 people, and conducted 19 free medical camps in outreach regions of the country, which served 30,245 patients in total.
