The 19th Chinese Medical Team worked at theJui Hospital for a year and treated 297,877 people and performed 302 major operations before they left yesterday Thursday 28 June 2018, to return to China.
Before leaving, the team leader Dr. Liang Lihui said they arrived in Sierra Leone July 2017, and over the one year period they treated all these people performed hundreds of operations and popularized acupuncture in the country.
“Our time in Sierra Leone was great as we came to assist in the country’s health sector and we did our best to help. We did not only treat patients, but we also provided counseling, visited the homes for the poor and disabled, celebrated with different organizations and gave gifts and treatment to the Cheshire Home.”
Dr.Lihui averred that they also were part of the College of Medicine as they worked with students and lecturers to improve their knowledge.
Dr. Duke, who was the translator for the group and who also was responsible for acupuncture, said they were happy working in Sierra Leone and he was very surprised how Sierra Leoneans accepted and loved acupuncture.
“I was treating a minimum of 40 patients a week as many patients that came wanted to be treated by traditional Chinese medicine. I was thrilled that the people appreciated us and they were always praying for us and telling us not to go back to China.”
He averred that their time in Sierra Leone was very memorable and they hope that the 20th batch that has taken over from them will do more than what they did as they are coming with more equipment to improve the hospital and treat more people with major diseases.
Gynecologist Dr. Flora said she had an interesting time in Sierra Leone and she treated many women freely because they were poor and she said on a particular weekend when she was not on duty, she was called to perform an emergency CS operation to save a life.
“I did it because it was my obligation as I was able to save the mother and her baby. After I finished the operation and everything was ok, I noticed that she did not even have Pampers and clothes for the baby. I personally provided the baby with all the basics she needed just to keep her alive. After a month that she has been discharged and gone, she came back to thank me and she named the baby Flora to show appreciation for all I did.”
All 20 of them left yesterday morning and they were very happy that they were loved and appreciated by Sierra Leoneans and they said they believe that the health sector will develop and very soon they believe that Sierra Leoneans will be in charge of the hospital.
AT/28/6/18
By Austin Thomas
Friday June 29, 2018.
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