Chinese doctors' dedication, skills lauded in Sierra Leone

A Chinese doctor checks a patient at the Sierra Leone-China Friendship Hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on Feb. 27, 2023.  [Xinhua/Xu Zheng]

The 23rd batch of the Chinese medical team in Sierra Leone has received praise from local patients and health authorities for their dedication to the country's medical service.

FREETOWN -- The 23rd batch of the Chinese medical team in Sierra Leone has received praise from local patients and health authorities for their dedication to the country's medical service.

Speaking to Xinhua in an exclusive interview on Monday in Freetown, the country's capital, Karim Kabineh, dean of the Sierra Leone-China Friendship Hospital, said he is deeply touched by the team's hard efforts over the past year.

"They are always on call wherever and whenever they are, and the quality of their work should be praised," said Kabineh, who is also a renowned otolaryngologist in Sierra Leone.

The current team is about to wrap up its one-year mission, during which they received more than 23,000 patients and carried out over 600 surgeries.

According to Kabineh, Sierra Leonean hospitals have been long plagued by a shortage of stable water and electricity supplies, which has posed a huge challenge for the medical staff to perform their duties.

"Sometimes when a power outage occurred, the air conditioner was not working, and doctors have to work in a swelter. Yet, I saw them taking care of the patients despite sweating," Kabineh added.

"Some of the doctors bring their personal equipment from China to facilitate the work, while some have to use their spare time to undertake extra duties, and you could always feel their passion," he told Xinhua.

Kabineh hailed Chinese medical teams' cooperation with their local counterparts to help the country curb the spread of COVID-19 in the last three years, describing the role they played in the fight against the virus as "very important".

Kabineh pointed out that by imparting medical skills to local medical staff, making donations of medical supplies, and handling a lot of complicated surgeries, the medical teams from China have helped the hospital become one of the most prominent medical establishments over the past decades.

Liu Meng, an emergency physician of the Chinese medical team, told Xinhua that he is immensely impressed by the respect that Sierra Leoneans have for knowledge, and many local doctors have been trained by Chinese doctors.

"We also carried out a lot of first-aid training in remote communities and schools, which was warmly welcomed by students and residents. They listened attentively and acted accordingly," Liu said.

"Working with my counterparts here also let me learn a lot about their culture, good manner, and attitude toward learning," he told Xinhua.

Memunatu Conteh, a Sierra Leonean patient, said the hospital has a good reputation because of the Chinese doctors and local staff, "that is why I am here. I am grateful for what they have done."