CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- "Dad is finally back!" "Welcome home!" "Thanks for your hard work!" On the evening of October 19, China's 13th medical team, dispatched to assist Papua New Guinea (PNG for short), returned to Chongqing after completing their mission.

This group consisted of ten members, including eight healthcare professionals and technical experts. The entire team was dispatched from Chongqing, with the Chongqing Emergency Medical Center leading the mission. The team was further supported by seven prominent medical institutions, such as the Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, and Chongqing University Cancer Hospital.

On October 8, 2023, the team departed Chongqing for PNG, embarking on a one-year medical assistance mission at Port Moresby General Hospital.

Team leader Feng Wubing shared that during their mission, the medical team introduced more than 140 new medical technologies to PNG, marking numerous “firsts” in the country's healthcare history.

One of the team members, Zhao Hongxia, Deputy Chief Physician of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) at Chongqing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, witnessed a growing appreciation for TCM among PNG locals. She played a crucial role in spreading TCM culture and promoting its principles.

In PNG, she brought relief to countless patients through acupuncture, cupping, pestle needling, and other TMC treatments.

Zhao's treatments not only eased the suffering of many but also ignited a keen interest among young local doctors in learning TCM practices. She began mentoring local apprentices, driven by the belief that it's important not only to give someone a fish but even more so to teach them how to fish. Starting with the basics of TCM, she patiently guided them in locating acupuncture points, inserting needles, and performing treatments and constantly refined their techniques, hoping that even after her departure, these doctors in PNG would be able to independently use the TCM skills they had learned to relieve the suffering of more local patients.

Over the past 20 years, the Chinese medical team has taken a leading role in the clinical frontline of the recipient hospital, training a large number of local healthcare professionals through observation, hands-on demonstrations, specialized lectures, technical training, and academic exchanges. Their efforts have made a significant impact in alleviating the healthcare service challenges in the recipient country.

Since 2016, the Chinese medical team has continuously implemented two rounds of the three-year innovative foreign aid project at Port Moresby General Hospital. They have helped the hospital establish the country's premier minimally invasive surgery center, ensuring its sustainable development. By September 2024, Chongqing has sent 13 medical teams in total to PNG, involving 129 healthcare workers. (Translated by Yuki, Fathom Language Limited)