By CHILA NAMAIKO –

.Levy Mwanawasa Hospital

THE 19th aiding Chinese medical team, which arrived in May 2017, comprising doctors from various medical fields, successfully carried out a total of 2,924 operations on patients from Zambia’s four major hospitals by the end of last year.
The medical experts, who are currently working at Levy Mwanawasa Teaching Hospital, University Teaching Hospitals (UTH), Ndola Teaching Hospital and the Livingstone Central Hospital, had received 10,000 outpatients and done ward rounds 5,232 times.
They have written more than 15,000-piece reports of ECG, ultrasound, CT scan and MRI, rescued 123 critically-ill patients, provided 316 counselling on-duty services, and initiated 25 new innovative technologies in operations and diagnosis.
Team leader Qi Zuhong said yesterday that the team had also donated an assortment of medical instruments valued at US$120,000 to benefit the four hospitals with Levy Mwanawasa Teaching Hospital having a lion’s share of $84,000.
Dr Qi said in a statement that among major operations were anaesthesiologists carrying out brachial plexus, cervical block and light wand incubation while the ENT surgeon performed the first nasosinusists operation innovatively utilising a cystourethroscope because of the facility at some hospitals.
“Besides delivering medical care service in local hospitals, the Chinese medical team also offered voluntary medical care service for local communities,” he said.
The team went to Open Arms Community School once, House of Moses for checks up twice, Nakhicheite community once, and for local workers in Chinese enterprises five times.
The Chinese government started sending medical teams to Zambia in 1978, and this year, they will be celebrating 40 years of anniversary in the health sector.
Team interpreter Qin Yan said a total number of 19 batches with 500 Chinese doctors had served in Zambia adding that China remained committed sending more medical team to serve in Zambia.