Volunteer from the start

Before going to Tunisia, Guo worked at the Maternity and Child Care Center of Xinyu City, Jiangxi Province. Upon hearing of the medical aid program to Africa, she was quick to volunteer.

Since 1973, the province, like many others in China, has been sending medical professionals to treat patients and provide training to doctors at local hospitals across Tunisia and Chad.

Usually, more than 40 doctors and nurses from Jiangxi are selected for the team every two years, according to Zhang Yue, Director of the International Cooperation Department, Jiangxi Health and Family Planning Commission. But recruiting medical team members has proven difficult. “When doctors leave for such program in Africa, they may be afraid to fall behind colleagues back home, due to the fast development of China’s medical sector,” explained Zhang.

But to Guo, the decision to enroll in the mission came easily. “I applied to join this program because I hoped to broaden my horizons with overseas work experience, though I knew it’s hard, tiring and even