Needlesfindtheirmark

Four-decade old Chinese medical assistance continues to bring relief to patients in Ethiopia

For four decades, Teshome Wolde-semayat lived in a world of pain. The 71-year-old from Bishoftu, a growing town just 37 km away from Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, was diagnosed with a persistent nerve disease compounded by diabetes and hypertension. A regular at the Bishoftu General Hospital (BGH) located to the south of Addis Ababa, he didn’t have much hope of improvement. In May he checked into the hospital for his usual tests, but fate had a surprise waiting for him.

“My doctor told me there was a team of visiting doctors from China and he was referring me to them to see if they could give me some relief from my sciatica pain,” Woldesemayat told Chinafrica. “I was amazed to see how the Chinese doctor was working. She was all over the room, doing everything by herself, without asking anyone for assistance.” the Chinese team. Bayisa said with many people seeking to have acupuncture, the local community has requested the hospital to extend the period of treatment. The hospital is also collaborating with its Chinese counterparts to get medical equipment from China and training opportunities as well.

“The physiotherapy section of BGH has been providing mostly acupuncture-related treatment,” he added. “We are also planning to send a team of physiotherapists to China to get short-term training in TCM.”

The first Chinese medical mission to Ethiopia arrived in 1974. The 19th team is a continuation of that cooperation. Comprising 16 medical professionals, it is headed by Zhang Xiaoyang. The team is based at the state-of-the-art Tirunesh-beijing Ethio-china Friendship Hospital on the outskirts of Addis Ababa built by the Chinese Government at a cost of 80 million yuan ($11.8 million) and handed over in 2011. The hospital also has a TCM center established in July 2015. The Chinese team will stay at the hospital for 385 days, using it as a base from where they have been fanning out to different hospitals to provide free consultations and operations.