Benefiting people on the ground

According to the Chinese Embassy in Lesotho, more than half a million Basotho have benefited from medical treatment by Chinese medical teams sent to Lesotho in more than 20 years of cooperation between the two countries. Lesotho has a population of 2.1 million.

A Chinese medical team provided free health services to communities on June 16-19 in Mokhotlong District, which is approximately 279 km from Maseru.

Led by Zou Ran, who is also an acupuncturist, the team of medical specialists included a physician, an orthopedist, an obstetrician and gynecologist and a radiologist.

They provided consultations and treatment for common and prevalent diseases such as flu, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, and gynecological diseases among others.

One of the beneficiaries of the health initiatives is 62-year-old Thuso Phakela.

“They [Chinese medical team] have helped me manage my arthritis condition which had been giving me a lot of trouble especially in this winter season,” Phakela told adding that he had been unemployed for the past three years.

“I had a free check-up and was given medicine. This shows that the Chinese don’t just see Lesotho as a country to do business, but they have a sense of responsibility. They have also assimilated into the communities they operate in and understand the challenges we face. They are doing their best to help.”