Chinese medical team arrives in Uganda

DM Monitoring

KAMPALA: A new Chinese medical team has arrived in Uganda on a tour of duty aimed at boosting the country’s healthcare.
The medical team, the 21st batch since the first group in 1983, consists of seven doctors from various specialist departments, as well as a translator and a chef. “We are focusing on general surgery, acupuncture and massage, respiratory medicine, anesthesiology, otolaryngology and head and neck surgery, urology and gastroenterology,” Xie Dazhi, the team leader, told media in an interview late Wednesday. Xie said the team will share experience with its Ugandan counterparts. Previous teams have had skill transfers with their Ugandan colleagues.
The team, which will be based at the China-Uganda Friendship Hospital in the capital Kampala, will also assist the country in the battle against COVID-19. “China did a great job in controlling COVID-19 and has gained a lot of experience of treating patients. Before we came here, all our team members have taken seven weeks of training in ward management and care,” Xie said.
The team will also donate medical equipment, including respirators, oxygenators, oxygen saturation monitors, sputum excretion machines and electrocardiographs, to the hospital.
Emmanuel Batiibwe, director of the China-Uganda Friendship Hospital, told media in a separate interview that the medical teams are crucial for promoting cooperation between the two countries’ health sectors and specialists.