China News Service, Shijiazhuang, February 23: Title: African doctors celebrate the holidays in Hebei: feel the bustle of the Chinese New Year while busy
Author Li Xiaowei and Zhao Danmei
"Like the most important festival in our country, the Spring Festival is a day for family reunions. I like this lively atmosphere very much." On the 22nd, Mike (formerly known as Mike Kombe Bala), a Congolese (DRC) doctor who was training at the Hebei Chest Hospital told a China News Service reporter.
Mike, 38, is a respiratory doctor from the China-Congo Friendship Hospital in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In order to promote China-Africa cooperation in the field of health, China has identified 30 project units for the construction of China-Africa counterpart hospital cooperation mechanisms. Hebei Provincial Chest Hospital is included among them and has established a counterpart hospital cooperation mechanism with the China-Congo Friendship Hospital.
In December 2023, Mike and three other colleagues came here to receive 12 weeks of professional training as the first batch of trainees of the "China-Africa Counterpart Hospital Cooperation Mechanism·China-Congo Friendship Hospital Talent Training Course".
In January 2024, Mike (first from right in the front row) and colleagues from the Democratic Republic of the Congo conducted training at the Hebei Provincial Chest Hospital.
(Photo courtesy of Hebei Chest Hospital)
This Spring Festival is their first time to experience the Chinese New Year up close.
"We visited the Chinese New Year shopping mall, and the hospital organized us to make and eat dumplings during the New Year, and we also enjoyed the fireworks on New Year's Eve." Mike said while showing the photos on his phone, and said that he would share these pleasant experiences after returning to China. Tell your family.
Mike and his colleagues have a long-standing relationship with China and Hebei.
The China-Congo Friendship Hospital was built with aid from China and is the station hospital for the Chinese medical team aiding the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The members of the medical team are from Hebei.
Mike became acquainted with some members of the Chinese medical team and became friends. In his impression, Chinese doctors were very busy. They taught local doctors a lot and improved the level of diagnosis and treatment at the China-Congo Friendship Hospital.
Due to limited time, Mike was busy throughout this training period.
The hospital arranged a complete study plan for them such as pulmonary function test operations, severe CAP treatment, bronchoscopy operations, etc. "Study during the day and review at night" has become their normal routine. Even during the Spring Festival holiday, they have been studying at the hospital with the doctors on duty. .
On February 4, Hebei Chest Hospital organized four African doctors to make dumplings to welcome the Spring Festival.
(Photo courtesy of Hebei Chest Hospital)
"Our domestic medical level is not high, and there are few opportunities to operate these relatively expensive instruments and equipment. We hope to make good use of this time to accumulate operational experience." Mike said.
Due to different languages, these African doctors face considerable difficulties in learning and often need the help of translation software.
Mike said that the doctors at Hebei Provincial Chest Hospital are very serious and meticulous, and often patiently analyze many diseases for them, allowing them to learn many techniques.
During the Spring Festival, the hospital also organized them to visit Zhengding Ancient City and Hebei Museum to watch Chinese opera performances, helping them understand Chinese traditional culture and adding a lot of fun to their busy training life.
The training is coming to an end in March this year and they will return to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Mike admitted that the 12 weeks was not long. Although the training course achieved the expected results, he was eager to learn more. After returning to China, he would continue to consult Chinese doctors and use what he learned to improve the medical level of his home country.
Public information shows that over the past 51 years, Hebei Province has sent a total of 22 batches of 565 people to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to provide local medical services.
Nowadays, through the "China-Africa Counterpart Hospital Cooperation Mechanism·China-Congo Friendship Hospital Talent Training Course", batches of Congolese medical staff are or will go to Hebei for training and study.
"There is a saying in China, 'Being a teacher for a day is a teacher for life.' I agree with this sentence very much. I will remember this experience." Mike said.
(over)