Chinese doctors leave Togo, but their love stays

LOME, Togo — Five months ago, the 25th Chinese medical team came to the health center of Adeta, a small town located in Togo's Plateaux region about 150 kilometers north of Togo's capital Lome, and provided technical assistance to more than 20 local medical staff members, covering gynecology and obstetrics, orthopedics, internal medicine and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

"There are only two registered doctors in Adeta health center, and the local medical equipment is extremely scarce, and their technique is relatively backward," Liu Yu, head of the 25th Chinese medical team to Togo, said.

For obstetrics and gynecology, all diagnoses and surgeries are performed by midwives, who assume both the roles of doctors and nurses.

After learning the situation on the ground, the Chinese team made extensive preparations to train local staff, and combined lectures with on-site operations.

As an obstetrician and gynecologist, Liu patiently explained hemostasis by compression and other skills to local midwives, and also shared with them how to transport patients in critical condition.

Such stories are just a microcosm of the Chinese team's work. Since arriving in Lome in October last year, Liu said the team has carried out technical assistance, lectures and academic exchanges that have benefited more than 2,000 people.

In addition, the Chinese team has carried out nine free clinical consultations and treatments for a total of 2,130 patients. As of Oct 20, the team has treated a total of 6,548 patients in Lome Regional Hospital Center (CHR Lome Commune) for about three months.

In August, Tian Shujie, a member of the Chinese medical team, gave a lecture on traditional Chinese medicine to medical students from the University of Lome, and demonstrated how to carry out traditional treatments such as cupping, acupuncture and massage.

"It is the role of the medical team to provide scientific lectures to the general public, and I look forward to more of such cultural exchanges between Togo and China," Tchalla Toyi, a student at the University of Lome, said.

Passing on their medical knowledge to the people in Togo will enrich their medical knowledge and build a "medical team that never leaves", the Chinese team members said.

Xinhua