China's unsung medical heroes

When it comes to China in Africa, media tends to focus, whether negatively or positively on the large investments China has made on infrastructure development in the continent. Very little is told about one major service that China has been providing to Africa. Since 1963, medical teams from various Chinese provinces have been stationed across the continent, from Algeria to Zimbabwe, from Eritrea to Guinea, providing key medical aid in places where it is needed the most. I have had the opportunity to meet three teams working in North, West and East Africa, and witnessed the significant changes they have made to healthcare over the years.

My first assignment was to Zanzibar, the spice Islands off the coast of Tanzania, where a fresh team of medics from Jiansu Province had just arrived for a two year stint. I found this team very friendly, especially the team Leader Mr. Liu. Both head of the medical team, as well as a highly skilled cardiologist, Mr. Liu already was already paying house calls to his patients, well past normal hospital working hours. The team was stationed at the Mnazi Moja District Hospital, the largest referral hospital in Zanzibar, and had already set up a much needed smile center, an eye center and an endoscopic surgery center, equipped by China. These new facilities made it easier for people in Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania to access top of the range healthcare that they would otherwise have had to go as far as Egypt or even India to receive such services. What I found interesting about this team was they had already grown accustomed to island life. In Swahili, the phrase "Haraka Haraka, Haina Baraka" which translates to "Hurry Hurry Has No Blessing" is commonly used, and many find it difficult to adjust to the slowed down pace oflife on the Island.

This was very different to the hustle and bustle the team in Cameroon were immersed in. Yaounde was my next stop to meet another team of doctors. Dressed in colorful African shirts and speaking fluent French, this team worked in the city's top hospital that catered specially to women and children. We had many meals together with the doctors, who were keen to show us around Yaounde and learnt that many had been working in West Africa for years. We then took a flight to the remote city of Guider, North Cameroon, to meet another set of doctors. This team had a lot less at their disposal in terms of accommodation, medical equipment, food supply and entertainment, but their spirit was just as strong as the team in the capital. Their resilience in a place riddled with malaria and water borne diseases was admirable. I also noticed how they trained the local doctors and nurses, and we even witnessed a nurse who had been trained by the teams over the past 20 years, performing a surgery.

Then it was off to Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania in North West Africa. This is where I met Ms. Li Shitan, a medical researcher doing something completely different to the other Chinese medics on the continent. Ms. Li stands outside in Nouakchott's busiest areas monitoring the levels of air pollution that have risen dramatically over the past few years. This is due to the many un-roadworthy cars that find their way to the country, many third or even fourth hand, barely able to move. They spew toxic fumes that can be hazardous to the people. However, Ms. Li spends 6 hours a day among these fumes, conducting research she hopes will force the government to clamp down on imports of run-down cars. She is part of a big team of doctors spread around the country, and she has learnt to call Mauritania home.

During my visits to film these three very different sets of medical teams in three very different parts of Africa, I have seen how these doctors come not only to help the people with their skills, but also to become involved in the local culture, find a way to live a very different way of life.