Sierra Leone News: New Batch of Chinese Medical Experts to Strengthen S/Leone Health System
By Hasbin Shaw
The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Sierra Leone, has on Thursday June 27, 2019, welcomed new medical experts from China that will replace the 20th batch of Chinese Medical Team, 4th batch of China Centers for Disease Control Expert team and 3rd batch of the Chinese Military Medical Expert Group in Sierra Leone.
The program attracted government officials including the Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, the Deputy Minister of Defence Col. (Rtd) Simeon N. Sheriff, the Chief of Defends Staff Brima Bureh Sesay, the Chief Medical Officer Dr. Amara Jambai, among others.
In his speech, the Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone H.E Ambassador Hu Zhangliang said that he is honored to bid farewell to the 20th batch of China Medical Team, the 4th batch of China CDC Expert Team and the 3rd batch of Chinese Military Medical Expert Group in Sierra Leone, and at the same time welcoming the arrival of the new batches of Chinese medical and health experts.
He expressed gratitude to the Government of Sierra Leone for its long-term support to China-Sierra Leone public health cooperation.
He recalled that the first batch of the China Medical Team arrived in Sierra Leone in 1973, which he said opened a new chapter for China-Sierra Leone public health cooperation.
He said that over the past 46 years, nearly 500 Chinese medical and health experts have travelled thousands of miles to Sierra Leone and taken Sierra Leone as their homeland, demonstrating the spirit of tenacity, dedication and saving lives with boundless love.
He said that the medical experts have diagnosed and treated over 800 thousand patients, conducted more than 200 thousand cases of operations and trained over 5500 local medical staff.
He recalled that during the outbreak of the Ebola epidemic in 2014, the Chinese government promptly dispatched disease control and research expert teams to Sierra Leone and set up mobile and fixed bio safety laboratories. “This assistance and cooperation continues to today in Jui Sierra Leone-China Friendship bio safety laboratory and the 34 Military Hospital,” he said.
Ambassador Hu said, “The contributions of the Chinese medical teams and health experts including the outgoing ones have been highly appreciated and their professionalism and medical ethics have widely acclaimed. Their work has enriched and deepened our bilateral friendship and cooperation.”
He said that the fruitful public health cooperation between China and Sierra Leone is an epitome of the vigorous development of China-Sierra Leone comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.
“Since our two countries established diplomatic relations 48 years ago, our bilateral relations have been progressing smoothly and healthily, we have seen close high-level visits and exchanges, deep mutual trust and tangible cooperation results between us,” the Chinese envoy said.
He recalled that in late August and early September last year, President Julius Maada Bio paid a state visit to China through an invitation from the Chinese President H.E. President Xi Jinping, and attended the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing Summit.
He said “During the visit, the two sides signed a number of important cooperation documents including the Memorandum of Understanding on the Belt and Road Initiative. At present, our two sides are actively exploring feasible ways of cooperation in the fields of agriculture, fishery, health, infrastructure, human resources development, peace and security, etc. “
He said “The Sengbe Pieh Memorial Bridge, 30 new Garbage Trucks, the Emergency Humanitarian Food Aid and other 4 projects related to Sierra Leone people’s livelihood have been accomplished; the Freetown 3.2 kilometers Ring Road is under construction; cooperation agreements for the construction of the Sierra Leone Foreign Service Academy and the National Transmission Backbone Project Phase II have been signed and several other important cooperation projects are under discussion.”
He said that China-Sierra Leone friendly relations could be regarded as a model for win-win cooperation and common development between China and African countries. He added that the Chinese government and its people will continue to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation with Sierra Leone.
In his speech, the Deputy Minister of Defense, Simeon Nasiru Sheriff on behalf of the government of Sierra Leone, expressed sincere gratitude to the Chinese government for supporting the government and people of Sierra Leone.
He said that Sierra Leone has benefited a lot from China ranging from health, infrastructure, human capital development, capacity building of soldiers in the Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) etc.
He thanked the outgoing 20th batch of Chinese Medical Team, the 4th batch of China Centers for Disease Control Expert team and the 3rd batch of the Chinese Military Medical Expert Group for their tremendous support to Sierra Leone and welcomed the new teams.
