Chinese medical team providing public health services in Namibia

At the Katutura State Hospital Acupuncture Department in Namibia's capital Windhoek, Fang Lianqiang, a Chinese doctor, examined a patient during a consultation.

"It's only my third follow-up, and the ankle pain has been relieved after undergoing acupuncture," Selma Isack, a patient, said Wednesday.

Even though new to Namibia, Fang is already making headway in the provision of public health care.

"My passion and mission are to offer excellent care and service to restore the good health of locals through traditional Chinese medicine. I love the people of Namibia," Fang said, who is also the chief doctor at the acupuncture department.

Fang is part of the 13th batch of Chinese medical team that arrived in Namibia in January this year. The team, composed of two doctors and two nurses, replaced the 12th batch to continue providing health care services at the state hospital.

Because he has always aspired to work in Namibia, it is Fang's conviction that Chinese medicine is unique, and can serve the people of the world, including Namibians.

According to Fang, the 13th batch is prepared to serve the people of Namibia with professionalism to improve broader public health in Namibia.

"We vow to deliver exemplary service to accelerate the provision of health care in Namibia, and help more Namibians get better health," Fang added.

To achieve this, the team would focus on understanding the country's social dynamics, including enhanced engagement with locals, on learning the culture.

"So far, through our patients, we learned that people in Namibia are friendly. We are progressively getting accustomed to the local elements of socialization as well as mastering the general medical care profession standards," he added.

Moreover, they plan to embark upon robust education to raise awareness about acupuncture.

"This is to address the misconceptions, as well as enhance understanding of the local medical fraternity about traditional Chinese medicine," he said.

The drive, said Fang, is to further build good relations between China and Namibia through people-to-people interaction in health care and beyond.

Since 1996, a team of traditional Chinese medical practitioners have been stationed at the Katutura Hospital as part of the cooperative medical projects between China and Namibia.

The 12th medical team, which was headed by Chu Hailin since 2018, treated more than 20,000 Namibian patients over a period of a year and half.

Ben Nangombe, executive director in the Ministry of Health and Social Services, hailed the contribution made by the Chinese medical team to the country's health sector and wellness of locals.

Chinese ambassador to Namibia, Zhang Yiming, said that the Chinese doctors have over the years delivered and sustained quality services beneficial to many Namibians, with the acupuncture department becoming a showcase for China-Namibia ties.

"Namibians are healed or relieved from pain, chronic discomfort and other diseases. We are proud that the team has become well-known for their professionalism, devotion and kind-heartedness among Namibian public," Zhang said.

Meanwhile, the Chinese embassy plans to further strengthen bilateral relations with Namibia and expand cooperation on the health sector to accelerate the provision of health care and more effective medical services.