Global force against disease

The latest episode of Not Only About Us sees medical professionals from China and the US forging deep bonds through charitable acts and collaborative efforts to advance global healthcare.

"Transcending borders, race, and cultural backgrounds, we face a common enemy of humanity: disease," said Guo Chao, deputy director of thoracic surgery at Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH), in the latest episode of China Daily's Not Only About Us.

This episode focuses on the daily charitable acts and exchanges between medical professionals in China and the United States, demonstrating how these efforts by individuals and hospitals impact both countries and the world.

In this episode, Dylan Walker, a reporter for China Daily, donated blood for the 13th time in China. "The blood donated daily is far from enough," he said. "I once read in the diary of Lei Feng (1940-1962), a role model for selfless dedication, that 'A human's life is limited, but what they can do for the people is unlimited.' I was inspired, and I believe we need to start with the little things and gradually influence the people around us."

This commitment to humanity and the connection between China and the US are also reflected in the growing collaboration among a group of medical professionals.

In June, the "Bond with Kuliang: 2024 China-US Youth Festival" took place in Kuliang, East China's Fujian province — a special and monumental location in Sino-US medical history.

At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, as ports opened up, groups of Americans settled in Kuliang and gradually became part of the local community. Among them was Edward Bliss (Chinese name: Fu Yihua), who held a medical PhD and helped locals with childbirth and treated diseases like malaria.

During the event, among those invited were 12 doctors from PUMCH and 11 medical students from universities including the University of Chicago and Johns Hopkins University in the US.

A group of orthopedic doctors from the US also participated in professional ward rounds and academic exchanges at PUMCH.