"Chinese Doctors Save My Son's Life"

Guinean doctors are trying to save the life of a five-year-old boy after he swallowed a coin. Just when the people around had lost all hope, a Chinese medical team arrived at the scene and extracted the coin from the boy's esophagus. "It's the Chinese doctors who save my son's life," the boy's parents said.

The Chinese medical team in Guinea have saved the lives of many local people and become eternal friends of the African people.

Ding Linhe is one of the doctors who saved the boy, and she has returned to China. As one of the few female doctors ever working in Labe, a remote province in Guinea, she has her own impressions of Sino-African friendship.

"As long as you love them, care for them, you'll win their heartfelt respect," she said.

China has sent some 17,000 doctors to 45 African countries since it dispatched the first medical team to Algeria in 1963.

The medical team, just back from Guinea in August, had cured innumerable diseases, and performed more than 280 operations.

According to Yan Songbiao, head of the medical team, the main job of the team is treating bone diseases. Chinese doctors, together with their Guineas counterparts, cured many cases of polio, which is prevalent in some African countries.

As medical conditions and the availability of medicine are poor in Guinea, some Chinese doctors are engaged in a wide range of medical duties. Xing Pingfu, who worked as both a dermatologist and a surgeon, has cured many cases caused by mould mycosis and hyperthyroidism.

Xing treated patients free of charge or asked a little money from them for medicine.

Chinese doctors not only cured diseases, but also taught local people medical techniques to improve their medical treatments.

An acupuncture department has been established in Labe hospital with the help of the Chinese doctors. They also offered medicines and medical equipment to the local hospital. The first Medicine Check-up Center was built last year.

During the two years in Guinea, the medical team endure many hardships, including sweltering hot weather, poor health condition and cases of malaria. They were also separated from their families.

Yang Guang, an acupuncture doctor, continued to work in Guinea even after he received the news of his father's death. Yang treated more than 30 patients every day, and during the two years in Guinea, he treated more than 10,000 patients.

The Chinese doctors' diligent work and their patience won the local people's respect, and did much to further promote friendship between the peoples of the two countries.

The Guinea people tried their best to provide their Chinese friends with suitable living conditions. They also invited the Chinese doctors to join them in festivals like the festival of Lesser Bairam.

When the medical team left Guinea, many women and children stood along the streets, bidding them farewell. The poor but honest people of Guinea gave the Chinese doctors mangos and eggs as a token of their gratitude and friendship. Love transcends borders and cultural differences.



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