Chinese doctors provide free treatment for schoolchildren in Sierra Leone

FREETOWN, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- The 24th batch of the Chinese medical team in Sierra Leone on Thursday provided medical treatment services for some schoolchildren in Jui, a town in the Western Area of Sierra Leone.

The free clinical outreach at the Simas pre-elementary and junior secondary school included a variety of checks from physical to ophthalmic examination.

Liu Qiuhong, a member of the Chinese medical team, told Xinhua after the outreach that the schoolchildren were healthy in general, while some were infected with malaria, a tropical disease common in West Africa.

Liu pledged that the team would do its best to carry out more free medical services for residents in local communities.

Melrose During, a midwife at the Sierra Leone-China Friendship Hospital, praised the Chinese doctors for their kind gesture, saying the checkup helped the children better understand their physical health and receive medical treatment in a timely manner.

Victoria Jah, head of the school, expressed her gratitude to the Chinese doctors for their selfless help to the children. "I feel so blessed and honored that out of many schools, our school was chosen for the free clinic outreach."

The current Chinese medical team began their service in Sierra Leone in March this year.