China-Sierra Leone Nursing Training Center launched in Freetown

The China-Sierra Leone Nursing Training Center officially opened at the Sierra Leone-China Friendship Hospital in Freetown on July 3, alongside the commencement of its inaugural training program for local nursing professionals.

Primarily managed and taught by the 27th batch of Chinese medical team from Hunan Province, the center serves as a permanent hub for regular nursing talent development between the two nations.

Li Zheng, captain of the 27th batch of Chinese medical team, delivers an address at the opening ceremony of the China-Sierra Leone Nursing Training Center in Freetown, Sierra Leone, July 3, 2026. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online)

Dr. Patricia Matu Bah, chief nursing and midwifery officer of Sierra Leone, speaks at the opening ceremony of the China-Sierra Leone Nursing Training Center in Freetown, Sierra Leone, July 3, 2026. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online)

Charles Senessie, first deputy minister of health of Sierra Leone said the center will systematically address local gaps in nursing education by normalizing the transfer of advanced clinical techniques and operational standards, reflecting deep and practical bilateral cooperation.

Dr. Patricia Matu Bah, chief nursing and midwifery officer of Sierra Leone, presented an official plaque to the center's director, Tan Yan, a senior nursing specialist from Hunan Cancer Hospital and member of the Chinese medical team.

Dr. Patricia Matu Bah presents the official plaque of the China-Sierra Leone Nursing Training Center to Tan Yan, senior nursing specialist from Hunan Cancer Hospital, in Freetown, Sierra Leone, July 3, 2026. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online)

Chang Shi, deputy director of the Hunan Provincial Health Commission, delivered an address via video link. He described the center as a vital platform for medical cooperation between Hunan and Sierra Leone, urging the medical team to share their expertise unreservedly, cultivate local talent and establish sustainable cooperative outcomes.

Local trainees watch the video address by Chang Shi, deputy director of the Hunan Provincial Health Commission, inside the Telemedicine Center at the China-Sierra Leone Nursing Training Center in Freetown, Sierra Leone, July 3, 2026. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online)

Following the ceremony, the first specialized training session on emergency care commenced. The Chinese medical team sent two experts to lead the session: Associate Professor Sheng Jie, a cardiologist from Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, and Tan Yan, a senior nursing specialist from Hunan Cancer Hospital. The instructors combined lectures, standardized demonstrations and hands-on practice to deliver high-quality clinical guidance.

Associate Professor Sheng Jie demonstrates emergency care techniques as local nurses raise their smartphones to record the practical clinical steps, during a training session at the China-Sierra Leone Nursing Training Center in Freetown, Sierra Leone, July 3, 2026. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online)

Li Zheng, captain of the Chinese medical team, said the center marks a shift in China's medical aid from case-by-case clinical relief to systemic, long-term capacity building. Moving forward, the medical team will use this platform to deepen medical aid, share standardized nursing protocols and solidify the foundation of bilateral health cooperation.

Chinese and Sierra Leonean representatives, medical team experts and trainees pose for a group photo in front of the hospital building at the launch of the China-Sierra Leone Nursing Training Center in Freetown, Sierra Leone, July 3, 2026. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online)

Wang Jinwei is a member of the Chinese medical team.