Chinese doctors launch traditional Chinese medicine training in Sierra Leone

The Telemedicine Center of the Sierra Leone-China Friendship Hospital in Freetown was filled to capacity on July 18, as more than 40 senior local nurses gathered for a specialized training session.

The initiative used a hybrid teaching model that combined remote video lectures delivered by experts in Hunan Province with on-site clinical demonstrations by doctors from the 27th batch of Chinese medical team.

Professor Guo Liwen delivers a live digital presentation on traditional Chinese medicine principles from Hunan Province to the lecture hall in Freetown, Sierra Leone, July 18, 2026. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online)

The session linked the two sides through a video connection to deliver a four-part teaching sequence covering theory, simulation, Q&A and clinical rounds.

During the lecture, Dr. Zhou Shengqiang traced the history of acupuncture from ancient stone needle techniques and the origins of moxibustion to the theoretical frameworks set out in the "Huangdi Neijing."

Local nurses follow the bilingual slide presentation inside the Telemedicine Center in Freetown, Sierra Leone, July 18, 2026. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online)

Zhou then introduced Fu Needle therapy, a modern form of acupuncture, addressing local clinical realities in Sierra Leone, where chronic neck, shoulder and joint pain are common but specialized acupuncture services remain scarce.

At the podium, Zhou administered Fu Needle therapy to an 18-year-old local university student who had suffered recurrent knee pain and restricted mobility for six months. Within two minutes, the patient reported a substantial reduction in pain and was able to squat, stand and flex the joint again.

Dr. Wang Jinwei demonstrates needle positioning and manipulation on a local patient with joint pain in Freetown, Sierra Leone, July 18, 2026. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online)

At the same time, Tan Yan and Dr. Li Duandan ran clinical workstations for gua sha, or scraping, and moving cupping. Tan demonstrated standard upper limb scraping, detailing tool selection, the required 45-degree application angle, uniform pressure and assessment of the marks left on the skin, along with standard contraindications. Li demonstrated back cupping, explaining negative pressure control and movement along the bladder meridian.

Tan Yan, director of the training center, demonstrates the 45-degree angle technique for upper limb scraping in Freetown, Sierra Leone, July 18, 2026. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online)

"This course provides structured, practical knowledge that aligns with our daily clinical demands, addressing a clear gap in pain management services here," noted Zainab Bangura, a state registered nurse at the Sierra Leone-China Friendship Hospital.

Since arriving in Sierra Leone, the 27th batch of Chinese medical team has used the China-Sierra Leone Traditional Chinese Medicine Center and the Nursing Training Center as dual platforms to focus on sustainable capacity building.

Wang Jinwei is an ophthalmologist with the Chinese medical team.