China-Sierra Leone nursing cooperation enters new phase with completion of latest training program

Nurses receive certificates at the ceremony. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online)

The closing session of a two-month-long nursing training program hosted by the Sierra Leone-China Nursing Training Center was successfully held on Aug. 28 at the Sierra-Leone-China Friendship Hospital, marking the completion of another important chapter in China-Sierra Leone cooperation in the health sector.

Forty nursing professionals from five hospitals in Sierra Leone participated in the comprehensive program, which combined classroom learning, practical instruction, professional exchanges and interactive discussions.

With a focus on clinical challenges encountered by local nursing staff and the diagnosis, treatment and care needs associated with prevalent diseases in Sierra Leone, the program sought to introduce practical nursing experience while strengthening the professional capacity of local healthcare workers.

At the closing session, Wei Tao, Nurse-in-Charge from Hunan Provincial Cancer Hospital, introduced standardized workflows, safety-management frameworks and practical approaches to anaesthesia-recovery nursing. The session shared advanced Chinese nursing concepts and practices with Sierra Leonean healthcare professionals, providing useful references for improving peri-operative nursing safety.

Associate Professor Sheng Jie from Xiangya Hospital of Central South University also delivered an on-site lecture which addressed condition observation, risk prevention, health management and complication prevention in the care of patients with hypertension, diabetes and other common chronic illnesses. By linking specialized nursing knowledge with grassroots clinical practice, the session provided practical guidance for Sierra Leonean nurses and helped strengthen capacity in chronic-disease and cardiovascular nursing.

Sierra Leonean Head Nurse Fonti Kargbo delivered a mini-lecture sharing her experience in nursing assessment, while Massah, Director of the Nursing Department at the Sierra-Leone-China Friendship Hospital, presented standardized procedures for nursing-document writing.

Trainee representatives, including Abubakarr from the Sierra-Leone-China Friendship Hospital and Josephine from Rokupa Government Hospital, expressed appreciation for the opportunity to acquire new knowledge and exchange experiences with Chinese medical experts, describing the curriculum as practical, systematic and rewarding.

At the conclusion of the training, Associate Professor of Nursing Tan Yan from Hunan Provincial Cancer Hospital, Director of the Sierra Leone-China Nursing Training Center, presented official completion certificates endorsed by Sierra Leone's Ministry of Health to all participating nurses.

Behind the successful program was a teaching model developed to respond to the realities of the local environment.

Faced with limited on-site resources and operational challenges, including frequent interruptions to water and electricity supplies, the center adopted a dual-track approach combining online lectures delivered by Chinese experts with face-to-face practical tutoring by members of the Chinese medical-aid team.

The curriculum covered eight core training modules, including fundamental nursing, critical-care nursing, infectious-disease nursing, chronic-disease-management nursing and appropriate traditional Chinese-medicine techniques.

Through systematic lectures, hands-on instruction and regular professional exchanges, the center has established a comprehensive and multi-level approach to overseas nursing talent development.

The objective is not simply to transfer knowledge, but to cultivate a competent and professionally managed local nursing workforce capable of remaining in Sierra Leone and continuing to serve local communities.

The initiative comes as China and Africa mark the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges. In this context, the nursing training program has become a vivid example of how health cooperation can serve as a bridge connecting people, institutions and communities.

The conclusion of the latest training program therefore represents both an achievement in nursing capacity building and another step toward consolidating the longstanding friendship between Sierra Leone and China.

Abu Bakarr Kargbo is a Copy/News Editor of Standard Times Newspaper in Sierra Leone.