The Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS), Minister Dr. Paul Popora Bosawai, and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Ambassador His Excellency (H.E) Cai Weiming on November 22nd signed the Protocol on Dispatching the China Medical Team four (4) to work in the Solomon Islands from 2025 to 2028.
During the signing, Health Minister Dr. Bosawai acknowledged the PRC for its ongoing support in sharing local technical capacity. He highlighted the first draft of the China Medical Team, which was drafted and approved by both the PRC Embassy and MHMS in 2021. This paved the way for the first Chinese Medical Team (CMT) to arrive in the Solomon Islands in February 2022.
“The first CMT included 4 highly specialized professionals and 2 supporting staff from Guizhou Affiliated Medical University. With this first CMT team, NRH established its first acupuncture and hemodialysis services. The National Referral Services benefited from the first CMT team in terms of local capacity enhancement of skills of our 4 local doctors and 2 nurses”, said Dr Bosawai.
He again acknowledged the PRC for the dispatch of the second and third Chinese Medical Teams to the country. He also mentioned the training proposal for 10 NRH staff to be held in the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University was agreed upon, and based on the latest information, this will be implemented in 2025.
“I am indeed excited that now with the signing of the protocol, my Ministry is ready to again host the 4th Chinese Medical Team and we look forward to their arrival in April 2025.
“While the new CMT would be similar in many ways in terms of the composition of the expertise, there would be two notable changes which includes the Inclusion of a cardiovascular and cerebrovascular expert. This is in anticipation and preparation for the new cardiac unit of the Comprehensive Medical Centre and the inclusion of a Public Health Expert that will support NCD prevention and healthy lifestyle promotion.
“The impact of what the Chinese Medical Teams have brought to this country in terms of contribution to the delivery of health services and ultimately the betterment and improvement of health outcomes has not gone unnoticed. The CMT teams of highly professional medical expertise have demonstrated their hands-on approach, ensuring local capacity is developed on the job at NRH, their community outreaches to Communities and out in the Provinces have been exceptional and their advocacy for the prevention and healthy lifestyle are notable”, said Dr Bosawai.
The Health Minister then highlighted positive results that have been achieved since 2022 and as of May 2024: CMT Nephrologist specialists saw over 3,000 patients with renal issues and were treated at NHR, CMT Urologists saw over 4,000 patients including 190 minimally invasive urological surgeries, CMT Specialist conducted 20 laparoscopic surgeries and 2 ultrasound guided prostate biopsies at the National Referral Hospital, CMT Specialists have delivered continued training on urological surgeries such as laparoscopic surgery and standardizing the diagnosis and treatment of urological diseases, Skills Transfer on surgical
techniques as well as surgeries by the CMT Specialists to local doctors and CMT conducted numerous provincial visits health services.
“Your Excellency, the health services delivered by the Chinese Medical Teams since 2022 are exceptional and the people and Government of Solomon Islands is forever grateful and indebted to the Government of the People’s Republic of China. The support provided is timely, relevant, imperative, and consistent to our Solomon Islands National Health Strategic Plan 2022-2031 to improve the health of care, improve access, improve systems, and improve service delivery.
Meanwhile, H.E. Cai stated it is an important moment in the two country’s bilateral cooperation between China and Solomon Islands, which demonstrates China’s commitment to medical cooperation with the Solomon Islands through concrete actions.
“Since the arrival of the First CMT in 2022, the China Medical Team worked closely with Solomon Islands colleagues, providing over 23,000 medical consultations and nearly 16,000 acupuncture treatments, saving the lives of about 400 critically ill patients, leaving behind countless touching stories. They have successively carried out surgery operations, such as cardiovascular angiography procedures and laparoscopy, and shared their technology with SI doctors. The China Medical Team conducted free clinics in many communities of provinces. The cooperation between the two countries in the medical field is extended to even the remotest provinces”, said H.E Cai.
He described the protocol signed illustrated another big step in the two countries’ cooperation, and China will continue to dispatch medical teams to SI.
“China medical team will continue to provide high-quality medical services to local people, exchange theoretic knowledge and clinical skills with local medical staff, and contribute to improving medical service quality and health condition of SI people. I believe medical cooperation between our two countries will have a more fruitful and brighter future”, H.E Cai said.
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