18 May 2014

The 13th Chinese Medical Team (CMT) in Botswana has donated medical equipment worth over P400 000 to Princess Marina Hospital (PMH).

In his welcome remarks at the handing over ceremony, PMH superintendent, Dr Kelebogile Motumise, said the donation would enable them to provide the latest and cutting edge procedures in Botswana, “some of these procedures which are done, are the first time to be done in Botswana.”

Dr Motumise also said the medical equipment would ensure that the CMT kept and maintained their skills and competency while in Botswana. He assured the Chinese Embassy and CMT that the equipment would be put to good use and maintained in order to drive maximum life span from them.

The PMH superintendent said the Chinese Medical Team had now become a true partner and friend of PMH towards better health for all patients. This, he said, was not the first time that CMT had donated medical equipment and consumable to PMH, adding that PMH had been the benefactor of CMT’s compassionate donations, for over the last couple of years, amounting to millions of Pula.

The partnership or relationship between Chinese government and Botswana government, he said dated back to the early 1980s and included Chinese government providing Botswana with human resource in terms of technical expertise, medical equipment and consumables.

To date, he said the partnership had grown from strength to strength over the last years, adding “we are now providing comprehensive and complex quality health services in Botswana.”

For his part, Chinese Embassy Economic and Commercial counselor, Mr Ma Lianxing, said CMT was committed to improving the health status of Botswana.

Medical and healthcare, Mr Lianxing said had long been one of the top priorities in China’s assistance to Botswana. He said China began dispatching medical teams to work in Botswana in 1981. So far, he said the 13 CMT with a total of 373 medical personnel had been sent to Botswana for clinical services.

For the last 33 years, he said health professionals from China, together with local health professionals, fought against different diseases by their expertise and ethics and spontaneously saved thousands of lives.

Despite daily clinical services, Chinese Embassy Economic and Commercial counselor said CMT also shared advanced health techniques and clinical experiences with local health professionals through different ways like case discussion and outreach services.

To further improve professional performance and to provide better medical service to Batswana, Mr Lianxing said in 2012 and 2013, the 13th CMT also procured two batches of equipment, valuing around USD 31 486 (P272 000) in total and donated to PMH and Nyangabwe Referral Hospital, respectively.

This equipment, he said played important roles and made some operations possible in both hospitals. He said it was the third consecutive year for the 13th CMT to donate the medical equipment that had been practically needed for clinical services in the hospitals.

“We hope that this equipment could somehow address the practical issues in the hospitals and we do believe that CMT members, together with local professionals from both hospitals will make maximum use to provide excellent service to Botswana patients,” he said.

Furthermore, he said equipment donation was not the only way of China’s assistance to Botswana. Apart from the Brightness Action Campaign implemented in 2011 that had helped 200 Botswana patients regain their sight, he said the Chinese government would once again involve more than 500 local patients for cataract surgeries.

He added that “the Chinese government also provides Botswana health professionals with training opportunities in health areas, which include, but not limited to public health and maternal health. And we are very committed to continue to provide assistance to Botswana as our capacity allows.”

China and Botswana have long thriving friendship, and the two countries are cooperating in various areas including; trade, investment, agriculture, technology as well as health. ENDS