The team comprises 9 medical experts with various specialisations. They are expected to stay in the country for the next one year and will carry out trainings and teaching of medical personnel at Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital.
Dr. Momodou Nyassi, Deputy Director of Health Services at the Ministry of Health said the People’s Republic of China Government has been supporting the Government of The Gambia through the Ministry of Health for past years by providing medical teams every year.
Dr. Nyassi said there is a shortage of medical practitioners in hospitals so the team's arrival would bridge the gap.
“If you look at doctors’ ratio or patients to nurse ratio, it is very few. So their coming will reduce the gap greatly and immensely. The queuing to wait for one doctor is going to reduce,” Nyassi also said.
Nyassi said the medical team will be based at EFSTH but would sometimes visit other hospitals across the country when their services are needed.
Dr. Jiaxing Sun, leader of the Chinese medical team expressed his team's readiness to serve The Gambia.
“We will do as much as we can to improve The Gambia health sector. We are excited to be here. For the past years our China medical teams have worked with The Gambia together with partners to supply medical items during the pandemic. The Chinese doctors would be shifted but the Chinese medical teams will stay here forever,” he stated.
We are two nations but we are one people,” Dr. Sun said.
The People’s Republic of China Government and medical team has been helping The Gambia since COVID-19 began by proving laboratory, diagnostic tools, infection control prevention materials and vaccines among other equipment and materials.
