Botswana Government through Ministry of Health and Wellness has welcomed a Chinese medical team as a sign of Chinese solemn commitment to partner with Botswana in the Health sector.
Chinese Ambassador to Botswana Zhao Yanbo said the medical team comprises of medical Doctors and Nurses who will assist in the health sector.
He said the fruitful contribution in medical services is significant and has helped Botswana to better achieve the goal of poverty eradication.
Yanbo said the medical practitioners will be in Botswana for a period of two years and will be assigned to work in Princes Marina Hospital and Nyangabwe Hospital in Francistown.
The ambassador said the medical team will carry on the glorious tradition and the spirit of humanitarianism of their predecessors to provide top class medical services to the sick by utilizing their medical expertise so as to promote well being for Botswana people.
“We will never stop helping our African brothers when needed. This is a requirement of upholding justice while pursuing shared interest with other developing countries and the essence of major diplomacy with Chinese characteristics,” said Yanbo.
Yanbo said as a genuine friend to Botswana, China began to send Medical Teams to Botswana since 1981 and for the past 37 years 14 teams and more than 460 Chinese Doctors have come across oceans and seas to work in Botswana. He said by overcoming many difficulties they have helped treat and cure more than 2 million people in Botswana, which is almost the whole population of Botswana.
He highlighted that in 2015 during the “Brightness Action Campaign” the Chinese medical team helped more than 500 cataract patients of Botswana to regain sights.
Yanbo said they have brought not only the high level medical treatment technology and expertise but also trained a large number of local medical staff through teaching and academic lectures.
The Ambassador said besides Botswana, Chinese Medical Teams are also found in other 50 countries because of the countries friendly relations with African countries where the two continents enjoy deeply founded friendship for decades.
Minister of Health and Wellness, Alfred Madigela acknowledged the assistance given by the Chinese government saying that the increase in the number of health workers symbolizes the true spirit of friendship, partnership and brotherhood by China and will always be in the hearts Batswana given the acute shortage of medical specialist services.
Madigela said the decision to recruit from China was as a result of the Ministry’s recruitment drive which saw Ministry of Health officials travelling to China last year to recruit more Chinese Medical Health as a strategic partnership towards the advancement of the health System.
He said Botswana will continue to learn a lot from China to improve on its health system.
