GABORONE, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- The 17th Chinese medical team has recently arrived in Francistown, Botswana's second-largest city, marking a new chapter in the provision of free outreach healthcare services after over 40 years of dedicated efforts by Chinese doctors in the southern African country.
On Nov. 30, members of the Chinese team provided free medical services to over 250 officers from the Botswana Police Service (BPS) and held two training lectures on cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency trauma first aid.
In an interview with Xinhua, Assistant Commissioner Modisaotsile Solomon, divisional traffic officer responsible for the northern part of Botswana and one of the beneficiaries of the free medical services and lectures, shared how this inaugural medical service provision and first-aid training would significantly support police officers in their daily work.
According to Solomon, many police officers rarely get time to undergo physical and mental examinations due to their hectic work schedules.
"We really appreciate the various services that the Chinese medical team offered us today," said Solomon, adding that police officers turned out in large numbers to seize the rare opportunity of receiving free healthcare from Chinese specialists.
The police officers, drawn from different towns and villages in the northern part of Botswana, have also learned essential skills in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency trauma first aid.
Solomon said police officers are often the first to reach road accident scenes or other emergency sites, but most of them lack basic knowledge on cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid skills.
Assistant Commissioner Gaolathe Ngayaya, deputy divisional commander of the BPS for northern Botswana, received treatment for persistent back pain during the team's visit.
After struggling for nearly five years, she said the Chinese team has greatly improved her condition.
"As a police officer, I am expected to be physically fit at all times. But this back pain nearly caused me to lose my job. I am really thankful," said Ngayaya, fighting back tears while emphasizing the high cost of healthcare in private facilities.
Hu Minxiong, leader of the 17th Chinese medical team, said this free-of-charge medical service not only brings tangible benefits to the police officers and their families but also provides emergency medical knowledge needed for their duties.
China started dispatching medical teams to Botswana in 1981. Over the past 43 years, 17 teams with 557 medical personnel have come to work in Botswana and provided clinical service to more than two million patients.
