STORY: Chinese doctors bring medical care to Ethiopian patients
DATELINE: July 10, 2023
LENGTH: 00:03:34
LOCATION: Addis Ababa
CATEGORY: HEALTH

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the patient
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Amharic): GEZAHEBN TILAHUN, Ethiopian patient
3. various of the Chinese doctors
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): TENA MAMO, Surgeon, Armed Forces Comprehensive Specialized Hospital
5. SOUNDBITE 3 (Amharic): GEZAHEBN TILAHUN, Ethiopian patient
6. various of the hospital
7. SOUNDBITE 4 (English): BAMLAK TESSEMA, Football referee
8. SOUNDBITE 5 (English): HAILU ENDESHAW, Commander of the Armed Forces Comprehensive Specialized Hospital

STORYLINE:

Gezahegn Tilahun had been suffering from what he described as a "mysterious illness" for more than two years.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Amharic): GEZAHEBN TILAHUN, Ethiopian patient
"I first started to feel the pain when I was on duty in an active conflict in northern Ethiopia. I was referred to four hospitals, and none of them identified the real cause of my sickness. Doctors in each hospital told me that my case was complicated and referred me to a higher-level hospital."

Tilahun lost 21 kilograms due to the disease, and over time, his skin and eyes turned yellow.

Recently he was admitted to the Armed Forces Comprehensive Specialized Hospital in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa.

The members of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Medical Team in Ethiopia, which is based in the hospital visited him and evaluated his condition.

Tilahun was diagnosed with a pancreatic tumor, for which the hospital had not conducted surgical procedures before.

Eventually, Ethiopian and Chinese surgeons successfully conducted a complex surgical procedure that lasted eight hours and ultimately saved Tilahun's life.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): TENA MAMO, Surgeon, Armed Forces Comprehensive Specialized Hospital
"Without Dr. Wang (Chinese doctor), I am 100 percent sure we would not have been able to do surgery on this patient."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Amharic): GEZAHEBN TILAHUN, Ethiopian patient
"They (staff at the hospital) told me that the Chinese doctor helped save my life. Without him, who knows, I would have not been alive by now. I am now in a very good condition and with their continued assistance and support, I hope I will go back to the army and serve my country as soon as possible."

The ninth batch of the Chinese PLA Medical Team brings together doctors with a range of medical expertise, including traditional Chinese medicine.

SOUNDBITE 4 (English): BAMLAK TESSEMA, Football referee
"I know very well that acupuncture is very nice for the recovery of the muscles, even for the tightness of the muscles, whether you have an injury or not. What I saw over here, the technique and everything, is up to standard, and the relief was also very, very fantastic. We thank the Chinese (doctors) for the transfer of this knowledge, experience and everything, and then our doctors will continue on that one. I hope it will continue in a very centralized, very frequent way for the treatment of patients and sportsmen."

SOUNDBITE 5 (English): HAILU ENDESHAW, Commander of the Armed Forces Comprehensive Specialized Hospital
"These (Chinese) doctors are very useful for our hospital. Our doctors are working together with the Chinese doctors so that (both teams) can share good experiences. Some of the doctors are filling the gaps we do not have with specialties."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Addis Ababa.
(XHTV)