STORY: China, Zimbabwe sign agreement on cataract surgery cooperation program
SHOOTING TIME: Feb. 7, 2024
DATELINE: Feb. 8, 2024
LENGTH: 0:04:52
LOCATION: Harare
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. Various of officials from China and Zimbabwe
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): ZHOU DING, Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe
3. Various of the donation
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): DOUGLAS MOMBESHORA, Zimbabwe's Minister of Health and Childcare
5. various of the signing ceremony
6. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): DOUGLAS MOMBESHORA, Zimbabwe's Minister of Health and Childcare
7. various of more equipment, officials touring the Traditional Chinese Medicine clinic

STORYLINE:

China and Zimbabwe on Wednesday signed an agreement on carrying out the "Bright Journey" Program of cataract surgery in which a Chinese ophthalmologist medical team will be dispatched to the southern African country to carry out free cataract clinical operations.

Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Zhou Ding signed the agreement on behalf of the Chinese government, and Zimbabwe's Minister of Health and Childcare Douglas Mombeshora signed on behalf of the Zimbabwean government.

In his address at the ceremony which was held at the Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals (PGH) in Harare, Zhou said the agreement marks the latest step in medical and health cooperation between the two countries.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): ZHOU DING, Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe
"After signing this, we will start this program. We will be inviting a group of Chinese eye doctors to come here to conduct the cataract surgery for about 600 cataract patients and this group of doctors will also conduct academic exchanges and provide training to the medical personnel here in Zimbabwe."

Zhou noted that it is not the first time that China has provided cataract surgery to Zimbabwean patients, saying China initiated two "Bright Journey" programs in Zimbabwe in 2010 and 2012, helping over 800 local cataract patients.

Speaking after the signing ceremony, Mombeshora expressed his gratitude to the Chinese government.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): DOUGLAS MOMBESHORA, Zimbabwe's Minister of Health and Childcare
"The 'Bright Journey' is not something new. It started in 2010 and again in 2012, and quite a lot of patients benefited from the cataract extraction that took place. And now there is an MoU that has been signed to upscale the cataract extraction camps that will be run in Zimbabwe in conjunction with the Chinese experts."

He said the program will also benefit local ophthalmologists to gain more experience.

On behalf of the Chinese government, Zhou also officially handed over a donation of medical equipment and consumables valued at 500,000 U.S. dollars to the Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals to support its development of pulmonary and critical care.

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): DOUGLAS MOMBESHORA, Zimbabwe's Minister of Health and Childcare
"We are very grateful for the equipment that has been donated. Most of the equipment is going to the respiratory center that is being established in Parirenyatwa Hospital. The equipment will go a long way to manage more patients for us and also train more doctors, more specialists will be trained, so it's quite a donation that is worth recognizing."

Following the signing of the agreement and donation ceremony, Zhou and Mombeshora toured the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Clinic at PGH.

The China Medical Team set up the Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Center in 2020 to provide free Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture diagnosis and treatment services to locals.

China and Zimbabwe share a long history of medical cooperation, and since 1985, China has dispatched 20 batches of China Medical Teams to Zimbabwe.

In addition to providing training to Zimbabwe's medical personnel, China has also helped Zimbabwe to build medical facilities, including Mahusekwa Hospital and Chinhoyi Hospital.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Harare.
(XHTV)