STORY: Chinese medical team in Zimbabwe renews enduring healthcare partnership
SHOOTING TIME: March 11, 2024
DATELINE: March 12, 2024
LENGTH: 00:03:44
LOCATION: Harare
CATEGORY: HEALTH

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the awarding ceremony
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): DOUGLAS MOMBESHORA, Minister of Health and Child Care in Zimbabwe
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): DOUGLAS MOMBESHORA, Minister of Health and Child Care in Zimbabwe
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): CHENG YAN, Charge d'affaires, Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe
5. SOUNDBITE 4 (English): OU YANGBIN, Captain of 20th China Medical Team

STORYLINE:

As Zimbabwe bade farewell to the eleven members of the 20th Chinese medical team with medals and heartful speeches at a ceremony here on Monday, the new aid team is ready to bring fresh air to the enduring healthcare partnership.

Arriving a year ago from Hunan Province of China at the Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in Harare, the departing team provided medical services in various departments, including general internal medicine, critical care medicine, and traditional Chinese Medicine.

Officials from the Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe, members of the Health Commission of Hunan Provincial, and officials from Zimbabwe's Health Ministry attended the ceremony.

On behalf of Zimbabwe's Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, the Health and Child Care Minister Douglas Mombeshora commended the team in his remarks.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): DOUGLAS MOMBESHORA, Minister of Health and Child Care in Zimbabwe
"Coming to serve in Zimbabwe entails a lot of sacrifice which includes leaving their families and friends behind for a whole year. We cherish your unwavering commitment to save humankind."

He applauded the departing team for delivering efficient and effective health services to local communities.

He also acknowledged the level and diversity of their expertise, critical for capacity building and medical students' training.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): DOUGLAS MOMBESHORA, Minister of Health and Child Care in Zimbabwe
"The medical teams have often filled some of our gaps and introduced new ideas to our systems. In recognition of the expertise, we have decided to deploy the China medical teams to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, our country's premier health institution, where opportunities to work with various local specialists and teaching of medical students are available."

In his remarks, Charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe Cheng Yan congratulated the outgoing team on completing its mission successfully and welcomed the new cohort.

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): CHENG YAN, Charge d'affaires, Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe
"The 21st China Medical Team just arrived last week, I believe they will carry forward the spirit of the China Medical Team, keep up good work, and make greater contribution to China-Zimbabwe health cooperation."

He reiterated China's commitment to enhancing cooperation with Zimbabwe in the healthcare sector, saying that this year China will provide more training programs for Zimbabwean medical personnel.

In his farewell speech, the captain of the departing team, Ouyang Bin, reviewed the 14 free consulting sessions they organized in communities, schools, and orphanages, covering all 10 provinces of Zimbabwe.

SOUNDBITE 4 (English): OU YANGBIN, Captain of 20th China Medical Team
"We have traveled far from home to Africa, and though our time together spans just a year, we have forged profound bonds of emotion and friendship, as we approach the end of our mission and prepare to return to China, our hearts are filled with a myriad of emotions, we feel a longing for our homeland, yet we also feel a deep attachment to the people of Zimbabwe and the Chinese diaspora residing here."

In 1985, the first Chinese medical teams arrived in Zimbabwe, establishing the foundation of the enduring partnership in healthcare between the two countries.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Harare.
(XHTV)