Tai Haifu (1st L), a pediatrician of the 12th batch of Chinese medical team to South Sudan, performs a checkup on an infant at the newborn ward of the Juba Teaching Hospital in Juba, South Sudan, on Feb. 26, 2025. Members on the 12th batch of Chinese medical team to South Sudan have been performing medication and education duties at local institutions including the Juba Teaching Hospital, the Juba Health Sciences Institute and the University of Juba since they arrived on Sept. 4, 2024. They had treated 7,124 outpatients and performed 81 surgical operations by Feb. 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)
JUBA, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- After 37-year-old Achol Deng gave birth to her baby boy at a private clinic, she was rushed to Juba Teaching Hospital in South Sudan's capital as the newborn showed no signs of life.
At birth, the infant showed no visible heartbeat, breathing, sustained gasps or even movement of the limbs. The dire condition required both mother and child to receive urgent care in the neonatal ward.
On Feb. 14, upon Deng's admission to the hospital's gynecology department, Chinese pediatrician Tai Haifu, a member of the 12th batch of the Chinese medical team, diagnosed the baby with a bacterial infection and respiratory distress syndrome.
Tai immediately placed the baby on oxygen and administered medication. With the attentive care of Tai, the infant gradually began to recover under the gaze of his anxious mother in a packed neonatal ward, where several mothers were also receiving care with their newborns.
"This Chinese doctor has been treating my baby for 11 days since I was admitted here, and now there is some improvement. Without him, my baby would not be alive," said Deng, a housewife from Bor town of Jonglei State, during an interview on Tuesday in Juba.
Deng noted that this was her second child, following the tragic loss of her firstborn to an unknown illness.
Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) occurs in premature babies whose lungs are not fully developed. The earlier an infant is born, the higher the risk of developing RDS, requiring extra oxygen and breathing support.
Tai explained that he used a bulb syringe to thin and suction out the baby's mucus, helping him breathe, suck and eat more easily. The baby has since improved.
Tai routinely checks on newborns in the neonatal ward from Monday to Thursday, monitoring vital signs such as weight, body temperature and heart rate, as well as adjusting medication and assisting with diagnoses.
In the past six months, Tai and his South Sudanese colleagues have treated over 600 newborns suffering from RDS, prematurity, low birth weight, congenital malaria, and various neonatal infections.
"I personally brought three large boxes of pediatric medicine from China to treat sick children for free, helping them recover as soon as possible while easing the financial burden on families," Tai said.
In addition to patient care, Tai has also developed English versions of medical records, including admission forms, progress notes, discharge summaries and follow-up visit documents. He also created guidelines for commonly used medications in the neonatal ward, significantly improving efficiency in diagnosis and treatment.
Tai's unwavering dedication profoundly impressed Bol Ngor, a 25-year-old pediatric intern working alongside him.
"Working with Dr. Tai Haifu is a privilege," Ngor said. "As you heard from the baby's mother, he arrived and immediately provided oxygen and medicine, which helped the child breathe."
"His work has made a huge difference," Ngor added. ■
Du Changyong (C), head of the 12th batch of Chinese medical team to South Sudan, communicates with local doctors at the Juba Teaching Hospital in Juba, South Sudan, on Feb. 26, 2025. Members on the 12th batch of Chinese medical team to South Sudan have been performing medication and education duties at local institutions including the Juba Teaching Hospital, the Juba Health Sciences Institute and the University of Juba since they arrived on Sept. 4, 2024. They had treated 7,124 outpatients and performed 81 surgical operations by Feb. 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)
Liang Ce (L), a radiologist of the 12th batch of Chinese medical team to South Sudan, conducts the X-ray examination on a patient at the Juba Teaching Hospital in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, on Feb. 26, 2025. Members on the 12th batch of Chinese medical team to South Sudan have been performing medication and education duties at local institutions including the Juba Teaching Hospital, the Juba Health Sciences Institute and the University of Juba since they arrived on Sept. 4, 2024. They had treated 7,124 outpatients and performed 81 surgical operations by Feb. 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)
Students attend a class taught by the 12th batch of Chinese medical team to South Sudan at the Juba Health Sciences Institute in Juba, South Sudan, on Feb. 25, 2025. Members on the 12th batch of Chinese medical team to South Sudan have been performing medication and education duties at local institutions including the Juba Teaching Hospital, the Juba Health Sciences Institute and the University of Juba since they arrived on Sept. 4, 2024. They had treated 7,124 outpatients and performed 81 surgical operations by Feb. 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)
A pediatrician of the 12th batch of Chinese medical team to South Sudan performs a checkup on an infant at the newborn ward of the Juba Teaching Hospital in Juba, South Sudan, on Feb. 26, 2025. Members on the 12th batch of Chinese medical team to South Sudan have been performing medication and education duties at local institutions including the Juba Teaching Hospital, the Juba Health Sciences Institute and the University of Juba since they arrived on Sept. 4, 2024. They had treated 7,124 outpatients and performed 81 surgical operations by Feb. 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)
Ding Yun (front), a gastroenterologist of the 12th batch of Chinese medical team to South Sudan, conducts a gastroscopy on a patient at the Juba Teaching Hospital in Juba, South Sudan, on Feb. 26, 2025. Members on the 12th batch of Chinese medical team to South Sudan have been performing medication and education duties at local institutions including the Juba Teaching Hospital, the Juba Health Sciences Institute and the University of Juba since they arrived on Sept. 4, 2024. They had treated 7,124 outpatients and performed 81 surgical operations by Feb. 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)
Gu Shaofei, a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine of the 12th batch of Chinese medical team to South Sudan, conducts acupuncture treatment to a patient at the Juba Teaching Hospital in Juba, South Sudan, on Feb. 26, 2025. Members on the 12th batch of Chinese medical team to South Sudan have been performing medication and education duties at local institutions including the Juba Teaching Hospital, the Juba Health Sciences Institute and the University of Juba since they arrived on Sept. 4, 2024. They had treated 7,124 outpatients and performed 81 surgical operations by Feb. 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)
Students attend a class taught by the 12th batch of Chinese medical team to South Sudan at the Juba Health Sciences Institute in Juba, South Sudan, on Feb. 25, 2025. Members on the 12th batch of Chinese medical team to South Sudan have been performing medication and education duties at local institutions including the Juba Teaching Hospital, the Juba Health Sciences Institute and the University of Juba since they arrived on Sept. 4, 2024. They had treated 7,124 outpatients and performed 81 surgical operations by Feb. 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)
Patients register at the Juba Teaching Hospital in Juba, South Sudan, on Feb. 26, 2025. Members on the 12th batch of Chinese medical team to South Sudan have been performing medication and education duties at local institutions including the Juba Teaching Hospital, the Juba Health Sciences Institute and the University of Juba since they arrived on Sept. 4, 2024. They had treated 7,124 outpatients and performed 81 surgical operations by Feb. 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)
Anesthesiologist Zhou Tao (2nd R) and operation room nurse Ruan Shuqin (3rd R), both from the 12th batch of Chinese medical team to South Sudan, instruct students on CPR at the Juba Health Sciences Institute in Juba, South Sudan, on Feb. 25, 2025. Members on the 12th batch of Chinese medical team to South Sudan have been performing medication and education duties at local institutions including the Juba Teaching Hospital, the Juba Health Sciences Institute and the University of Juba since they arrived on Sept. 4, 2024. They had treated 7,124 outpatients and performed 81 surgical operations by Feb. 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)