DAR ES SALAAM, May 15 (Xinhua) -- The 35th Chinese medical team to Tanzania's Zanzibar has donated a batch of medicines and medical equipment to Abdulla Mzee Hospital on Pemba Island to support local healthcare services and improve medical conditions for residents.
The donation ceremony, held on Wednesday, was attended by Chinese Consul General in Zanzibar Li Qianghua, Pemba Island Health Director Khamis Bilali Ali, members of the medical team, and representatives from the schistosomiasis prevention aid project.
Speaking at the event, Li said healthcare cooperation is an important component of the friendly ties between China and Zanzibar.
He noted that Chinese medical teams have long served local communities and contributed to improving healthcare capacity and deepening friendship between the two sides.
The donation reflects the deep friendship between China and Tanzania, Li noted, expressing hope that the supplies would help better safeguard the health and well-being of residents.
He added that the Chinese medical team would continue strengthening cooperation with local health authorities and medical institutions to improve healthcare services and further enhance China-Zanzibar friendship.
For his part, the Zanzibar health director thanked the Chinese medical team for its long-term support for healthcare development on Pemba Island.
Ali noted that the team has not only provided quality medical treatment to local patients but also helped improve the professional skills of local healthcare workers through technical training and academic exchanges.
"This donation will further improve the hospital's medical conditions and benefit more local residents," he said.
Hou Jianwen, deputy leader of the medical team, said China and Zanzibar have maintained close cooperation in the healthcare sector for many years.
The current medical team has nine members on Pemba Island specializing in general surgery, orthopedics, pediatrics, cardiology, otolaryngology, anesthesiology, medical imaging, and obstetrics and gynecology, he said.
According to Hou, the medical team actively participates in outpatient, emergency, inpatient, and surgical services at local hospitals, while also carrying out teaching ward rounds, technical training, academic exchanges, and health education activities.
Since China first dispatched medical teams to Zanzibar in 1964, Chinese medical personnel have continuously provided medical assistance to the archipelago, contributing positively to the development of the local healthcare sector. ■