DAR ES SALAAM, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- "I feel like I have been given a new life," said Leila Salum Kanyinyi, a 38-year-old mother of three from Tanzania's Zanzibar.
She told Xinhua that the relief she feels is after Chinese doctors performed a complex operation that ended a year of debilitating pain.
For months, persistent pain in her lower back and abdomen had made even the simplest daily activities difficult. At its worst, Kanyinyi, a food vendor from Meli Nne in Urban District in Urban West Region on Unguja Island, spent much of her time lying down, struggling to care for her three children, two boys and a girl.
"My right lower back ached for a whole year. When the pain became severe, I didn't even have the strength to take care of my children," she recalled.
Her condition gradually worsened, leaving her physically exhausted and affecting her ability to provide for her family. After seeking medical attention, she was referred to Lumumba Hospital, part of Zanzibar's Mnazi Mmoja Hospital, where doctors initially diagnosed her with a narrowing of the right ureter, the tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder.
Further examination during the procedure revealed a long section of narrowing in the lower part of the ureter, making the condition more complicated than initially expected.
Faced with the challenging case, the local medical team sought assistance from the 36th Chinese medical team in Zanzibar.
Wang Wei, leader of the 36th Chinese medical team in Zanzibar and a urological specialist, reviewed the case and developed a surgical plan for the complex reconstruction. Using laparoscopic equipment donated by China, he performed a minimally invasive procedure known as laparoscopic Boari flap ureteroneocystostomy, which involves using tissue from the bladder to reconstruct the damaged section of the ureter.
The procedure offered an alternative to conventional open surgery, which can involve greater surgical trauma and a longer recovery period.
Beyond treating the patient, Wang used the operation to train local doctors, explaining surgical anatomy, procedural techniques, and measures to prevent and manage complications.
Gideon Safiel Mwasakyalo, a doctor at Lumumba Hospital, said the operation exposed local medical personnel to advanced surgical techniques and provided valuable practical experience in treating ureteral strictures.
He said the knowledge gained would help improve the hospital's capacity to manage similar conditions locally.
The operation marks an important step in strengthening reconstructive urological surgery at the hospital, while highlighting the Chinese medical team's dual role in providing specialist treatment and transferring medical skills to local health professionals.
For Kanyinyi, however, the most immediate benefit is the return of hope after a year in which illness had taken a heavy toll on her family life.
She said she was grateful to the Chinese doctors for the treatment, adding that she had received what she described as first-class medical care despite her limited financial means.
"I thank the Chinese doctors. They really saved my life," she said, also expressing appreciation to Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi and Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan for facilitating the deployment of Chinese medical teams to Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania.
Kanyinyi is still recovering in hospital, where her condition is improving and the severe pain that troubled her for a year has disappeared. She expects to be discharged soon and return home to her children.
Her recovery also reflects a broader dimension of China-Tanzania health cooperation, combining specialist medical services for patients in need with practical training intended to strengthen local healthcare capacity.
For a mother who had once struggled to get out of bed to care for her children, the prospect of returning home without the pain that had dominated her life is a welcome new beginning. ■