CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- "The Chinese medical team has been providing humanitarian medical services to Papua New Guinea for 16 years," said Chinese President Xi Jinping during his first state visit to the country in November 2018.

The Chinese medical team is from Chongqing. Entrusted by the central government, Chongqing has been sending Chinese Medical Aid Team to Papua New Guinea independently since 2002.

For the one-year anniversary of Xi's visit to PNG, Chongqing sends the tenth medical aid team to PNG, the medical exchange and cooperation between China and the South Pacific Region is also into the tenth time cycle, CQNEWS and Post Courier, the mainstream media of PNG, jointly launched a special report, "CQ Doctors' Foreign Aid Diaries".

What happened in the medical team? Let’s take a look at their foreign aid diaries.

Fan Zhengpeng, the member of the 9th Chinese medical team to Papua New Guinea

At 5 p.m., there are still many patients waiting for the doctor in the acupuncture clinic of Chongqing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. The doctor they are waiting is Fan Zhengpeng, who has just finished his foreign medical aid and returned to China. Fan is the only Chinese medicine doctor in the 9th Chinese medical team to Papua New Guinea.

"People waiting outside are as many as my clinic in PNG three months ago," Fan said.

From June 2018 to August 2019, the physiotherapy clinic of Port Moresby General Hospital where Fan worked was very popular.

Local patients in PNG

By the time leaving for PNG, Fan took the whole acupuncture tools. He decided to use the acupuncture, the unique Chinese medical skills, into common treatment in PNG.

Doctors in Port Moresby General Hospital usually took massage to do physiotherapy before Fan went there. However, the long-time massage treatment wasn’t useful to patients so that native patients were unwilling to physiotherapy clinic. "Each doctor could treat 3 to 5 patients every day. Compared with other departments, it was too low," Fan said.

On the road into villages for free clinic 

How could Fan cure patients with a tiny silver needle? PNG natives had never seen such acupuncture tools. Also doctors of physiotherapy clinic were very curious.

Fan answered all of their doubts in a short time. A man who had suffered from migraine headache for 16 years came to physiotherapy clinic. He was in a bad mental condition and local doctors could do nothing to help him.

"Would you like to try the acupuncture? It has been used in China for thousands of years," Fan said to him. But when Fan took out the silver needle, the man was obviously shocked.

"Will it be painful?” the man asked immediately. "Does it really work?”

"I promise it’s gonna work, and you need to have a try," Fan replied confidently.

Then the man agreed to try. He closed his eyes and waited for the treatment.

After alcohol disinfection, Fan used the needle to prick his skin accurately. A few minutes later, the treatment was over. "How do you feel?” Fan asked. The man opened his eyes and said, "it’s useful!" He did fully believe in Fan.

After that, Fan’s acupuncture skills became famous within Port Moresby General Hospital. He became the busiest one in the physiotherapy clinic. More and More people came to his clinic and waited for experiencing acupuncture.

The 9th Chinese medical team not only worked in the hospitals, but also conducted free clinic into villages.

A grateful letter from Fan's patient

One thing happened in a free clinic let Fan remember forever. In December 2018, Fan and his 7 team members went to a small village.

"I treated a villager with acupuncture, he excitedly said to me he felt better and then ran out," said Fan. "Then, soon after, 40 to 50 villagers who came for treatment just appeared. They sat in three rows with that patient’s command."

Because of the geographical environment of this village, many villagers suffered from joint pain. "It really shocked me when I saw them coming. 1000 needles I brought were totally used up," Fan said.

With the native's recognition, the moxibustion, cupping and some other Chinese traditional medicine treatment provided by Fan became welcomed. Fan also organized Chinese traditional medicine lecture at regular intervals. He taught native doctors Chinese traditional medicine in the clinical treatment and popularized Chinese traditional medicine culture in PNG.

Fan Zhengpeng was giving an acupuncture treatment.

"It was lovely that there were always Chinese traditional medicine commentaries in my clinic. Patients got to know the effect of acupuncture. My clinic even needed reservation afterwards." It was so busy, but Fan still felt happy.

Members of the 9th Chinese medical team to Papua New Guinea

"Through my one-year medical aid experience, I deeply feel that PNG really needs medical aid. We Chinese doctors have done a lot for the local people," Fan frankly said. "It it my honor to take participate in such a great job and help their doctors to improve medical skills.”