Chinese training program helps Tanzania's Zanzibar improve pediatric treatment

DAR ES SALAAM, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday launched a new version of the training program in Tanzania's Zanzibar to improve pediatric treatment capabilities and reduce child mortality rates.

This year's version of the training program, hosted by the Ministry of Commerce of China and organized by Hunan Children's Hospital, began at the Lumumba district hospital of Unguja, the main island of Zanzibar. Fifty trainees from Unguja and Pemba Island attended Tuesday's opening ceremony of the month-long session. They were all pediatric medical workers in local hospitals, including pediatricians, surgeons, anesthesiologists and pediatric nurses.

"Improving the level of pediatric medical care and protecting children's health are our common responsibilities and missions," said Zhang Ming, the acting consul general of the Chinese Consulate General in Zanzibar, while addressing the opening ceremony.

Zhang said the China-Zanzibar pediatric cooperation has enjoyed a good foundation and yielded preliminary results, and it also embodied the attention and expectations of senior leaders of the two sides.

Deputy Director of the Hunan Children's Hospital Qu Shuangquan said in his speech that the hospital attaches great importance to this training project, they have held several special meetings to review the project implementation plan, and have selected a team of pediatric experts with rich foreign aid experience and professional background to perform the training task. He stressed that the training course is the result of the joint expectations of both sides, and Hunan Children's Hospital will do its best to provide comprehensive and systematic training for the improvement of Zanzibar's pediatric capacity without reservation.

Zanzibar's Deputy Minister for Health Hassan Khamis Hafidh expressed high appreciation for China's support, looking forward to further cooperation between China and Zanzibar in pediatric medicine. The deputy minister also called on doctors and nurses to cherish the training opportunity by studying hard.

Hunan Children's Hospital has sent expert groups to Zanzibar to carry out pediatric training since 2017 and has trained 120 medical experts in Zanzibar.