Chinese surgeon reflects on two missions to heal and train in Madagascar

When surgeon Qiang Yaosheng speaks about Madagascar, his voice carries pride and duty.

For 50 years, Gansu has been sending medical aid missions to the island nation, where shortages of doctors, equipment, and basic medical supplies remain common.

Qiang is a surgeon at the First Hospital of Lanzhou University in Gansu province who has served on the aid missions twice. He first joined the program in 2010.

He was posted to a provincial hospital where patients often waited months for surgery, and some traveled for days on foot to reach treatment.

More than 10 years later, Qiang returned as head of the northern station of the 23rd Chinese medical aid team in Sambava, a largely agricultural region with limited healthcare infrastructure. Anticipating frequent power cuts and supply shortages, he brought essential equipment from China and adapted surgical procedures to local conditions.

His work later expanded to training. He introduced standardized case discussions and mentored young Malagasy surgeons in procedures not previously available in the region.

Across the two missions, Qiang carried out more than 4,000 operations, many of which were firsts for local hospitals.

In May this year, the governor of Sava awarded him a Certificate of Recognition for "exceptional and outstanding services". Though honored by the award, Qiang said ensuring that medical care could continue after his departure was his true accomplishment.