26th Chinese medical team arrives in Rwanda to boost health cooperation

KIGALI -- A ceremony marking the arrival of the 26th Chinese medical team in Rwanda and the departure of the previous team has been held in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, highlighting sustained bilateral cooperation in the health sector.

At the ceremony on Thursday night, Ndayizigiye Jean Marie Vianney, permanent secretary in Rwanda's Ministry of Health, praised Chinese medical teams for their services. "Whether in hospitals, clinics, or communities, your work embodies resilience, excellence, and selflessness. Your service does not go unnoticed," he said.

He said that their contribution represents the strong and growing partnership between Rwanda and China, particularly in the health sector, adding that this collaboration has brought skills and knowledge exchange, as well as a lasting impact, "strengthening our shared vision of healthier and more resilient communities."

Chinese Ambassador to Rwanda Gao Wenqi said the medical teams stand as a powerful testament to the deep bonds between the two peoples, noting that this year, more doctors and nurses have arrived in Rwanda, elevating the bilateral health cooperation to new heights.

Wang Yongxiang, head of the 25th Chinese medical team in Rwanda, said that team members have worked side by side with Rwandan colleagues in clinics, operating rooms, and wards.

Over the past year, the Chinese medical teams have helped build an orthopedic specialty system and a standardized pain management clinic at Kibungo Hospital, and have transferred techniques such as traditional Chinese acupuncture, painless labor, and infection control to local doctors, bringing sustainable benefits to both the local healthcare system and the Rwandan people, Wang said.

Li Junsheng, a member of the 25th Chinese medical team in Rwanda, has participated in several batches and received a special award from the Ministry of Health in grateful recognition of his "11 years of dedicated service to the people of Rwanda."

According to Han Hongyang, head of the newly arrived 26th Chinese medical team, the team consists of 19 members covering eight clinical departments like surgery, orthopedics, anaesthesia, obstetrics and gynaecology, nursing, and traditional Chinese medicine.

Since 1982, China has dispatched 26 medical teams to Rwanda, providing daily medical services at Masaka Hospital and Kibungo Hospital.