The 12th batch of the Chinese medical team to Ghana has successfully carried out more than 100 free surgeries on local patients living in some poverty-stricken areas of Ghana’s Oti Region, the team told Xinhua Tuesday.

The week-long activity that ended on July 14 was spearheaded by dozens of Ghanaian doctors and the Chinese medical team, aiming to offer door-to-door service to low-income residents struggling to pay their medical bills.

According to Xie Shuangcong, a member of the Chinese medical team, local residents living in Worawora town have been long facing a shortage of medical resources, including medical staff and operating rooms.

“Carrying out surgeries in such conditions also posed a grave challenge for all the Chinese doctors, who have been racing against the clock to save more patients,” Xie said.

“We spent around 16 hours in the operating room every day, though sometimes it was already midnight, we could still see some patients queuing up outside the hospital,” said Zuo Fan, a gynecologist of the team, adding that local patients’ trust has tremendously encouraged him to work even harder.

Zuo told Xinhua that during a cesarean section, they found that one of the newborn infants suffered severe asphyxia and almost lost breathing and heartbeat, and the doctors instantly came to the rescue.

“After more than ten minutes of CPR, we finally heard the infant’s first cry, which made us feel delighted and honored,” Zuo added.

According to the team, aside from the surgeries, the Chinese doctors also provided free medical consulting to more than 1,000 locals in the region, which was also highly acclaimed by Ghanaian health officials and residents.

The team, which comprises 11 members from south China’s Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, began their one-year service here in March.

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