China sends 15th medical team and supplies to Samoa

On May 18th, 2018, Chinese Ambassador Wang Xuefeng and Samoa's Minister of Health signed the "Protocol on Sending Chinese Medical Teams to Samoa" on behalf of their respective governments. During this meeting, Ambassador Wang Xuefeng said that the Chinese government will send the 15th Chinese medical team to Samoa. The medical team will be sent in four batches over the course of two years, with each batch comprising of 6 medical professionals from Jilin Province, China. These professionals will work in Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital's Neurosurgery, Urology, Traumatic Orthopedics, Cardiology, Ophthalmology, and Endocrinology Departments. On Novermber 28, 2018, the Chinese Ambassador in Samoa donated medicine, medical devices, and materials to the 15th medical team. There has been a Chinese medical team in Samoa since 1986. They come from different Chinese hospitals and are placed in different parts of Samoa. For example, ophthalmic surgeons from the Zhongshan ophthalmic center of Sun Yat-sen University were sent to the Western Samoa National Hospital in Moto’otua, Upolo. The most recent example was a medical team from Guangdong province (including cardiologists, ophthalmologists, and a team of physicians) sent to Moto’otua Hospital. The team provided treatments for two days in fulfillment of an agreement for medical services between Samoa and hospitals in Guangdong province signed in 2012.

Number of official sources

5

Number of total sources

10