China sends first medical team to Kiribati in May 2022

On May 27, 2021, the first Chinese medical team to Kiribati arrived in Kiribati for a 6-month medical aid mission. The team is the smallest Chinese medical team to any foreign country, consisting of Zhang Yong, an anesthesiologist at the Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical College, Sun Bin, an emergency consultant doctor, and Ma Qiuhua, an Internal Medicine doctor. They began work at Tungaru Central Hospital in the country’s capital, Tarawa, on June 17th, 2022, three weeks after arriving. Their goal was to help Kiribati fight the epidemic and provide medical services for the Kiribati people. In 2021, the National Health Commission appointed the Shandong Provincial Health Commission to form the first medical team to assist Kiribati after the resumption of diplomatic relations between China and Kiribati. The Provincial Health Committee handed over the task of forming a foreign aid medical team to the Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical College. On May 30th, 2022, China released a Position Paper on Mutual Respect and Common Development with Pacific Island Countries, with one of their stated goals being to send medical teams to Kiribati. The medical mission lasted for six months and was completed on January 4th, 2023. The team was commended by the National Health Commission. A second medical team was dispatched in December 2022, and at least one person from the first team remained in Kiribati to assist (see project ID #97268).

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