Chinese medical team imparts TCM knowledge to Kuwaiti people

A departure ceremony is held for the 14th Chinese medical team from Northeast China's Jilin province stationed in Kuwait on Oct 24, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]

"Take it easy and relax. We will do our utmost to help you recover soon", Wang Zhenhua, head of the 14th Chinese medical team stationed in Kuwait from Northeast China's Jilin province, often said to Kuwaiti patients during his time at the Natural Medicine & Rehabilitation Hospital in the country.

Working there for over a year, it was routine for Wang and his teammates to take the pulses of their Kuwaiti patients, hold consultations and perform acupuncture, massage and cupping for them in accordance with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) procedures.

The Chinese medical team overcame numerous challenges and took action to further simplify procedures for people to visit doctors in the midst of COVID-19, winning high praise from Kuwaitis.

In early 2022, Kuwait reported an average of about 5,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases per day, which fundamentally increased the workload for Wang and his colleagues.

They had to wear masks, gloves and other medical protective gear for long periods and worked hard to ensure the orderly operation of medical services.

A Kuwaiti patient was found with breathlessness, blurred vision, tinnitus, sleeplessness and fluid retention when he visited the Chinese medical team in January 2022. It would be time-consuming and expensive if he seeked treatment at local medical institutions.

Nian Hongquan, an acupuncture specialist of the Chinese medical team, recommended TCM treatment to the patient and later achieved anticipatory results.

The Kuwaiti man has since become an enthusiast of TCM and adjusted his diet in accordance with the theory of TCM. He has also started to learn Chinese.

President of the Kuwaiti Natural Medicine & Rehabilitation Hospital said that the arrival of the Chinese medical team brought many positive changes to medical philosophy and practices held by local doctors.

For instance, the application of acupuncture, massage and other traditional TCM practices has achieved miraculous and effective results in the treatment of cervical herniated disc and lumbar disc herniation.

The efforts made by the Chinese medical team have impressed Kuwaiti people a lot, helping them develop a better understanding of both TCM and Chinese culture, and promoting the building of the Silk Road of Health as well as a global community of health for all.

Wang introduced that the Chinese medical team had also imparted basic TCM treatment theories and methods to their Kuwaiti counterparts in a move to ensure that local people can still enjoy TCM treatment even after their departure.

Wang Zhenhua, head of 14th Chinese medical team to Kuwait from Jilin, receives a letter of thanks from president of the Kuwaiti Natural Medicine & Rehabilitation Hospital, at the departure ceremony on October 24, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]

At the departure ceremony for the Chinese medical team on Oct 24, 2022, Zhang Jianwei, Chinese ambassador to Kuwait, said that Chinese medical assistance to the Arab state is an integral part of the health cooperation and strategic partnership between the two countries, who are good friends and partners.

Head of the international cooperation department of Kuwait's Ministry of Health spoke highly of the contributions made by the Chinese medical team and of the closer cooperation between the two countries on health, expressing hope that further bilateral cooperation will be conducted in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.

So far, China has sent 22 medical teams to Kuwait. Since the first Chinese medical team arrived in the country in 1976, they have provided medical services to about 800,000 people.