On the occasion of the International Day of Action for Women’s Health, the 27th Chinese (Hunan) Medical Team to Sierra Leone organized a comprehensive health education and free clinical consultation campaign at the Goderich Community Health Centre in Freetown on Thursday.
Departing from traditional clinical models, the outreach significantly amplified the role of preventive health literacy. The initiative aimed to drive a fundamental shift within the local community; moving from passive healthcare-seeking behaviour to active disease prevention. By the end of the day, the medical team had provided high-quality medical services to more than 300 patients.
Chinese medical team members stood alongside local health officials holding a commemorative banner in front of the Goderich Community Health Centre, symbolizing continued collaboration in strengthening healthcare delivery at the community level.
Innovative Health Literacy: Shifting Focus from “Treatment” to “Prevention”
Addressing the critical shortage of awareness surrounding maternal-child infectious diseases and reproductive health at the grassroots level, the medical team established a dedicated health education zone at the clinic. Dr. Song Yuying and Dr. Zhou Ning utilized bilingual (Chinese and English) visual posters to deliver targeted lectures on cervical cancer prevention, menstrual hygiene management and pregnancy malaria control.
To ensure that key takeaways were effectively retained, Dr. Song transformed core health concepts into an interactive quiz during the summary session. Local women responded with enthusiasm, eagerly participating in the exercise. Those who answered correctly received practical and thoughtfully selected gifts from the medical team.
This dynamic approach of lecture delivery, quiz-based evaluation and positive reinforcement not only deepened women’s understanding of essential health practices but also reflected a broader evolution in Chinese medical aid; transitioning from merely supplying medicine to cultivating sustainable health mindsets.
Dr. Song Yuying facilitated an engaging interactive question-and-answer session, with local women listening attentively and actively participating in front of bilingual health education banners.
Similarly, Dr. Zhou Ning conducted an educational session focused on pregnancy malaria control, simplifying complex prevention strategies into practical and understandable steps for participants.
Multi-Disciplinary Synergy: Elevating Primary Care Quality
At the same time, the medical team deployed a multi-disciplinary outpatient service within the health centre, covering obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, orthopedics, pain management, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), cardiology and infectious diseases.
To provide accurate diagnostic support under resource-constrained conditions, sonographer Dr. Zhou Cheng operated a portable ultrasound scanner throughout the day. He conducted detailed gynecological and obstetric imaging evaluations for nearly 20 local women, including more than 10 expectant mothers.
Within the gynecology consultation area, Dr. Song Yuying and Dr. Wang Xitang jointly handled several long-standing unresolved gynecological cases through expert consultations.
Among the patients attended to was a woman who had undergone uterine fibroid removal surgery two years ago and had since experienced chronic abdominal pain and excessive menstrual bleeding. Following examination, she was diagnosed with severe diffuse adenomyosis. Taking into consideration her clinical condition and local healthcare realities, the Chinese medical experts developed a definitive and cost-effective total hysterectomy surgical plan on-site, accompanied by pre-operative care instructions.
In another case, a patient who had endured painful recurring perineal lesions for nearly a year was diagnosed with recurrent genital herpes. The medical staff immediately formulated a standardized medication plan and home-care strategy while directly providing the required targeted pharmaceuticals.
Dr. Zhou Cheng worked meticulously using a portable ultrasound scanner to perform essential diagnostic imaging for local expectant mothers, while in the makeshift Pediatrics and Obstetrics zone, Dr. Shuai Lanjun gently examined a young boy, demonstrating the growing trust between the Chinese medical team and local patients.
Hawanatu Blessing Turay, Senior Medical Officer at the Goderich Community Health Centre, expressed profound appreciation for the Chinese medical team’s timely intervention on the global health advocacy day. She noted her anticipation for an expanded and strengthened partnership aimed at improving healthcare delivery.
Dr. Li Zheng, Captain of the 27th Chinese Medical Team, disclosed that within nearly three months of deployment in Sierra Leone, the team had already completed seven mobile medical outreach missions.
Moving forward, Dr. Li Zheng stated that the team would continue aligning its interventions with the specific needs of Sierra Leone’s grassroots communities by institutionalizing targeted medical assistance and health education programmes to robustly support the development of the country’s primary healthcare system.
