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FROM the first day miao Jingpeng， a doctor of Beijing Tongren Hospital， arrived at the hospital in Zimbabwe where he was deputed with his colleagues in 2011， the medical team’s prime concern was ensuring an infection-free environment in the operation room with the limited facilities available.
The ophthalmologist remembered clearly an accident not long after he arrived at the hospital. When he was walking to the operating theater， there was a storm and a chunk of hail hit the glass ceiling of the corridor， showering him with fragments of broken glass.
He was wounded. “The first thought in my mind was not getting my wounds treated， but having the ceiling repaired on the double because if the rain came in， my patients would be exposed to a higher risk of infection，”he said.
His team was performing free cataract operations in Zimbabwe as part of the Brightness Action medical assistance project providing free cataract operations in different countries in need， including African countries. Under the initiative， ophthalmologists from Beijing Tongren Hospital， a renowned institution offering eye， ear， nose and throat treatment in the Chinese capital， and one of the co-organizers of the initiative， have helped over 2，000 cataract patients in four African countries regain their vision in the past five years.
As part of the team， Miao went to Zimbabwe in 2010 and 2011， operating on patients for a week each time. Despite the challenges posed by the lack of equipment and language differences， the team provided treatment to hundreds of cataract patients. Even those who didn’t get a chance at the beginning were later squeezed into the hectic schedule.
“Because it’s hard to say no to those wistful eyes，”Miao said.
“Brightness Action is more than a charity campaign，”said Zhang Ying， another ophthalmologist who took part in the cataract camp in Zimbabwe in 2011. “It’s about passing on light and friendship.”
So far， over 32，000 cataract patients have had their sight restored under the project.
Before China adopted its reform and opening-up policy in the late 1970s， it lagged behind other countries in ocular disease treatment. For a long time， it received medical aid from both developed countries and developing ones like Nepal， according to Wang Ningli， Vice President of Beijing Tongren Hospital. But after that， ocular disease treatment in China evolved rapidly.
To promote blindness prevention and other eye treatments， Brightness Action was launched in 2003 on China’s Qinghai-Tibet Plateau， where the strong sunlight is a major cause for widespread cataract. After providing free sight recovery treatment to cataract patients in China’s remote rural areas for four years， the action expanded out of China.
Giving and receiving
“The year 2007 was a turning point，” said Wang. “In that year， the Brightness Action campaign held medical camps in North Korea， Cambodia， Mongolia， Vietnam and Bangladesh to help cataract patients there.”
Today， half of Chinese eye doctors are capable of performing cataract surgery. Around 80 percent of hospitals at or above the country level have independent ophthalmologic sections， placing China among the best in this field in the developing world.
“One good turn deserves another，” said Wang， explaining how the Brightness Action campaign grew from gratitude. After having received others’ help and witnessing China’s own medical expertise， “it was time for us to make our contribution，” Wang said.
After touring many Asian countries such as Vietnam， Pakistan and Cambodia， Brightness Action arrived in Africa， Zimbabwe and Malawi in particular， in 2010 as part of the initiatives to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.
Their long engagement in Africa has won Chinese surgeons a good reputation on the continent and the trust of African patients， said Wang， adding that Beijing Tongren Hospital is now the first choice of many senior African officials when they need ocular disease treatment in Beijing.
In January 2016， another Beijing Tongren Hospital medical team is about to head for Africa. This time， they will join the China-Guinea Friendship Hospital in Conakry， the capital of Guinea in West Africa.
The history of China’s medical assistance to Africa dates back to 1963 when China sent its first medical team to Algeria. The past five decades have seen over 20，000 Chinese medical staff provide assistance in Africa； of them over 50 died while on duty on the continent.
Even in modern times， challenges for medical teams providing assistance in Africa remain. In the post-Ebola period， infections still remain a threat and a major concern， said Wang Yu， another Vice President of Beijing Tongren Hospital and the leader of the team going to Guinea.
The 19-member medical team is set to stay in Guinea for 18 months. Besides regular medical work， they will， more importantly， help the hospital set up an intensive care unit （ICU）. Wang Yu said Chinese doctors’ services in African countries are getting diversified and advanced， a far cry from the simple outpatient treatment they used to provide in the early years.
Building up the capacity of local hospitals is becoming a focus and consequently， personnel training is being given increasing importance. Wang will also join the man- agement team of the China-Guinea Friendship Hospital. Established in 2012， it is one of the 30 hospitals funded by the Chinese Government in Africa. These hospitals indicate the upgraded medical cooperation between China and Africa， Wang Yu said.
Fish and fishing
All the Chinese medical staff will eventually go back home. “We need to leave a medical team which will stay forever. So， personnel training is very important，”said Wang Ningli， quoting the old Chinese saying that to teach people how to fish is far better than just presenting them with fish.
After years of Chinese assistance， African hospitals’treatment capabilities have improved. The need for an ICU， for example， is proof that the China-Guinea Friendship Hospital is now able to treat more severe and emergency cases than before， said Wang Yu.
“It’s time to build a comprehensive and standardized treatment system， rather than simply sending doctors for providing regular treatment，” Wang Yu said.
According to the Cape Town Declaration adopted at the Second Ministerial Forum of China-Africa Health Development in October 2015， 20 Chinese hospitals and 20 African hospitals will collaborate among themselves， one on one， for three years.
“As a long-time participant in China-Africa medical cooperation， we are looking forward to be part of it，” said Wang Yu.
The team leader said the declaration provides a new direction for future medical cooperation between China and Africa， which is “a transition from intervention to prevention， and from regular medical care to higher-level academic exchange.” CA
CHINA REPORT
Brightness Action’s Footprints
2007： Holds medical camps in North Korea， Cambodia， Mongolia， Vietnam， Bangladesh
2010： Goes to Africa for the first time with camps in Zimbabwe and Malawi
2011： African outreach expanded with camps in Zimbabwe， Zambia and Mozambique. In Asia， Pakistan receives assistance
2013： Team returns to Cambodia
（Source： Beijing Tongren Hospital）
The ophthalmologist remembered clearly an accident not long after he arrived at the hospital. When he was walking to the operating theater， there was a storm and a chunk of hail hit the glass ceiling of the corridor， showering him with fragments of broken glass.
He was wounded. “The first thought in my mind was not getting my wounds treated， but having the ceiling repaired on the double because if the rain came in， my patients would be exposed to a higher risk of infection，”he said.
His team was performing free cataract operations in Zimbabwe as part of the Brightness Action medical assistance project providing free cataract operations in different countries in need， including African countries. Under the initiative， ophthalmologists from Beijing Tongren Hospital， a renowned institution offering eye， ear， nose and throat treatment in the Chinese capital， and one of the co-organizers of the initiative， have helped over 2，000 cataract patients in four African countries regain their vision in the past five years.
As part of the team， Miao went to Zimbabwe in 2010 and 2011， operating on patients for a week each time. Despite the challenges posed by the lack of equipment and language differences， the team provided treatment to hundreds of cataract patients. Even those who didn’t get a chance at the beginning were later squeezed into the hectic schedule.
“Because it’s hard to say no to those wistful eyes，”Miao said.
“Brightness Action is more than a charity campaign，”said Zhang Ying， another ophthalmologist who took part in the cataract camp in Zimbabwe in 2011. “It’s about passing on light and friendship.”
So far， over 32，000 cataract patients have had their sight restored under the project.
Before China adopted its reform and opening-up policy in the late 1970s， it lagged behind other countries in ocular disease treatment. For a long time， it received medical aid from both developed countries and developing ones like Nepal， according to Wang Ningli， Vice President of Beijing Tongren Hospital. But after that， ocular disease treatment in China evolved rapidly.
To promote blindness prevention and other eye treatments， Brightness Action was launched in 2003 on China’s Qinghai-Tibet Plateau， where the strong sunlight is a major cause for widespread cataract. After providing free sight recovery treatment to cataract patients in China’s remote rural areas for four years， the action expanded out of China.
Giving and receiving
“The year 2007 was a turning point，” said Wang. “In that year， the Brightness Action campaign held medical camps in North Korea， Cambodia， Mongolia， Vietnam and Bangladesh to help cataract patients there.”
Today， half of Chinese eye doctors are capable of performing cataract surgery. Around 80 percent of hospitals at or above the country level have independent ophthalmologic sections， placing China among the best in this field in the developing world.
“One good turn deserves another，” said Wang， explaining how the Brightness Action campaign grew from gratitude. After having received others’ help and witnessing China’s own medical expertise， “it was time for us to make our contribution，” Wang said.
After touring many Asian countries such as Vietnam， Pakistan and Cambodia， Brightness Action arrived in Africa， Zimbabwe and Malawi in particular， in 2010 as part of the initiatives to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.
Their long engagement in Africa has won Chinese surgeons a good reputation on the continent and the trust of African patients， said Wang， adding that Beijing Tongren Hospital is now the first choice of many senior African officials when they need ocular disease treatment in Beijing.
In January 2016， another Beijing Tongren Hospital medical team is about to head for Africa. This time， they will join the China-Guinea Friendship Hospital in Conakry， the capital of Guinea in West Africa.
The history of China’s medical assistance to Africa dates back to 1963 when China sent its first medical team to Algeria. The past five decades have seen over 20，000 Chinese medical staff provide assistance in Africa； of them over 50 died while on duty on the continent.
Even in modern times， challenges for medical teams providing assistance in Africa remain. In the post-Ebola period， infections still remain a threat and a major concern， said Wang Yu， another Vice President of Beijing Tongren Hospital and the leader of the team going to Guinea.
The 19-member medical team is set to stay in Guinea for 18 months. Besides regular medical work， they will， more importantly， help the hospital set up an intensive care unit （ICU）. Wang Yu said Chinese doctors’ services in African countries are getting diversified and advanced， a far cry from the simple outpatient treatment they used to provide in the early years.
Building up the capacity of local hospitals is becoming a focus and consequently， personnel training is being given increasing importance. Wang will also join the man- agement team of the China-Guinea Friendship Hospital. Established in 2012， it is one of the 30 hospitals funded by the Chinese Government in Africa. These hospitals indicate the upgraded medical cooperation between China and Africa， Wang Yu said.
Fish and fishing
All the Chinese medical staff will eventually go back home. “We need to leave a medical team which will stay forever. So， personnel training is very important，”said Wang Ningli， quoting the old Chinese saying that to teach people how to fish is far better than just presenting them with fish.
After years of Chinese assistance， African hospitals’treatment capabilities have improved. The need for an ICU， for example， is proof that the China-Guinea Friendship Hospital is now able to treat more severe and emergency cases than before， said Wang Yu.
“It’s time to build a comprehensive and standardized treatment system， rather than simply sending doctors for providing regular treatment，” Wang Yu said.
According to the Cape Town Declaration adopted at the Second Ministerial Forum of China-Africa Health Development in October 2015， 20 Chinese hospitals and 20 African hospitals will collaborate among themselves， one on one， for three years.
“As a long-time participant in China-Africa medical cooperation， we are looking forward to be part of it，” said Wang Yu.
The team leader said the declaration provides a new direction for future medical cooperation between China and Africa， which is “a transition from intervention to prevention， and from regular medical care to higher-level academic exchange.” CA
CHINA REPORT
Brightness Action’s Footprints
2007： Holds medical camps in North Korea， Cambodia， Mongolia， Vietnam， Bangladesh
2010： Goes to Africa for the first time with camps in Zimbabwe and Malawi
2011： African outreach expanded with camps in Zimbabwe， Zambia and Mozambique. In Asia， Pakistan receives assistance
2013： Team returns to Cambodia
（Source： Beijing Tongren Hospital）