LANZHOU, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Although the rainy season has drenched Madagascar with continuous downpours, patients braved the weather and lined up in the corridor of Anosiala University hospital, waiting to consult doctors from the Chinese medical team.

Li Yongsheng, 62, is part of the 23rd batch of the Chinese medical team in Madagascar. A chief physician at Gansu Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Li has completed five medical aid missions to Madagascar, spending a total of 10 years on the island since 2002, with each term lasting for two.

Every morning, Li opens his consulting room and provides TCM treatments such as cupping and acupuncture to dozens of patients.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of medical aid missions from northwestern Gansu Province to Madagascar, one of the least developed countries recognized by the United Nations.

In 2002, after a thorough selection and training, Li joined the 14th Chinese medical team to Madagascar and was dispatched to Ambovombe, a small city on the edge of the desert in southern Madagascar.

Before his arrival, he had only heard stories about the island from previous medical team members.

"Ambovombe has an arid climate and limited access to fresh water. Daily water use depends on a few wells, while drinking water is collected from rain and filtered," Li recalled. "Power outages at the local hospital were frequent. We had to get used to performing surgeries with flashlights."

Communication was also a challenge. A coin-operated public phone outside the hospital allowed international calls, but the high cost made it difficult for team members to stay in touch with families, so most wrote letters home every two months.

Over the years of serving in Madagascar, Li has provided medical care to around 25,000 patients, and his journey represents just one small chapter in a much larger story.

According to data from the National Health Commission in 2023, over the past six decades, China has dispatched more than 30,000 medical professionals to 76 countries and regions, delivering 300 million diagnoses and treatments to local communities.

Among those efforts, Gansu, as the designated Chinese province for medical aid to Madagascar, has sent 23 medical teams comprising nearly 700 members over the past five decades.

These teams have provided various kinds of healthcare services, including obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, pediatrics, ophthalmology, and otolaryngology. They have also established a TCM center, and offered training and strengthened cooperation with local medical personnel to improve Madagascar's healthcare capacity.

In May, the 24th batch of the Chinese medical team will arrive in Madagascar, and Li will return to his hometown. Drawing on his years of experience, Li compiled a Chinese-Malagasy medical textbook to help younger team members overcome language barriers and adapt to the local environment more easily.

"A quarter of my medical career has been spent in Madagascar. The simplicity of the local people and their love toward Chinese doctors have become precious memories that I will cherish for life. As long as I'm needed here, I will not hesitate to come back," Li said. Enditem

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