ADDIS ABABA, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Mekonnen Tsega, a 46-year-old patient, has suffered from nerve problem for years in Ethiopia's small town of Bishoftu, about 50 km south of the capital Addis Ababa.
Mekonnen is one of the many Bishoftu town dwellers, who were apparently suffering from varied types of illness, who have recently received free curative medical treatment by the 19th Chinese medical team.
Mekonnen said that he had been fighting the disease for almost 4 years now.
"I could hardly walk due to the health problem that I had. I tried to get treatment but it was expensive and I couldn't afford, given my poor financial background," he said.
The 19th batch of the Chinese medical team, which constitutes 16 medical professionals, is based at Tirunesh-Beijing Hospital, also known as the Ethio-China Friendship Hospital, located in Akaki at the outskirt of Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.
The team, deployed at Tirunesh-Beijing Hospita which was built and equipped with the support of the Chinese government, is the continuation of China's medical mission to Ethiopia that has been serving the people of the east African country since 1974.
Team leader and Chief Physician Zhang Xiao Yang said that the medical team, during its nine months of free medical curative healthcare service, has treated a great number of patients in its hosting Tirunesh-Beijing Hospital.
According to Yang, the team also traveled to various other hospitals, such as Bishoftu Hospital outside the capital, to provide free healthcare treatment by applying both traditional Chinese and modern medical treatment methods.
"The feedback from the local community has been very good, and we are very happy to provide the service and to see them healthy," he said.
Mekonnen, who has received a free physiotherapeutic treatment by the visiting Chinese medical personnel in his home town, also commended their service saying that "I am very thankful for their kind support."
Amelework Fetene is another beneficiary. She has traveled close to 100km from her home town Wolega, south of the capital Addis Ababa, to get the treatment at the Bishoftu hospital.
"My health condition has improved now, after the treatment that I received here by the Chinese physicians," said 60-year-old Amelework.
Along with the provision of free medical service, the medical team also donated medical equipment and consumables to the hospital. According to team leader Yang, the donation of medical equipment will help the hospital in its quest towards quality healthcare service.
Dadhi Wodajo, Mayor of Bishoftu town and hospital board member, has lauded the support that has been given by the 19th batch of the Chinese medical team saying that such donations and free services "will reduce limitations in the provision of better curative healthcare service at the hospital."
Liu Yu, Economic and Commercial Counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia, also commended the great effort and enthusiasm members of the medical have shown over the years.
According to Yu, their dedication and service manifests the growing people to people relations among the two brotherly countries.
Notably among the previous Chinese medical personnel in Ethiopia is the deceased doctor Mei Gengnian, who leads the first Chinese medical mission to Ethiopia some 40 years ago.
Mei Gengnian passed away in 1975 in a car accident while he was serving local communities in Jimma town of Oromia regional state, where he was still remembered and received homage by local community members.
