Mission Harmony-2024: Chinese, Tanzanian doctors jointly complete complex orthopedic surgeries

BEIJING, July 23 -- Recently, military doctors from the Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark successfully completed two complex orthopedic operations in collaboration with Tanzanian doctors during the Harmony Mission-2024.

On July 16, during a medical tour made by the Chinese medical team, orthopedic expert Yang Jun met a 33-year-old woman who said experiencing numbness, pain, and weakness in her left upper limb, severely affecting her daily life.

After a thorough examination and scientific diagnosis, Yang recommended the patient to receive the anterior cervical spine surgery. The surgical site of the patient was near the cervical arteries, trachea, and esophagus, even the slightest surgical mistake can be life-threatening. With the consent of the patient, Yang Jun, along with other Chinese medical experts and local doctors from Muhimbili National Hospital of Tanzania, formed a joint surgical team to design surgery plan.

At 8 a.m. on July 18 local time, the joint surgical team began the surgery. Despite it being their first collaboration, the doctors coordinated seamlessly. The surgery was successfully completed in just over an hour.

The following day, led by a Chinese expert, the joint surgical team successfully performed a rare and complex scoliosis surgery for a 21-year-old Tanzanian youth with a medical history of over 10 years.

It is learned that the Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark arrived at Port of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on July 16, local time, for a seven-day goodwill visit and medical service. This is the third time for the Peace Ark to visit Tanzania.