Ethiopia receives a healing touch

Opened in March 2012, Tirunesh Beijing General Hospital has been offering health services in internal medicine, surgery, HIV screening and others.[Photo/Xinhua]

Dr Zhang Xiaoyang, 53, is a man on a mission as he paces briskly through the corridors of Tirunesh Beijing General Hospital (TBGH) on the southern outskirts of this city on a hot August day. Named after Tirunesh Dibaba, a well-known Ethiopian runner and champion of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics 10,000-meter and 5,000-meter races, the hospital built with Chinese finances and expertise showcases the multifaceted Ethiopia-China ties.

Opened in March 2012, the hospital has been offering health services in internal medicine, surgery, HIV screening and others.

Working far away from home

Zhang isn't on a one-man volunteer mission－he's been leading a 16-member Chinese medical team working at TBGH to treat Ethiopian patients over the past year with services ranging from neurosurgery to Chinese traditional acupuncture.

As the 19th Chinese medical team in Ethiopia, a unique medical partnership that can be traced back to 1973, Zhang knows he has a strong historical tie to uphold.

The team hails from China's Henan province, which has so far sent 19 such teams to Ethiopia over the past 44 years, involving a total of 327 volunteers.

With a 94-year-old father, 88-year-old mother, and a son in China, Zhang faces extra challenges to his mission.

"I keep in contact with my elderly parents, my three siblings, wife and son through social media site WeChat text, video and audio messages to cope with homesickness," says Zhang.

Sometimes, Zhang also tries to ease his homesickness by cooking Chinese food and chatting with his team members.