By Marius Musa Kargbo
More than 300 residents benefited from free medical consultations and specialist healthcare services on Saturday, September 5, 2026, as the 27th Chinese Medical Team joined forces with Wilberforce Health Centre and FMC for a major medical outreach in Freetown.
The outreach was organised as part of the “100 Teams, 1000 Villages” initiative, implemented under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing Action Plan, and brought together Chinese and Sierra Leonean healthcare professionals to provide a wide range of medical services to members of the community.
The multidisciplinary Chinese medical team offered consultations in internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), ophthalmology and ear, nose and throat (ENT) care, attending to more than 300 patients within just half a day.
A structured triage system was established at the health centre, with Chinese doctors working alongside local nursing staff to register patients, check vital signs including blood pressure, and direct them to the appropriate specialists.
In the internal medicine unit, Associate Professor Sheng Jie, a cardiology specialist, Associate Professor Lian Guanghui, a gastroenterology specialist, and an infectious disease specialist attended to patients with a range of conditions. They assessed febrile and gastrointestinal complaints, reviewed treatment regimens for patients with hypertension and provided health advice, including recommendations on reducing salt intake.
The surgical team, led by Associate Professor Huang Xianzhe, an orthopedic specialist, together with general surgeons, examined patients suffering from osteoarthritis, occupational strains and other surgical conditions. Patients were provided with medication where appropriate, alongside advice on rehabilitation and continued care.
Female patients also received confidential consultations from Associate Professor Song Yuying, a gynecology specialist, who conducted clinical examinations and provided health education and counselling.
The outreach further provided specialised ENT and eye-care services. Associate Professor Gao Kelei used a portable headlamp to examine patients with conditions including otitis media and tonsillitis.
The ophthalmology team screened residents experiencing blurred vision and identified cases requiring further hospital referral, while also providing counselling on conditions such as pterygium and dispensing eye drops to patients where necessary.
Traditional Chinese Medicine was another major component of the outreach, with medical practitioners administering acupuncture and gua sha treatments to dozens of residents experiencing chronic pain and related conditions.
Local healthcare workers and volunteers played an important role throughout the exercise, assisting with patient registration, triage, coordination and interpretation to ensure smooth communication between the Chinese medical specialists and local residents.
Speaking during the outreach, Osman Kamara, Officer-in-Charge of Wilberforce Health Centre, expressed appreciation to the 27th Chinese Medical Team for bringing specialist healthcare services directly to the community.
He commended the initiative for its tangible contribution to improving community health and expressed hope that the Chinese medical team would return to the health centre for similar outreach programmes on a regular basis.
The latest outreach further highlights the growing cooperation between Sierra Leone and China in the health sector, while bringing specialist medical services closer to communities and providing residents with access to free consultations and professional medical advice.
