By Yan Zicheng, Zhang Bin, and Liu Bin
The 10th Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent to Mali sets up free medical clinics at the Rand School in Gao City of Mali on February 2, 2023. (Photo by Xiong Guangzhou)
Mali in West Africa could see no rain for several months in a row during the dry season, with the skin feeling a burning sensation in sunlight. On February 2, 2023, at the Rand School in Gao City of Mali, a 16-year-old girl who was critically ill with abdomen tumescence rushed to the free medical clinic site of the 10th Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent to Mali, accompanied by two family members.
"Kid, can you understand my questions?"
Chen Jianzhang, the foreign affairs interpreter of the Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent, first asked the girl in English what was wrong with her. She had no response. Chen repeated his question thinking the girl might not hear him clearly. The girl, however, just shook her head with a dazed look.
Chen realized that the girl did not understand English. Fortunately, the contingent made adequate preparations for the free clinic activity. Since the official language of Mali is French, to facilitate communications in diagnosis and treatment, at the request of the Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) had sent two French-speaking employees to act as French interpreters in the free clinic activity. Mr. Chen called for the help of a French interpreter, but all efforts didn’t work and the girl still had no response.
Chen had a horrible suspicion that the girl might just know Bambara language, the indigenous language of Mali.
At that moment, Chen noticed the school doctor Musam. Although he was not very fluent in English, Musang could communicate simply in French and Bambara.
Chen Jianzhang sighed: "With one patient coming accompanied by two persons, three rounds of interpreting in four languages, at the moment you see the children smile, all the obstacles are gone. Respect for life is our common language."
When hearing that Chinese doctors would come to the Rand School to give free medical treatment to the students, people from nearby refugee camps also rushed to the school to see the doctors.
"Chinese doctors, thank you very much for the careful diagnosis and treatment. You are here to bring us hope," said Musam, the school doctor in excitement.
This time, the Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent dispatched an expert team of multiple clinical disciplines, including respiration, digestion, gynecology and pediatrics, epidemic prevention, and laboratory medicine. They served to teach the medical staff of the school hospital on the spot while providing free diagnosis and treatment for the patients.
Zhang Zhengmei (the first from the left), a nurse of the 10th Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent to Mali, measures the body temperature of a student at the free medical clinic set up by the contingent in the Rand School in Gao City of Mali on February 2, 2023. (Photo by Xiong Guangzhou)
The contingent also donated food, medicine, health and epidemic prevention materials, as well as other school supplies, to the Rand School.
Then, a magical scene appeared: after over ten-minute relay interpretation by three people in four languages, i.e., Chinese, English, French, and Bambara, the Chinese peacekeeping doctor finally got a general understanding of the girl’s condition, and initially diagnosed she had a large amount of ascites caused by liver disease.
The girl immediately received examination and treatment at the free medical clinic site, and then she was transferred to the Gao City Hospital for further treatment.
In this free medical clinic activity, the peacekeeping medical contingent received more than 130 patients, explained the medication for each in detail, and demonstrated the essentials of rehabilitation. Naturally, each diagnosis and treatment was indispensable to switch among multiple languages.
Chen Jianzhang sighed: "With one patient coming accompanied by two persons, three rounds of interpreting in four languages, at the moment you see the children smile, all the obstacles are gone. Respect for life is our common language."
When hearing that Chinese doctors would come to the Rand School to give free medical treatment to the students, people from nearby refugee camps also rushed to the school to see the doctors.
"Chinese doctors, thank you very much for the careful diagnosis and treatment. You are here to bring us hope," said Musam, the school doctor in excitement.
This time, the Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent dispatched an expert team of multiple clinical disciplines, including respiration, digestion, gynecology and pediatrics, epidemic prevention, and laboratory medicine. They served to teach the medical staff of the school hospital on the spot while providing free diagnosis and treatment for the patients.
The contingent also donated food, medicine, health and epidemic prevention materials, as well as other school supplies, to the Rand School.
The 10th Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent to Mali donates food, medicine, health and epidemic prevention materials, as well as other school supplies, to the Rand School in Gao City of Mali on February 2, 2023. (Photo by Xiong Guangzhou)
