"At noon today, a stretcher-bound casualty will be transferred from Ansongo to Bamako, passing through Gao airport at 13:15. Please be prepared." Upon receiving the mission forecast from the handheld radio, First-class Sergeant Liu Dongxu, a member of the air evacuation team of the 10th Chinese Peacekeeping Level-2 Hospital to United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), began relevant preparations adroitly.
He had arrived at the Gao camp in September 2022 and his first casualty transport mission at that time remains vividly etched in his memory until now. One day in early September 2022, a Sri Lankan soldier was attacked by improvised explosives while on a mission, resulting in a penetrating wound on his left shoulder. He needed to be treated immediately. Liu and his fellow soldiers rushed to the airport with first-aid equipment and materials. After four hours of intense operations that included hemostasis, bandaging, immobilization, basic life support, and symptomatic drug therapy, the wounded soldier's vital signs were stabilized and his condition improved.
In Mali, a place with challenging natural environment, scarce resources, rampant infectious diseases and frequent terrorist attacks, the lives and health of peacekeepers are faced with multiple risks. Chinese Peacekeeping Level-2 Hospital, as the only force of its kind in the region, has a significant treatment workload. Within eight months, Liu's team has completed 32 receiving and evacuation tasks, as well as 10 aircraft transfer tasks.
"Connect the ECG monitor! Prepare for tracheal intubation!" As doctors gave rescue orders one after another, Shi Fengxiang, one of the nurses from the 10th Chinese Peacekeeping Level-2 Hospital to MINUSMA, orderly carried out the rescue mission. Despite being the youngest nurse in the hospital, Shi has abundant rescue experience and always takes the lead.
In March 2023, the hospital organized a rescue skills training for staff officers and three guard contingents within the MINUSMA Sector East. Shi was appointed as an instructor for peacekeepers from various countries due to her excellent professional skills. "I want to help more nurses save more fellow soldiers. Wish all my efforts worthwhile," she wrote in the diary.
Being burdened with heavy tasks and under scorching climate and harsh conditions, most peacekeepers in the mission area in Mali inevitably suffer from various bodily pains, such as muscle strain, sprains, soft tissue pain, shoulder and neck discomfort, and numbness. To address these injuries, First-class Sergeant Jiao Jinshuai from the guard squad of the hospital initiated a "TCM learning boom" in Gao camp.
Jiao has had over 10 years of experience in TCM physiotherapy in China before the mission. After coming to Mali, he made up his mind to utilize his skills to benefit others. Recently, a Sri Lankan soldier suffered from a shoulder ligament injury due to improper training and didn't recover from the pain for more than half a year. Jiao developed a treatment plan combining cupping and acupuncture for him which resulted in significant pain relief. The soldier gave a thumbs-up and repeatedly praised, "China is good!".
In war-torn Mali, Chinese young peacekeepers have remained positive and confident, shining in their various roles to safeguard peace and bring health to this land.
