JUBA – The outgoing 13th Chinese Medical Team treated over 13,500 outpatients, managed 1,700 inpatients, and performed more than 200 surgeries during its one-year deployment at Juba Teaching Hospital.
The team also introduced several advanced medical services in South Sudan.
During the handover ceremony on Wednesday, Team Leader Zhang Erqing reported that the medical team rescued over 50 critically ill patients and introduced new services, including South Sudan’s first digital PACS imaging system, ultrasound-guided breast biopsy, and laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery.
He noted that the team also strengthened the capacity of local health workers through clinical training, bedside mentorship, and live surgical demonstrations.
Zhang described the establishment of the Laparoscopic Minimally Invasive Surgery Center in July 2026 as one of the mission’s major achievements.
National Minister of Health, Luke Thompson requested an increase in the number of doctors from the current level to approximately 32 in the coming years, stating that this would allow medical cooperation to expand beyond Juba Teaching Hospital to other parts of the country.
Luke specifically called for the expansion of Chinese-supported medical services to Malakal, Upper Nile State, and Western Bahr el Ghazal State, where he indicated additional healthcare support is urgently needed.
“We commend the support we have received in collaboration with Juba Teaching Hospital, but call upon your gracious commitment to helping South Sudan expand these services to the states, particularly in Upper Nile State and Western Bahr el Ghazal State,” Luke said.
Meanwhile, Charge d’Affaires ad interim Huo Ying expressed appreciation to the Ministry of Health and other partners for supporting China-South Sudan health cooperation.
Huo praised the outgoing team for its service over the past year, noting that its members demonstrated dedication to patients and commitment to improving healthcare services in South Sudan.
“With your superb medical skills, you treated tens of thousands of patients and actively launched projects on cervical cancer screening and laparoscopic technique training,” Huo said.
She added that the team had also initiated the development of a “never-leaving medical team” approach aimed at strengthening South Sudan’s medical service capacity and technical expertise beyond the physical presence of Chinese doctors.
Huo urged the incoming 14th medical team to build on the achievements of its predecessors by adapting quickly to the local environment, integrating into the community, and maintaining a strong sense of responsibility.
