By Feng Qirong

In September, the 20th China (Jiangsu) Medical Aid Team to Guyana will depart for Guyana to carry out medical foreign aid task. As early as 31 years ago, Shi Zhendong, who was an acupuncture expert at Nantong Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, led 8 people to Guyana, as the leader of the first China (Jiangsu) Medical Aid Team to Guyana. ‘It was a time I will never forget in my life,’ 67-year-old Shi Zhendong said.

Guyana is located in the north of South America, next to Venezuela, Brazil and Suriname, and borders the Atlantic Ocean to the east. It is a tropical rainforest country. In August 1992, Co-operative Republic of Guyana and China signed an agreement for China to send medical teams to Guyana.

On 30th July 1993, Jiangsu organized a medical team to represent China, and stepped on South America for the first time. ‘The members of the medical team were from places such as Nanjing, Suzhou, Zhenjiang and Xuzhou. I was the only Nantong resident.’ Shi Zhendong recalled. He was 36 years old at that time, and it was his first time to participate in foreign aid medical work. After 48 hours of travelling, they finally arrived at Guyana.

‘Due to the local humid climate, there were many arthritic patients. Acupuncture treatment was very suitable for them.’ At Georgetown Public Hospital, not long after Shi Zhendong’s acupuncture clinic opened, it attracted the First Lady’s attention. ‘By integrated treatment including acupuncture, moxibustion, and cupping, it only took two courses of treatment to solve the severe arthritis problem for the First Lady.’ After that, Shi Zhendong became very famous in the local area. Every day, there was an endless stream of patients coming for consultation. 4 acupuncture beds operated at full capacity. Even local doctors were attracted to come to learn acupuncture skills.

At that time, a Guyana engineer had lumbar disc protrusion, which severely affected his work and life. Local doctors advised him to go to Britain for surgery. He went to Shi Zhendong with the idea of giving it a try, only in two weeks, he was basically recovered. ‘Chinese acupuncture is so amazing that it saved me from surgery.’ Before Shi Zhendong returned home, he came to see him off, and sent a wooden tea tray to express gratitude.

In the two years, the first China (Jiangsu) Medical Aid Team to Guyana treated more than 30,000 local patients, and carried out more than 1700 operations of various types successfully, which has generated a good social response in Guyana.