By Fatou Saho
The 23rd batch of the Chinese Medical Team has arrived in Banjul, continuing the longstanding healthcare partnership between China and The Gambia. The official handover ceremony was held at the Chinese Embassy in Banjul on July 7, 2025, marking the transition from the outgoing 22nd team to the newly arrived 23rd team.
The Chancellor at the Chinese Embassy, Clr Tong Zhan, emphasised that healthcare is one of six core pillars of China-Gambia cooperation. He praised the dedication of the outgoing 22nd team, which served at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, providing surgeries, outpatient care, and training for local staff despite language and infrastructure challenges. Additionally, since July 2024, China has supplied medical supplies to The Gambia worth about D15 million, enhancing healthcare support.
The arrival of the 23rd team reassures continued bilateral cooperation in health, with the new team committed to maintaining high standards of medical care for Gambians.
This reflects China’s sustained engagement, including medical expertise sharing, training exchanges, and resource donations under the Paired Hospital Cooperation Mechanism between Shengjing Hospital and Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital.
The director of health service at the Ministry of Health, Dr Momodou T Nyassi, highlighted the support China continues to provide in the Gambia’s health sector.
“So our history with the People’s Republic of China is not a history that has started today,” Dr Nyassi noted welcoming the new team of medical personnel from China.
He said the Chinese medical team’s intervention has been very helpful in addressing the country’s complex health challenges.
“To buttress the importance of these doctors, as we speak, The Gambia has only one paediatric surgeon covering the entire country. So the importance of the annual deployment of these medical doctors from China cannot be overemphasised,” he said.
The 23rd badge consists of nine Doctors, aagynaecologist, paediatric surgeon, general surgeon, a specialist in traditional Chinese medicine and a host of others.
The team leader of the 23rd badge, Dr Lin Lin, expressed the team’s excitement and willingness to serve in The Gambia. He added that the team is committed to work closely with its host colleagues to ensure that their trip achieves its desired goals and objectives.
