音频：China-and-ASEAN-partnering-for-progress-in-healthcare.mp3

China has spent many years working with ASEAN countries to improve healthcare.

A hospital in Guangxi, which borders Vietnam, has set up online clinics and sent medical teams to assess health conditions in these countries.

Doctor Zou Wenjin provides medical consultations to local residents in Laos. [Photo: CGTN Radio]

Many elderly individuals in Laos have endured prolonged periods of blindness due to severe eye ailments. 

Upon the arrival of a medical team from China, they received treatment and regained their sight.

Team leader Zou Wenjin says the patients' conditions are more complex and challenging compared to those he encountered in China.

"It's quite surprising. I never knew how tough it is for the local people here to regain their eyesight from cataracts. If we didn't come, they might not have had much hope of seeing again. Even though we've done lots of surgeries back home, it's really hard here. Many of them have been blind for decades, which makes the surgeries even more complex."

In two weeks, Zou's team successfully performed surgeries on more than 150 patients. The oldest patient was 97 years old.

Zou says the most moving part was when the elderly individuals expressed their gratitude after seeing the light.

"These people lived in very difficult conditions without sight. Following the surgery, the very next day, they could see. The heartfelt gratitude they expressed, with hands joined in thanks, showed me how meaningful this work really is."

Zou and his team have also collaborated with local medical workers to discuss the cases they encountered and give treatment advice.

The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University where Zou worked has launched ten projects to promote more medical cooperation between China and ASEAN nations.

One of these initiatives is an online clinic platform available in eight languages, which aims to help people from ASEAN countries access medical resources and treatment options in China.

Hospital director Chen Junqiang explains.

"We've noticed a growing need for medical guidance and management in ASEAN countries. Using an internet-based platform, medical workers from those nations can share CT scans and patient data, especially for complex cases requiring further consultations. Our expert team can then remotely review the information and provide consultations through this platform."

Meanwhile, doctors from China and Vietnam are working together to write a book about how to treat common surgical diseases.

Chen says China and ASEAN countries have been creating opportunities for more medical collaboration, such as international medical student education and resident physician training.

报道链接：https://radio.cgtn.com/news/recommend/China-and-ASEAN-partnering-for-progress-in-healthcare/2317