In early November, Guangdong Province dispatched ophthalmic and urologic surgical expert teams to Fiji and Nauru, respectively, to perform cataract surgeries, and to the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to carry out minimally invasive urologic surgeries. Recently, expert teams from the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center of Sun Yat-sen University and Southern Medical University's Nanfang Hospital returned to China and shared with reporters the story of the "mutual efforts" between Guangdong and the South Pacific Island countries.

It is reported that the "Guangming Xing" medical team led by Huang Wenyong, Deputy Director of the Office of Blindness  Prevention and Treatment at the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, was the first medical team to arrive in Nauru since the resumption of diplomatic relations between China and Nauru. The team conducted a week-long free clinic in Nauru.

Huang Wenyong explained, "Due to natural conditions, lifestyle, and dietary habits in Nauru, the obesity rate is high, and diabetic complications are prevalent. The most common eye diseases are cataracts and diabetic retinopathy. In seven days, the medical team saw 100 patients, and successfully performed 22 cataract surgeries for vision restoration, seven retinal laser surgeries, and one pterygium excision surgery."

"In fact, there are fundus cameras available locally, but no one knows how to operate them, so they have not been used for early screening of diabetic retinopathy." Huang Wenyong noted that if local general practitioners could be trained, they could perform laser treatment on patients with early fundus lesions and establish an early screening and treatment system for diabetic retinopathy. According to international experience, early screening can reduce the risk of blindness from diabetic retinopathy by 75%.

"Male residents aged 50 to 60 in the area have very severe benign prostatic hyperplasia, often reaching 100 to 150 grams. This often leads to frequent urination, urgency, and difficulty urinating." From November 11th to 24th, a team of five experts, including Wu Peng from Southern Medical University's Southern Hospital, conducted their second trip to the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to perform minimally invasive urologic surgeries and follow-up visits with patients.

Previously, these patients were scheduled to undergo surgery by doctors from Australia or New Zealand on a regular basis. However, after the Guangdong doctors arrived on the islands, the situation changed. "Our expert team focused more on precise assistance during this trip. We specifically brought medical devices made in China and adopted a prostate enucleation surgery exclusively created by Chinese doctors to perform multiple complex and challenging minimally invasive surgeries locally. We also personally guided local medical staff in mastering surgical techniques,"

Wu Peng said with a smile. "Since the operation effect is good, the complications are few, local residents, to express their gratitude, often gave the doctors their favorite foods—chicken legs and fish. They said they were waiting for Guangdong doctors to perform surgeries on them."

It is reported that during their stay on the islands, the expert team trained nearly 100 healthcare workers, and conducted 17 complex surgeries and demonstrations in the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Among them, the oldest patient was 82 years old and had been using a urinary catheter for three years. After the surgery, he was completely free of the catheter. This incident caused a great deal of buzz locally.

To date, Guangdong Province has dispatched 27 batches of medical delegations, totaling 199 people, to 11 Pacific Island countries with which China has established diplomatic relations to conduct "medical services on islands," health promotion, academic exchanges, and other activities. It has also held four training sessions for the "Advanced Medical Training Program for Pacific Island Countries," training 39 key personnel from six island countries, including the Cook Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu, with a focus on helping improve local medical technology levels.

Source: Lingnan On the Cloud

飞赴南太平洋 广东专家送医上岛

11月上旬，广东省先后派出了眼科和泌尿外科专家团队分别赴斐济、瑙鲁开展白内障手术；赴所罗门群岛、瓦努阿图开展泌尿外科微创手术。近日，中山大学中山眼科中心、南方医科大学南方医院的专家团队回国后接受记者的采访，讲述了广东与南太平洋岛国的“双向奔赴”的故事。

据悉，由中山眼科中心防盲治盲办公室副主任黄文勇带领的“光明行”医疗队是中瑙两国复交以来首支抵达瑙鲁的医疗团队，他们在瑙鲁进行了为期一周的义诊。

黄文勇介绍：“瑙鲁因自然条件、生活方式及饮食习惯，肥胖率高、糖尿病并发症高发，最常见眼病为白内障和糖尿病视网膜病变。在七天时间里，医疗队共接诊了100名患者，成功实施了22例白内障复明手术，7例视网膜激光手术，以及1例翼状胬肉切除手术。”

“实际上，当地有眼底照相机，只是没有人会操作，未能用在糖尿病视网膜病变的早期筛查中。”黄文勇表示，如果能培训当地的全科医生，就可以给早期的眼底病变患者进行激光治疗，建立起糖尿病视网膜早期筛查和治疗体系。根据国际经验，通过早筛可以让致盲性糖尿病视网膜病变致盲风险降低75%。

“当地五六十岁的男性居民前列腺增生非常严重，常常达到100-150克。这导致患者出现尿频尿急、排尿困难的情况也很普遍。”11月11日-24日，由南方医科大学南方医院吴芃等5名专家组成的专家团队第二次赴所罗门群岛、瓦努阿图开展泌尿外科微创手术及患者随访。

以往，这些患者被安排给澳大利亚或者新西兰的医生定期给他们做手术。但是广东医生上岛后，情况就发生了变化。“我们专家团队此次上岛，更着重于精准帮扶，特别携带中国制造医疗器械，采用中国医生独创的前列腺剜除手术，在当地开展了多例复杂疑难微创手术，并且手把手指导当地医务人员掌握手术操作。”

“由于手术效果好，并发症少，当地的居民为了表达感激之情，常常把最受欢迎的食物——鸡腿和鱼送给医生。”吴芃笑称，“当地群众说就等着广东医生去给他们做手术。”

据悉，在上岛期间，专家团队在所罗门群岛和瓦努阿图共培训近百名医护人员、开展17台疑难手术及示教。其中，手术年龄最大的患者82岁，插尿管3年时间，手术后他彻底摆脱了尿管。这件事在当地引起很大反响。

截至目前，广东省共派出27批199人次医疗代表团赴与我国建交的11个太平洋岛国开展“送医上岛”义诊、健康普及、学术交流等活动；举办4期“太平洋岛国医学高级人才培养项目”培训班，为库克群岛、斐济、巴布亚新几内亚、所罗门群岛、汤加、瓦努阿图6个岛国培养39名骨干人才，着力帮助当地提升医疗技术水平。

文｜记者 张华 通讯员 粤卫信
图｜受访者提供
翻译｜赵凡
审校｜王枥焓