GABORONE, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Just after 8 a.m., the corridor outside the maternity clinic at Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone, Botswana's capital, was already crowded with expectant mothers waiting for consultations.
Inside the examination room, Luo Jinying, chief obstetrician with the 17th batch of the Chinese medical team to Botswana, was adjusting ultrasound scanners, fetal Doppler monitors and other equipment, together with several young local doctors.
As Botswana's largest public hospital, Princess Marina Hospital receives referral patients from across the country and shoulders much of the burden of treating critically ill patients, with the obstetrics and gynecology department among the busiest.
"Outpatient consultations are only a small part of our daily work," Luo told Xinhua after seeing more than 30 pregnant women over the course of the day.
"Clinic hours often stretch until around 5 p.m., and we remain on emergency duty overnight, always prepared for urgent rescues," she said while organizing patient records between consultations.
Luo recalled a pregnant woman suffering from umbilical cord prolapse accompanied by fetal distress, saying it's one of the most memorable emergency cases she had handled.
"From diagnosis and assembling multidisciplinary staff for surgery preparation to the successful delivery of the baby, the entire process took only seven minutes," she said.
The rapid response was made possible by improvements in the hospital's decision-to-delivery interval (DDI) -- the time between the decision to perform an emergency cesarean section and the delivery of the baby -- achieved with the assistance of the Chinese medical team.
The DDI is regarded as a key indicator of obstetric emergency response capability. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends keeping the interval within 30 minutes. Previously, however, the average DDI at Princess Marina Hospital exceeded one hour.
"In obstetric emergencies, time means life," Luo said.
Drawing on experience in China, Luo worked with the then head of the department, Bayad Hassan, to establish a rapid response team, streamline coordination among obstetrics, anesthesiology, intensive care departments, as well as other departments, and strengthen emergency training for night-shift staff.
After sustained adjustments and repeated drills, the hospital's average DDI has gradually been reduced to between 25 and 30 minutes, reaching WHO-recommended standards.
"What we want to leave behind is not only successful operations, but also a system that can continue functioning efficiently," she said.
Since 1981, China's Fujian Province has dispatched 17 medical teams totaling more than 500 medical workers to Botswana.
In July 2024, the 45-member 17th batch of the Chinese medical team arrived in Botswana and began work at Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone and Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital in the country's second-largest city, Francistown, said Fan Wandong, head of the medical team.
Over the past two years, the team has delivered more than 180,000 medical consultations and treatments, participated in over 5,000 surgeries, carried out seven free medical outreach activities, and trained more than 1,000 local medical personnel.
"Foreign medical aid is not only about treating patients," Fan said. "More importantly, it is about helping improve local medical capacity and strengthening the healthcare system."
Inspired by the spirit of Chinese medical missions -- fearlessness in the face of hardship, willingness to sacrifice, devotion to patients, and boundless love -- Zhang Qi returned to Botswana in 2024 after previously serving as an operating-room nurse with the 14th batch of the Chinese medical team.
"I never expected to see her here again," said Tumisang Tuelo, a general surgeon who worked with Zhang at Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital between 2015 and 2017.
"We always feel reassured when she is in the operating theater," Tuelo said, keeping his thumbs raised as he spoke.
Tuelo said that local hospitals frequently face shortages of medical supplies and unstable electricity supplies. Zhang, however, can always find solutions.
When specialized consumables were unavailable, she improvised by adapting available materials -- trimming ordinary gauze for laparoscopic surgery use and turning medical gloves into specimen bags. During operations disrupted by power outages, she could quickly activate backup lighting to keep procedures running safely.
Reflecting on her second medical aid mission in Botswana, Zhang, who is scheduled to complete her service and return to China in July, said she was encouraged to see many young local colleagues she once worked with grow into the backbone of the hospital.
"Even after we leave, we hope to leave behind a capable local team that will continue serving the people here," Zhang said. ■
