Needles Find Their Mark

By+Kiram+Tadesse

For four decades， Teshome Wolde-semayat lived in a world of pain. The 71-year-old from Bishoftu， a growing town just 37 km away from Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa， was diagnosed with a persistent nerve disease compounded by diabetes and hypertension. A regular at the Bishoftu General Hospital （BGH） located to the south of Addis Ababa， he didnt have much hope of improvement. In May he checked into the hospital for his usual tests， but fate had a surprise waiting for him.

“My doctor told me there was a team of visiting doctors from China and he was referring me to them to see if they could give me some relief from my sciatica pain，” Woldesemayat told ChinAfrica. “I was amazed to see how the Chinese doctor was working. She was all over the room， doing everything by herself， without asking anyone for assistance.”

Impact of acupuncture

It was Qiao Min， an acupuncturist who was a member of the 19th Chinese medical team that had arrived in Ethiopia 10 months ago as part of a Sino-Ethiopian medical cooperation agreement to provide free medical services， including traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） treatments.

The septuagenarian couldnt praise her enough. “This Chinese acupuncturist treated me with those needles in a way I have never been treated，” he said. “For years， I could not sit down or bend down to get something from the floor due to sciatica. I hadnt been able to sleep properly for 14 years because of the racking pain. But after getting the first acupuncture treatment， I had respite from pain the whole night.”

TCM and acupuncture are held in high regard in Ethiopia， with TCM practitioners dubbed “magic doctors” and the acupuncture needles “the needles of god.” Patients from the local community would like to be treated with TCM because of its reputation for providing fast relief from pain and having no side effects， unlike Western medicine.

However， what has prevented TCM， especially acupuncture， from being widely used in Ethiopia is the lack of practitioners， which has made the treatment expensive and not easily available.

“Due to acupuncture being very expensive and almost inaccessible in Ethiopia， most people who need the treatment usually never get the chance to do so， particularly in a town like Bishoftu. So it is a great opportunity to find the Chinese team here at the hospital， helping a lot of people for free，” said Dessalegn Bayisa， General Manager of BGH.

There were large queues of patients since the arrival of the Chinese team. Bayisa said with many people seeking to have acupuncture， the local community has requested the hospital to extend the period of treatment. The hospital is also collaborating with its Chinese counterparts to get medical equipment from China and training opportunities as well.

“The physiotherapy section of BGH has been providing mostly acupuncture-related treatment，” he added. “We are also planning to send a team of physiotherapists to China to get short-term training in TCM.”

The first Chinese medical mission to Ethiopia arrived in 1974. The 19th team is a continuation of that cooperation. Comprising 16 medical professionals， it is headed by Zhang Xiaoyang. The team is based at the state-of-the-art Tirunesh-Beijing Ethio-China Friendship Hospital on the outskirts of Addis Ababa built by the Chinese Government at a cost of 80 million yuan （$11.8 million） and handed over in 2011. The hospital also has a TCM center established in July 2015. The Chinese team will stay at the hospital for 385 days， using it as a base from where they have been fanning out to different hospitals to provide free consultations and operations.

A challenging task

On the teams arrival at BGH， people began to line up for acupuncture. Since there wasnt enough space for so many people， the doctors began treating two patients on one bed.

“Its a challenging task to treat so many people in one go， but my teammates and I are managing to help as many people as we can，” Qiao said. “I am taking this as a good opportunity to help people with acupuncture.”

TCM with its healing power was a heritage not only given to Chinese， but meant to be shared by all mankind， she added. “Acupuncture is a very effective TCM that can treat many diseases without side effects.”

The Chinese doctors were being closely followed by the Ethiopian medical staff at the hospital. Belete Berhanu， a physiotherapist at BGH， told ChinAfrica that in his medical school， he had been taught that acupuncture was a “cultural medicine.” “But I saw that the Chinese have transformed the traditional treatment into a modern way of healing illness，” Berhanu said. “I am closely observing the acupuncturist to understand the treatment.”

The physiotherapist also said that he was following up with patients who had undergone acupuncture from the Chinese medical team. “They have been telling me that the treatment gives them quick relief from pain，” Berhanu said.“It is very important to promote the treatment across the country.”

Long-standing dedication

The leader of the first Chinese medical team to Ethiopia Mei Gengnian is still remembered with respect long after he passed away in Ethiopia in a car accident. He was buried in Jima， southwest of Addis Ababa， and even today， on Tomb Sweeping Day when the Chinese honor their ancestors， officials and locals pay tribute to him.

Henan Province in central China started to send medical teams to Ethiopia in the 1970s. A total of 327 medical personnel in 21 teams have been sent to four cities along with Ethiopian medical practitioners. Both sides have been learning from each other.

At BGH， Qiao could not even find time for lunch because there were a lot of people waiting to be treated by her. She has been treating about 100 people every day. “I feel sad to see the large number of patients waiting for treatment but at the same time， I am gratified when they say that they are better than before.”

Qiao said that she had heard a lot about the previous medical team members to Ethiopia， who gave a dedicated service to the ill. “I also tell myself that during my stay here， I will treat as many patients as possible，” she said， adding that she would like to popularize acupuncture in Ethiopia because it can cure several illnesses just with needles. Ethiopia suffers from a lack of medicine and medical equipment.

Statistics show that non-communicable diseases are on the rise in Ethiopia. As the Government of Ethiopia develops and implements policies and strategies for the management of the main chronic non-communicable diseases， there is a focus on TCM since many of these diseases， like sciatica， can be treated with the ancient treatment method.

During their five-day free medical service at BGH， the team also donated medical equipment worth over 500，000 Ethiopian birr （$21，609）.

According to the team leader， chief physician Zhang， the need at the hospital was beyond their imagination. “Apart from our regular work at the Tirunesh-Beijing Ethio-China Friendship Hospital， we are ready to travel to other hospitals so that we can help more people who need our treatment，”Zhang said.

Abiy Ahmed， head of Urban Development and Housing Bureau in Oromia Regional State， said the Chinese assistance was improving Ethiopias capacity for better medical care and public health. “There is a high need for skill training that will help the local health practitioners，” Ahmed added.