Sun Shuang: Having walked into Africa three times, she built a hospital in Zimbabwe

Sun Shuang, a member of the 18th batch of medical teams from China (Hunan) to aid Zimbabwe, is an attending physician of Traditional Chinese Medicine at the First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine. She has visited Africa three times. In May 2020, she became a member of the anti-epidemic medical expert group from China (Hunan) to Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea. In September 2020, Sun Shuang became a member of the 18th batch of medical teams from China (Hunan) to aid Zimbabwe. In December 2023, the TV drama "Welcome to Milele", which tells the story of China's foreign aid medical team, was released. Sun Shuang served as the chief medical consultant of the film and was also one of the prototype characters of the story.

Recently, the China-Zimbabwe Traditional Chinese Medicine Center located in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, welcomed a special group of visitors, who were the director of the Traditional Medicine Department of Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and his accompanying team. They were full of praise for the newly completed Traditional Chinese Medicine Emergency Room and Traditional Chinese Medicine Exhibition Room in the center.

The Traditional Chinese Medicine Center relies on the China (Hunan) medical team to aid Zimbabwe and Parirenyatwa Hospital to comprehensively carry out cooperation in traditional medicine between China and Zimbabwe. The center is the first traditional Chinese medicine clinic in Zimbabwe and the largest traditional Chinese medicine center in southern Africa. Its establishment is inseparable from Sun Shuang's unremitting efforts.

Without a special medical site, they even perform acupuncture and moxibustion for patients on the roadside

In 2020, Sun Shuang arrived in Zimbabwe as a member of the 18th batch of medical aid teams from China (Hunan) and worked with local doctors at Parirenyatwa Hospital.

Because traditional Chinese patent medicines have not yet completed the registration process in the local area and there is a shortage of medicines, Sun Shuang used acupuncture and moxibustion, massage, cupping and other external Chinese medicine therapies as breakthroughs to carry out treatment.

Once, Sun Shuang encountered a local resident who was involved in a car accident while on his way out. After quickly assessing his condition, she used the acupuncture and moxibustion tools she carried to perform acupuncture and moxibustion treatment for the injured person on the roadside, which greatly alleviated his symptoms. After the patient recovered and was discharged, he specifically wrote a thank-you letter to Sun Shuang.

Within 3 months, she transformed a small bungalow into the largest traditional Chinese medicine center in southern Africa

In fact, before Sun Shuang went to Africa, the main building of the China-Zimbabwe Traditional Chinese Medicine Center had been completed. However, it still lacked necessary medical equipment, such as ward facilities and diagnostic and treatment instruments, and issues such as unreasonable hospital infection control zoning, such as unclear division of clean areas and contaminated areas, had not been resolved, and the center was not officially put into use.

Sun Shuang bravely took on the heavy responsibility of measuring and drawing renovation drawings, and renovated the vacant small bungalow exceeding 100 square meters according to local medical building standards.

After three months, the China-Zimbabwe Traditional Chinese Medicine Center was officially registered and established. At present, it has developed into the largest TCM acupuncture and moxibustion center in southern Africa.

Since its opening in 2020, the center has been highly praised in Zimbabwe for its unique therapeutic effects and traditional cultural charm. Local patients have come to see a doctor one after another and are very satisfied with the treatment effect of traditional Chinese medicine. From March 2023 to October 2024 alone, a total of 11,175 patients have been treated there, and appointments have been scheduled up to the end of December this year.

African people talk about traditional Chinese medicine

Sun Shuang has an African TCM apprentice named Karen. Karen once studied abroad at Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine in China. After returning home, she came to Sun Shuang hoping to continue studying traditional Chinese medicine.

Under the guidance of Sun Shuang, Karen has been able to promote traditional Chinese medicine-related work in her own country and is committed to spreading the TCM culture. Up to now, Karen and Sun Shuang still maintain close contact, and they are working on researching multiple TCM topics. Recently, Karen plans to come to China and have face-to-face communication with Dr. Sun Shuang.