As part of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed in October 2016 between Barbados and the People’s Republic of China, the seventh medical team from China has arrived to assist at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).
The medical team, comprising 13 persons, arrived last night led by the Chongqing Municipal Health Commission’s Deputy Director-General, Xing Yaxi.
On hand to welcome the delegation were Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MHW), Davidson Ishmael, and China’s Ambassador to Barbados, Yan Xiusheng. Mr. Ishmael thanked the Chinese Ambassador for providing expertise in supporting health and wellness in Barbados.
“It is our pleasure to have you here with us in Barbados. This is the seventh delegation that we’ve had joining us to assist the QEH and by extension the Ministry of Health and Wellness, in our efforts to sustain the health and wellness of our people in Barbados. And we thank you for bringing your knowledge, your expertise, and your skills to our shores, and we hope that we can reciprocate this in this mutual relationship that we’ve had for many years,” he stated.
He wished the medical team a successful and safe stay while in Barbados.
Ambassador Xiusheng thanked Minister Ishmael for his welcome and noted that this seventh medical team is a continuation of the deepening of relations between the island and China, as agreed upon by Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley and China’s Premier, Li Qiang, last year.
He noted that the two leaders also agreed to collaborate in other areas to build a community with a shared future for mankind. “Our two countries have discussed future cooperation in the areas of medical treatment, agriculture, infrastructure, technology, education, culture, and sports,” the Chinese Ambassador said.
He expressed the hope that the medical team would get along with their colleagues at the QEH and “share their knowledge and experiences”.
The MOU makes available to the QEH medical expertise, and to date, support has been received in the areas of nuclear medicine, anaesthesia, rehabilitation, orthopaedics, critical care, and nephrology.
Also present to welcome the medical team were MHW’s Permanent Secretary, Wayne Marshall; QEH’s Chief Executive Officer, Neil Clark; QEH’s Chairman of the Board of Management, Nigel Whitehall; acting Director Human Resources, Ingrid Caddle-Rowe; and Chinese Embassy in Barbados Consular Officer, Liang Jie.
Barbados and China established diplomatic relations on May 30, 1977.