Bridge of friendship

In May 2022, after a rigorous selection and more than six months of training, An Peng from the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University joined the 37th batch of the Chinese (Shaanxi) medical aid team to Sudan.

"As an acupuncture doctor in foreign aid, I hope to help patients through acupuncture, introduce China to the world through acupuncture, and tell our story to the world through acupuncture," An says.

Upon arriving in Sudan, An faced a series of daunting challenges. With poor healthcare conditions, high prevalence of infectious diseases, and the raging COVID-19 pandemic at the time, the medical team members were constantly exposed to infection risks. Moreover, Sudan's perennial high temperatures, frequent water stoppages and social security concerns added to the challenges. Despite these obstacles, An did not flinch, swiftly adjusting his mindset and immersing himself in the intense medical aid work.

During the aid mission, An primarily worked in the acupuncture clinic at the China-Sudan Omdurman Friendship Hospital and a Chinese clinic inside the presidential palace in Khartoum, which was set up two decades ago and has been operating with the help of the consecutive teams of Chinese doctors.

As the head of the TCM group in the foreign aid medical team, An fully leveraged the unique value of traditional Chinese medicine, bringing health and hope to the local people. He utilized the advantages of "simple and cost-effective" traditional Chinese medicine to provide efficient and economical treatment solutions for local patients.

One patient who left a deep impression on An was a chef working at the presidential palace in Khartoum. He suffered from frozen shoulder, making it difficult for him to lift his arm and move freely. After several sessions of acupuncture treatment, the patient's frozen shoulder significantly improved, giving him much comfort and relief.

"If there is a need, I am always ready to participate in foreign medical aid project with full spirit and abundant work enthusiasm," An says.

Pan Minyue and Feng Qian contributed to the story.