Dear Editor,

IN order to help the Government of Guyana effectively fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the 16th Chinese Medical Brigade assisted the Chinese Embassy in Guyana in donating an automatic nucleic acid extraction system and relevant reagents to the Ministry of Health of Guyana on October 9, 2020. The device was sponsored by the Government of Jiangsu Province of China.

The device that was urgently needed was helpful to improve the nucleic acid detection capability and realise the automatic extraction of viruses from samples. The detection efficiency would be increased by four times, which would play a key role in the prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic.

On December 2, 2020, we donated a set of ventilators and oxygen generator to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), to help the hospital effectively cope with the growing epidemic and improve the treatment capacity of severe respiratory diseases.

On December 22, 2020, we again donated medical equipment to GPHC with non-contact tonometer and special surgical instruments of surgery and orthopedics and obstetrics and gynecology. In particular, we donated one set of fiber bronchoscope, one set of portable colour Doppler ultrasound, one set of fiber optic laryngoscope, one set of computer infusion pump, 450 puncture needles for epidural anesthesia and spinal anesthesia. We successfully established anesthesia visualisation technology centre of China medical team sponsored by National Health Commission of China in GPHC.

Breakthroughs had been achieved based on frank communication and cooperation in the face of difficult diseases. Dr.Zhang Xiangxin, Consultant of Joint Orthopedics, made accurate diagnosis and treatment of pathological dislocation of hip joint caused by hip infection in child, and led the medical team in the department to discuss repeatedly. Dr. Zhang designed surgical scheme, preparation of surgical instruments, prevention of intraoperative risks, postoperative rehabilitation plan, among other things. With the cooperation of Dr. Qu Hui, Consultant of Anesthesiology, and other Guyanese counterparts, Dr. Zhang successfully completed the first Salter pelvic osteotomy in GPHC. The patient recovered well after operation.

In the face of a premature baby, self-made tool played an important role in life-saving with full of love accompanying. Dr. Wang Xuli, Consultant of pediatrics, kept calm in the face of premature infants with birth weight of only 2460g and accompanied by asphyxia and hypoxia. To overcome the shortage of medical equipment in Linden Hospital Complex (LHC), she made a life-saving tool by adapting to local conditions to save the life of fresh and young baby in danger. She and her team worked together in a race against time. They skillfully used sodium chloride physiological solution bottle, oxygen hose and tape to make liquid sealing bottle, and then connected the nasal catheter to make a simple breathing apparatus. They took turns to pressurise and oxygenate the manual resuscitation capsule to maintain the pulse and oxygen stability and ensure the safe transportation of the baby to Georgetown public hospital for nearly 12 hours.

Dr. Pan Jianhua, Consultant of Anesthesiology, introduced the use of light stick intubation technology to create a precedent in the history of Linden hospital, which could greatly shorten the intubation time to less than six seconds, reduce the occurrence of patients choking and let the operator stay away from the high-risk exposed parts such as the head and face of the patient to greatly decrease the risk of infection for medical staff.

The medical team members dare to show their talent and brought hopes to local patients in case of emergency and severe illness. Dr. Yuan Zheng, Consultant of General surgery; Dr. Qin Gongzhao, Consultant of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Dr. Pan Jianhua, had performed the emergency operation of septic shock caused by oviduct ovarian abscess successfully in early morning of December 21, 2020, in the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC). The rich experience, accurate judgment, powerful execution, superb surgical skills and multidisciplinary cooperation were the keys to the success of rescue.

All the past is the prologue, all the future is expectable! In response to the proposal of President Xi Jinping of China, that China is willing to continue to uphold the community of human destiny, we work together with Guyana to respect each other and build a health community with a shared future to welcome the dawn of victory over COVID-19.

Yours sincerely,

Dr. DAI Dechun
Dr. QIAO Zhiming, Captain, the 16th Chinese Medical Brigade