SEVEN Guyanese medical professionals departed Georgetown’s Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) on September 10 for a three-month specialised training programme at Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital in China’s Jiangsu Province, as part of the China-Guyana Health Talent Cooperation Initiative sponsored by CNOOC Guyana.

Selected by Guyana’s health ministry, hailing from five fields—general surgery, ob-gyn, anesthesiology, orthopedics, and pathology—the clinicians were seen off by members of the 20th China Medical Team for Guyana, a press release said.

The programme, a key deliverable of China-Guyana’s health cooperation agreements, selects frontline medical leaders from Guyana’s healthcare institutions. Participants will gain expertise in advanced medical technologies and hospital management through coursework, clinical rotations, and academic exchanges—skills aimed at boosting Guyana’s healthcare capacity.

“I’m eager to learn from China’s impressive healthcare advancements,” said general surgeon, Dr. Ramjoo, at the airport. “Chinese hospitals handle vast numbers of cases, and their doctors’ experience and insights are invaluable. I want to bring that knowledge back to improve care at home.”

According to the press release, Dr. Du Boxiang, head of the 20th China Medical Team for Guyana, emphasised the programme’s role in strengthening Guyana’s local talent pool. “We’ll stay connected with the doctors during their stay and offer support as needed,” he added.

China has sent 20 medical teams to Guyana since the two nations signed a health co-operation pact in 1993, training over 1,000 local healthcare workers to date. The latest initiative, jointly organised by both sides, reflects a “teach a man to fish” approach to sustainable capacity building—with plans to deepen health collaboration further, the press release added.