Chongqing - Huang Jingrui, a neurosurgeon of Chongqing Emergency Medical Hospital, still remembers the day that he completed the medical aid mission and left from Papa New Guinea and local doctors saw them off at the airport.
On April 18th, 2017, Huang arrived at Port Moresby General Hospital with the 8th Chinese medical team and stayed there for more than 400 days.
Port Moresby is located at the equator, has a hot climate and high rates of viral epidemics. Also, public security is poor, so the medical team has to take anti-riot vans between the post and the hospital.
Huang Jingrui (second from the right) is in operation.
However, Huang and his teammates soon adapted such critical situations. Relying on their excellent abilities, the Chinese medical team won respect from local patients and doctors soon.
On May 11th, 2017, there was an emergency operation of craniocerebral trauma in the hospital. Dr.Apuahe, the only neurosurgeon in PNG, was the attending surgeon.
"They believed they could finish it independently, so we observed rather than participated in the operation room," Huang said.
However, an uncontrollable massive hemorrhage happened during the operation, and the patient's blood pressure dropped severely. The patient was dying. Dr. Apuahe, seeming flustered, asked Huang for help.
In order to save the patient's life, Huang joined the operation. "Although we took it over halfway, relying on our profound working experience, we soon found the bleeding point and finished the operation," Huang said. As the first operation of the Chinese medical team in PNG, it showed Chinese doctors' ability and promoted medical aid workers. Local doctors started to invite Huang to guide all neurosurgical surgeries since then.
On July 5th, 2017, Huang received an urgent call from the neonatal department: a two-week-old baby patient had a massive cyst in her brain, associated with cerebrospinal fluid leaking.
Huang was shocked by the time he saw the baby. The cyst was around 20cm by 20 cm and ulcerated. To prevent cerebrospinal fluid from continuing to leak, local doctors wrapped the cyst with plastic film.
"I suggested that the patient needed to undergo surgery immediately, but the local doctors hesitated for they had not operated on such a small baby, especially brain surgery," Huang said. With time going by, if the wound were infected, the baby would die." We cannot give up any life," Huang said to local doctors.
Local doctors finally agreed with Huang's proposal. Huang and his teammate Tang Wanli, an analgesic specialist, had a discussion in detail with the local doctors. They made a thorough operation plan, and emergency preplan.
The next day, the operation went well and finished in just over an hour.
However, due to the hot weather and nutritional care deficiency, the baby's wound had ulcerated. That was unexpected for everyone. The local medical condition was limited and wasn't equipped with some basic medicines like aquae hydrogenic dioxide, which is very common in China.
Local media in Papua New Guinea reported Huang Jingrui and Mulan.
"I cannot let (my patient) be in danger again!" Huang decided to try his best to find aquae hydrogenic dioxide. He went to drug stores in Port Moresby and finally found what he needed. With everyone's efforts, the baby recovered well.
It was incredible for the local doctors that Huang did so much. They all said that "China is so great."
On August 18th, the baby was discharged from the hospital. Her mother invited Huang to give the baby a Chinese name, hoping she could remember that the Chinese medical team gave her a second life. Huang named her "Mu Lan" with joy. "I sincerely hope she can be brave and strong like our ancient heroine Hua Mula and hope more that she can grow up healthily."
On August 25th, Post Courier, the mainstream media of PNG, published the story about Huang and the baby Mu Lan, which elicited a tremendous response. Daniel, the security staff in the post of the medical team, gave Huang a thumbs-up sign with the newspaper in his hand.
Huang stuck to his post for more than 400 days in PNG." No matter curing patients or teaching local doctors, they were all our duties in PNG," Huang said." The days in PNG and the friendship between local people and I would be an unforgettable memory in my life."
Source: Hualong News