The Chinese medical team on Thursday donated medicines and medical equipment to Kibungo Hospital in eastern Rwanda's Ngoma District.

KIGALI, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese medical team on Thursday donated medicines and medical equipment to Kibungo Hospital in eastern Rwanda's Ngoma District.

The donated items mainly included equipment for the operating and gynecology departments, such as electric operating tables, shadowless surgical lamps, and gynecological examination tables, according to Wang Yongxiang, chief of the 25th batch of the Chinese medical team.

Ngoma District Mayor Nathalie Niyonagira said the donation will help provide services to patients at the hospital. "We strongly believe that when we work together, our citizens stand to gain, and our shared prosperity becomes a reality."

The mayor also said China has been a true and consistent partner in Rwanda's journey of transformation and sustainable development.

"The Chinese government and people have contributed greatly to improving the lives of Rwandans. At the local level, we continue to witness and benefit from this collaboration, which inspires us to work even harder to meet the aspirations of our citizens," she said.

According to Jean Claude Munyemana, director general of Kibungo Hospital, the facility has a capacity of 293 beds. The hospital receives referral cases from Eastern Province hospitals because it offers additional specialized services with an increased number of specialists benefiting from its partnership with the Chinese medical team and the King Faisal Hospital Foundation.

Munyemana commended the Chinese medical team for the continuous support in providing medical services to Rwandan patients.

For his part, Chinese Ambassador to Rwanda Gao Wenqi said Thursday's donation embodies China's enduring commitment to standing alongside Rwanda.

"China is committed to joining hands with Rwanda to open a new chapter in medical cooperation and enrich the everlasting friendship between our two nations," Gao said.

"Over the decades, the medical partnership between our two countries has been not only extensive and profound, but also consistently fruitful," said the Chinese ambassador, adding that China aided in the construction of Kibungo Hospital and Masaka Hospital, which now together provide medical services to more than 500,000 residents.

Since 1982, China has sent 25 medical teams comprising a total of 324 medical personnel to serve in Rwanda. Stationed at Kibungo and Masaka hospitals, the medics have provided daily care, treated over 720,000 patients, performed more than 40,000 surgeries, and saved the lives of over 16,400 critically ill patients.

In the past nine months alone, the 25th Chinese medical team in Rwanda has conducted 702 operations, treated 10,427 patients, organized five medical outreach and health education programs, and held 12 academic and cultural exchanges.  ■