Health Bureau reflects on debut medical mission to Algeria, Sudan

Representatives from the Health Bureau (SSM) and the Chongqing Health Commission held their first sharing session Monday, after returning to the SAR from Algeria and Sudan as part of a joint medical mission to fight the pandemic.
The SAR government sent representatives abroad for the first time to carry out an international medical emergency mission.
During the meeting, the two parties shared experiences on the support work provided to the two African countries and discussed cooperation between Macau and Chongqing in the emergency medical response field.
The director of the SSM, Dr. Lei Chin Ion, said that the mission had allowed the two parties to deepen cooperation and collaboration in the healthcare industry.
Tasked with carrying out a “mission against Covid-19” in Africa, the “China Anti-Epidemic Medical Experts Group” was composed of five representatives appointed by the SAR government, together with representatives from the Chongqing government.
Dr Alvis Lo Iek Long, a clinical director of the public Conde de S. Januário Hospital Centre, shared Macau’s experiences in the prevention and control of the pandemic outbreak, while deputy chief of the Municipal Health Commission of Chongqing, Dr Zhou Lin, presented the work on prevention and control of Covid-19 and the Chongqing health system.
According to a statement issued by the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center, both parties exchanged views on ways to consolidate the work to protect against and prevent the epidemic. These included medical observation in hotels and nucleic acid tests, as well as methods and experiences of diagnosing cases, among others.
Following the invitation of the governments of Algeria and Sudan, a group of medical experts from the Chinese Government specialized in combating the epidemic was formed and sent to aid the north African countries in the fight.
The mission began on May 14 for a consecutive duration of 30 days.
The group returned to the city on June 12 after completing the mission.
In another statement, it was noted that Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Elsie Ao Ieong U, highlighted that participation in this mission not only increased the capacity of the Macau emergency medical team, but also allowed these members to gain international experience in responding to Covid-19.