By Mohammad Arman Hossain | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2019-09-19 11:58
October 1 is the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. The founding of the People's Republic of China was officially proclaimed by Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong on October 1, 1949, at Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Seventy years after the founding of China, the country has transformed from a poor and backward nation to a developing power and an important player on the world stage.
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), launched by China in 2013, is not just for the liberalization of the flow of goods, services, capital, and skilled labor, but the liberalization of human capital through mutually accepted college and professional training programs, through joint degree arrangements, and through the exchange of students and faculty members. The BRI could provide a platform not only to improve the capability of training health professionals by exchanging health personnel but also to address the geographical misdistribution of health workers in underserved areas among the BRI partners by providing primary healthcare in those countries.
Like me, getting a higher academic or clinical degree or doing the post-graduate study is a dream of so many students from underdeveloped or developing countries. The Chinese government is making it possible for us by offering thousands of government and local scholarships every year in almost every field, which is eventually a golden chance for us. By getting this chance in September 2017, I came to China for the very first time. This is my second year in Chongqing. After listening to and watching so many developments in China, on my first day here when I took my first step outside the airport, for a moment I could not believe my eyes that I was here. The whole way from the airport to Chongqing Medical University, I did not close my eyes even for a second, though I was so tired. I just looked outside and saw all the natural beauty and the high-rise buildings, roads, and other structures. Undoubtedly, I really realized why people are saying so much about China.
Being a medical graduate, a doctor, I worked a few years in my home country and abroad. But when I started my classes at Chongqing Medical University and First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, I was just surprised at seeing their updated technologies and medical and surgical equipment. With its ancient tradition of herbal remedies, combined with its cutting-edge biomedical research enterprises, China offers unique opportunities to advance scientific discoveries and improve health across the globe. China has been a valuable partner with the US in medical research for more than 30 years.
While getting my training in the hospital, one thing I realized is that the treatment strategy and the surgical operation skills of the Chinese doctors are smoother than so many other doctors from all around the world. Their use and availability of equipment are still a dream for so many students and even some doctors. The availability of different robotic and laparoscopic instruments is really a dream for many doctors coming from an underdeveloped or developing country like me in the field of minimally invasive operations and the future of modern surgery. China makes this dream come true.
Not only by teaching the students in Chinese medical universities, but also inviting so many foreign doctors and surgeons here, they are giving them hands-on training with international-level facilities. This is totally unimaginable to get in some other developed countries or training centers abroad. Rather than this, over past few years Chinese experienced medical teams are going to other countries to share their medical training and teach them updated medical and surgical training skills.
Now here in China, Chinese students are achieving outstanding success in the field of research. They now hold second place in research and publishing in the world, which is splendid. It is not possible to bring change and improve any system without doing updated research. So, I believe China is doing great in this sector as well, and we are also getting used to how we can improve ourselves, which only became possible by coming to China. We are so very grateful to China and to the Chinese government for giving us these chances over the past few years. And we also hope this will continue in the future to make the dreams of thousands of students come true, each to become a good doctor and a great human being.
China is now arranging so many international conferences every year. A noticeable number of foreign doctors and students are attending these seminars and conferences. They get the chance to become familiar with many of the latest Chinese inventions, which is really a successful story for China in the past few years.
In a nutshell, I just want to say that, after working in the hospital and attending so many local and international conferences here in China, one thing that just comes to my realization is that in spite of having some language barriers, China is definitely doing awesome work in the health sector, which can easily make some other countries envious of China. I am so very grateful to the Chinese government for giving me the chance to make my dream come true.
The author Dr. Mohammad Arman Hossain is a final year student from Bangladesh working on a master's degree in urology at First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University.
