Feature: Chinese doctors bring hope, healing to Pakistan with advanced heart treatment-Xinhua

Feature: Chinese doctors bring hope, healing to Pakistan with advanced heart treatment

Source: Xinhua

Editor: huaxia

2025-01-27 18:13:00

Chinese doctor Pan Xiangbin (1st L) operates a heart procedure at a hospital in Rawalpindi, Pakistan on Jan. 23, 2025. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)

ISLAMABAD, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- Afrah Amir's eyes glistened with hope and dreams of a brighter future as her doctor handed her a clean bill of health, just a day after undergoing a procedure performed by Chinese doctors to cure her ailing heart in Pakistan's north Rawalpindi city.

"There were six Chinese doctors with warm, kind smiles, who spoke gently to calm me before administering anesthesia. The last thing I remember before drifting off was the image of six angels from a distant land, coming to give me a chance for a beautiful tomorrow," Arfah told Xinhua as her eyes sparkled, envisioning the future ahead.

Pan Xiangbin, a doctor from Fuwai Hospital in Beijing, China's capital city, brought a Chinese original and most advanced ultrasound-guided percutaneous intervention technology to treat children suffering from congenital heart defects in Pakistan.

Describing the distinctive features of the new technology, Pan told Xinhua that they have introduced absorbable occluders, a revolutionary alternative to lifelong metal implants.

"Used with ultrasound-guided technology, these occluders dissolve within a year as the heart tissue naturally heals. This innovation leaves no scars, metal residue, or long-term complications, ensuring patients can lead normal lives without stigma, whether marrying, working, or joining the military. It's life-changing both medically and socially," he added.

Speaking to Xinhua, Saima Amir, the mother of Afrah, shared her emotional journey, saying that her girl was 10 months old when she was diagnosed with congenital heart defects, but the family could not afford the expensive treatment.

"There was always a constant fear in my heart, knowing that something could happen to my daughter because I couldn't provide the medical care she desperately needed, despite my endless prayers and efforts. But the Chinese doctors gave us hope and peace by treating her," Saima said in a voice trembling with emotion.

She noted that she had always heard about the Pakistan-China friendship on TV and read about it in poems, but now, she has personally felt the warmth of this bond.

"For my daughter and me, no friend has ever been as supportive in our time of need as the Chinese doctors. They are truly our friends indeed," she said as tears welled up in her eyes.

In the next stage, Pan plans to take the technology to villages and remote areas of Pakistan to help the children who need medical care.

Pan and his team aim to train more doctors in Pakistan, enabling them to use surgical cars to reach remote areas and save more lives.

"In China, we have a saying, 'It is better to teach people how to fish than to simply give them fish,' so our goal is for Pakistani doctors to master our original technical system, and practice it at a wider scale across the country," the medical expert added.

"This advanced technology eliminates the need for radiation, contrast agents, or hospital settings to perform surgeries. A portable, laptop-sized ultrasound machine or a surgical car is enough for the procedure which can be done when the patient is awake," the doctor said.

The setup also enables screening and surgery in villages, and the patients can return home the same day and resume normal activities immediately," he added.

Talking to Xinhua, Hajira Akbar, a cardiologist at the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology, where Chinese doctors performed the life-saving procedures, said that the new technology significantly reduces procedure time and hospital stays, making treatment more affordable and accessible for underprivileged families.

"This advanced technology is not only highly safe for children but essential to introduce in Pakistani hospitals," she said, adding that an alarming rise in congenital heart defects has been witnessed in her country due to malnutrition among mothers, pregnancy and delivery complications, and inadequate family planning.

Hajira expressed hope that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which has already brought Chinese donations and investments to strengthen Pakistan's economy, will extend its support to the health sector to improve the well-being of Pakistani children.

She said there was an overwhelming joy among patients, their families, and hospital staff at the arrival of the Chinese doctors, who brought a brighter future for patients and renewed hope for doctors to treat more cases with this advanced, safe technique.

"This initiative has not only strengthened people-to-people ties but stands as a shining example of our enduring friendship with China," she said.

She added that the Chinese doctors rendered a great service to humanity under the vision of a shared future for mankind, whose memories will remain fresh in the hearts of the patients and their families forever.

A mother takes care of her child after a procedure operated by Chinese doctors to cure her ailing heart at a hospital in Rawalpindi, Pakistan on Jan. 23, 2025. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)