Fifth Chinese medical team in Solomon Islands saves life of youth

The fifth Chinese medical team in the Solomon Islands recently conducted an emergency operation in which a 20-year-old youth in Honiara, the country's capital, was saved from the brink of death after a grueling 7-hour effort.

The Solomon Islands, located in the southwestern Pacific, established formal diplomatic relations with China in 2019. Since March 2021, Guizhou province in Southwest China has been responsible for dispatching medical teams to this archipelagic nation.

On the day of the emergency, a local doctor named Denton made an urgent phone call to the Chinese medical team about the life-threatening condition of the patient from an operating room at the National Referral Hospital.

The young patient had been admitted with a head injury caused by a rock strike, accompanied by impaired consciousness for one week. A CT scan revealed a comminuted depressed fracture of his right occipital bone, with a low-density lesion appearing next to his compressed cerebellum.

During the examination, the patient was drowsy and exhibited tachycardia, rapid breathing, sluggish pupillary light reflex and neck stiffness, carrying the potential for sudden respiratory or cardiac arrest, which would be lethal for him. The three-centimeter wound on his right occipital area, covered with yellow-white pus, indicated a dangerous spread of infection within his skull.

It was a matter of life or death and there was no time to lose. Upon receiving the call, the Chinese medical team members rushed to the operating room at the National Referral Hospital.

They brought the essential tools they had carried along from home — bipolar coagulation forceps, scalp clips, neurosurgical cotton pads and hemostatic sponges. These instruments were proved to be crucial in the follow-up surgery.

Chinese doctor Chu Liangzhao performs a surgery under operating lamps.

The surgery began at around 8 pm. The surgical team led by Chinese doctor Chu Liangzhao consisted of local doctors Denton and Grevis as well as nurses and anesthesiologists. The fragile tissues surrounding the infected part required extreme patience and precision to carefully balance effective hemostasis with adequate drainage. Chu carefully proceeded through the steps of the operation, cutting open the skull, removing bone fragments and cleaning away the infection.

Throughout the surgery, Chu explained the surgical procedure to local doctors, sharing insights and knowledge without reservation. He practiced the spirit of "teaching others how to fish" while saving a life.

Chinese doctor Chu Liangzhao and the patient, together with local doctors and nurses, pose for a group photo.

At around 3 am, the surgery concluded successfully — the young man was pulled back from death's door. Now, the once drowsy and lackluster youth would be able to keep his sanity. Upon recovery, with a smile not seen for a long while, he was taken home to reunite with his loved ones.

It was not merely a young life saved from the grasp of death, but also a family's hope. It is a vivid example of how the Chinese medical team saves lives with bravery that overcomes all difficulties, and with a spirit of selfless contribution and boundless love.