Belt and Road project staff in Malta receive on-site traditional Chinese medicine treatments

Chinese Ambassador to Malta Yu Dunhai (R) and Clarence Pace, director general of the Department for Health Services within the Ministry for Health of Malta, and chairman of the board of the Mediterranean Regional Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine (MRCTCM), inaugurate an insomnia specialist clinic in Paola, Malta, on April 21, 2023. (Xinhua/Chen Wenxian)

This year commemorates the 60th anniversary of China sending its first medical aid team abroad, as well as the 30th anniversary of China dispatching its first medical team to Malta. Since 1994, when the MRCTCM was established by the Chinese and Maltese governments, 18 Chinese medical teams composed of over 100 physicians have offered TCM treatment to around 250,000 Maltese patients.

VALLETTA, May 14 (Xinhua) -- "It is amazing," said 34-year-old Mario Borg after receiving a neck massage from a doctor of the 18th Chinese medical team for Malta.

The Chinese medical team from the Mediterranean Regional Centre for Traditional Chinese Medicine (MRCTCM) Friday provided free on-site consultations and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatments such as acupuncture, cupping and massage at the Delimara 3 (D3) power station.

Situated in Marsaxlokk, southeastern Malta, the D3 power station controlled and operated by China's Shanghai Electric Power (Malta) Holding Co., Ltd. (SEP), is a clean energy project under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Prior to the on-site TCM treatments, Xing Xuemei, a member of the Chinese medical team, delivered a brief lecture on the rehabilitation of neck and back pain. Two employees actively participated and demonstrated training exercises under Xing's guidance.

Daniel Bugeja, a patient receiving Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatment, is treated with acupuncture in Paola, Malta, April 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Chen Wenxian)

Following the lecture, the Chinese medical team distributed popular items among the Maltese people, including plasters, cooling oil, and sachets.

Borg, an employee who has been working at the D3 power station for four years, had heard about TCM but never experienced it until now. After his first TCM treatment, Borg shared with Xinhua that he already felt some improvements, although the doctor mentioned that his neck pain would significantly improve after a couple of days.

He also expressed his enjoyment of working with his Chinese colleagues, learning about Chinese New Year, Chinese cuisine, and even picking up some Chinese language phrases.

Similarly, Renata Ziber, a 36-year-old employee at the D3 power station, said that "It feels really good. I almost feel like sleeping during the treatment," after receiving a neck massage.

Ziber, who also experienced TCM treatment for the first time, considered it a valuable opportunity and expressed her willingness to try it again in the future.

Staff members from the International Energy Services Centre Limited, a subsidiary of Malta's Enemalta, also actively participated in the TCM consultations and treatments.

"I feel the positive effect of the treatment because I feel more relaxed," Johann Zammit, executive chairman of the company, told Xinhua while receiving acupuncture from Dong Xiaoyan, head of the Chinese medical team.

Zammit not only attentively listened to the lecture but also received on-site acupuncture treatment for his neck pain, marking his first encounter with TCM. He expressed gratitude towards the Chinese medical team for providing an excellent opportunity to learn more about TCM and experience its benefits.

Cheng Xun, general manager of the D3 power station told Xinhua that foreign employees constitute more than half of the station's staff, and they hold a positive view of Chinese culture. Some of them have previously received TCM treatments and have faith in its effectiveness, he added.

Cheng noted that thanks to the continuous efforts of the Chinese people, including the Chinese medical team for Malta, the influence of the TCM has steadily expanded in the Mediterranean region.

Dong highlighted that the Chinese medical team for Malta is the only nationally dispatched TCM team in Europe. She emphasized that their mission also includes serving countries along the Belt and Road and projects under the BRI.

She further noted that in recent years, there has been a growing interest in TCM among the Maltese population, with many local patients choosing TCM as a new treatment option. She attributed this trend, in part, to the frequent academic exchanges and clinic activities conducted by the Chinese medical team.

Zhang Yilong, a member of the 18th Chinese Medical Team for Malta, gives a lecture on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to a group of secondary school students from Germany and Luxembourg who are on a cultural exchange trip in Paola, Malta, April 5, 2023. (Xinhua/Chen Wenxian)

This year commemorates the 60th anniversary of China sending its first medical aid team abroad, as well as the 30th anniversary of China dispatching its first medical team to Malta.

Since 1994, when the MRCTCM was established by the Chinese and Maltese governments, 18 Chinese medical teams composed of over 100 physicians have offered TCM treatment to around 250,000 Maltese patients. ■