In August, Chen Zhiyou, a senior nurse from the Intensive Care Unit of our hospital, returned to Chengdu after successfully completing a one-year mission as part of the third batch of the Chinese Medical Team to Cambodia. Shortly after, Dr. Zhang Xuemei took over the "relay baton," joining the fourth batch of the Chinese Medical Team to Cambodia and heading to Phnom Penh to carry out a one-year medical aid mission, thus continuing a new chapter in TCM medical assistance abroad.
Chen Zhiyou (left) and Zhang Xuemei (right)
The fourth batch of the Chinese Medical Team to Cambodia consists of eight members from provincial-level TCM medical institutions in Sichuan. As the deputy secretary of the medical team, Dr. Zhang Xuemei wasted no time upon arriving in Cambodia. She immediately immersed herself in the intense and meticulous handover work, familiarizing herself with various workflows, common diseases, resources, financial matters, and living conditions, while steadily advancing preparations for subsequent clinical operations. On the fifth day after arriving in Phnom Penh, Dr. Zhang Xuemei began her daily outpatient duties at the TCM clinic of the Kosma China-Cambodia Friendship Hospital. From the start, she treated patients from interdisciplinary fields such as internal medicine, surgery, and gynecology. Adhering to the principle of "prioritizing TCM, using TCM whenever possible, and integrating Chinese and Western medicine," she first applied TCM syndrome differentiation for each patient, supplementing it with modern monitoring and Western medication when necessary. For complex specialized cases such as gynecological metrorrhagia, neurosurgical intracranial space-occupying lesions, and ureteral stones, she promptly initiated remote consultations, connecting with experts from our hospital’s gynecology, neurosurgery, and urology departments. Authoritative treatment plans were obtained within an hour, ensuring both safety and efficacy in diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, Dr. Zhang Xuemei conducted "High-Quality Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)" training for the 12 staff members of the TCM department at Kosma Hospital, equipping the entire team with proficiency in basic life support techniques and defibrillator usage. On August 22, Dr. Zhang Xuemei was invited to attend the opening ceremony of the 14th Medical and Surgical, 9th Nursing, and 4th TCM Annual Academic Conference at Kosma Hospital.
In the days ahead, Dr. Zhang Xuemei will continue her dedicated efforts, using classical prescriptions, acupuncture, and evidence-based treatment plans as her tools to infuse the precision and compassion of Chengdu’s TCM critical care into the care of Cambodian patients. From Chen Zhiyou to Zhang Xuemei, the Intensive Care Unit of our hospital has adopted a continuous, standardized, and sustainable relay model, embedding the holistic perspective and syndrome differentiation principles of TCM into the healthcare defenses along the Mekong River. This contributes Sichuan’s TCM strength to building a "Global Community of Health for All."
