A transformative medical cooperation project between China and Zimbabwe has significantly strengthened the country’s capacity to treat respiratory and critical illnesses, positively impacting thousands of patients since its launch. The Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Project, a joint initiative between Hunan Provincial People’s Hospital of China and Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals (PGH) in Zimbabwe, has delivered advanced pulmonary care, cutting-edge equipment, and training that extend benefits nationwide.
Established in 2022 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the programme was designed to enhance PGH’s ability to diagnose and treat severe respiratory conditions, including acute respiratory distress linked to COVID-19 and other pulmonary illnesses. A key outcome has been the creation of a high dependency unit dedicated to acute respiratory care, offering critical support to patients in need.
According to Pulmonologist Felix Manyeruke, the initiative significantly improved both patient outcomes and clinical expertise, citing enhanced treatment protocols for conditions such as hypoxic respiratory failure and sepsis. “The equipment and training have transformed our abilities,” he said, underscoring the tangible improvements in care quality.
Beyond clinical services, the partnership has established a telemedicine centre and a clinical skills training platform that supports both specialists and staff. This has enabled specialists to extend their expertise to peripheral hospitals, broadening the programme’s impact beyond Harare and embedding knowledge in Zimbabwe’s wider healthcare network.
The initiative has delivered specialised treatment to more than 2,000 patients and provided hands-on training to around 300 local medical professionals, helping to raise the overall standard of pulmonary and critical care across the country. Chinese experts also supplied essential equipment, including ventilators, to enhance PGH’s treatment capacity.
China’s support for Zimbabwe’s healthcare system extends far beyond this recent project. Over the years, China has dispatched 22 medical teams to Zimbabwe, offering ongoing clinical services, training and community health support since 1985, reinforcing a durable pattern of collaboration in the health sector.
In addition to pulmonary care advancements, the scope of China-Zimbabwe medical cooperation includes initiatives such as cataract surgery programmes, which provide free eye care and training for local surgeons, and the development of a Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Centre at PGH, responding to growing demand for complementary healthcare options.
Chinese assistance has also been instrumental in Zimbabwe’s fight against infectious diseases. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese medical teams and organisations helped renovate treatment facilities, donate supplies and share expertise in disease control, a multifaceted engagement that strengthened Zimbabwe’s broader public health response infrastructure.
The expansion of pulmonary care in Zimbabwe exemplifies a people-centred dimension of China-Africa cooperation, one that combines clinical support, skills development and technology transfer to deliver sustainable improvements in national health systems. By equipping local professionals with new competencies and providing vital medical infrastructure, this partnership fosters resilience, builds local capacity and ensures that quality care is more widely accessible across Zimbabwe.
