Zambia's Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya (L) presents a medal to a member of the 20th Chinese Medical Team during their awarding ceremony in Lusaka, capital of Zambia, April 24, 2019. The Zambian government on Wednesday honored the 20th Chinese Medical Team over its provision of various health services in the southern African nation. (Xinhua/Peng Lijun)

LUSAKA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Zambia has held a ceremony here to give awards to the 20th Chinese Medical Team over its provision of various health services in the southern African nation.

The ceremony, attended on Wednesday by Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya, Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Li Jie and Deputy Mayor of Luoyang city in China's Henan Province He Min, saw each member of the team being given a medal in appreciation of the services rendered during their tour of duty.

The Zambian minister commended the medical team for their exemplary services, adding that the team helped in the country's quest to achieve universal access to health care provision.

He said the current medical team has specifically been unique as they not only helped in improving service delivery but also helped in training of local personnel.

According to him, the honoring of the medical team reflects the partnership which has existed between Zambia and China in the health sector, adding that China has supported not only the construction of the Levy Mwanawasa Teaching Hospital but also helped in training of local medical practitioners.

Chinese doctors take medical examination of children at a orphanage in Lusaka, capital of Zambia, June 1, 2013. In a move aiming at promoting China-Zambia friendship, three Zambia-based Chinese organizations -- the Confucius Institute, Chinese medical team and Sino-Hydro Zambia Limited on Saturday got together with children of the Kabwata Orphanage in Lusaka during celebrations to mark the International Children's Day. (Xinhua/Kris Moonga)

The medical team, he added, worked well with local personnel in providing health services in the country.

On his part, the Chinese ambassador said China has been sending medical teams since 1978, adding that about 546 medical practitioners have been dispatched to Zambia from that time and that Chinese doctors have diagnosed and treated 3 million patients and taken more than 20,000 cases of operations in Zambia.

The Chinese envoy further said more than 700 new technologies and health projects have been introduced and implemented in Zambia which have contributed greatly to the promotion of progress in the health sector.

"The Chinese doctors' professional skills and medical ethics have gained high respect and appreciation from the government and people of Zambia, and also demonstrated the rapid development of China's medical technology," he said.

The doctors, he said, not only helped in improving health care services but also introduced Chinese medical technologies as well as innovation to Zambia.

During its tour of duty, the 20th Medical team, which arrived in Zambia in May 2018, treated more than 40,000 patients and conducted over 20 free clinics and visits to local communities, which resulted in the treatment of another 1,500 local people.