Dear Editor,
I am very encouraged by the news that “Over 300 Guyanese patients (have) benefitted from Chinese acupuncture in 2025.” This is testimony to the great collaborative work emanating from the China-Guyana health partnership that is a long-standing bilateral cooperation that was initiated in 1993. Its focus is on strengthening healthcare delivery and capacity-building in Guyana, via the continuous deployment of Chinese medical teams, training programmes, and infrastructure projects.
This team-up is not ordinary, as one of its emphases is that of ‘Specialized Medical Services, where the Guyana Government facilitated Chinese medical teams’ introducing new medical technologies and procedures to Guyana, inclusive of the country’s first-ever open-heart and minimally invasive laparoscopic surgeries. A nice touch was the provision of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) services, namely acupuncture, for chronic pain relief, and many have been the beneficiaries of this art from the Chinese.
Regarding ‘acupuncture’, it is well-noted that China’s medical partnerships show success, with major achievements in advancing Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) globally via WHO (World Health Organisation), building health infrastructure (hospitals, clinics) and training personnel in developing nations (especially Africa) through initiatives like the Health Silk Road, and boosting domestic pharmaceutical innovation.
However, some unnecessary challenges still persist, such as governance issues, fragmented regulatory frameworks, lack of systemic global health strategy, and skepticism about China’s motives. However, Guyana is in the go-ahead, as Guyana has capitalised on China’s health sector, which is rapidly growing, and creating significant opportunities for international collaboration. A good reminder is that China, over the years, has significantly supported WHO’s TCM programmes, promoting research, standards, and integration of TCM into global health systems, with recent financial commitments and MOUs. Answer: “Should Guyana be left out?”
I heap praises on the Government and the Chinese medical team, as remarkable strides have been made at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), in terms of offering Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) acupuncture treatments. The last team, comprising Dr. Wei Jie and Dr. Wei Haoyang, have really gone the ‘extra mile’ in aiding Guyanese in need of their ‘specialised’ services. The results show that they have rendered much needed help to “… over 300 patients, focusing on chronic neck, shoulder, and lower back pain, facial neuritis, and post-stroke sequelae-conditions that are often difficult to fully resolve through conventional western medicine alone.”
To really appreciate this kind of input, all one needs to do is to visit and chat with these now-relieved patients. Their lives have positively impacted, and getting about on a daily basis is so much easier and much more comfortable. Need I mention the level of work that is being done and the factors surrounding it? Think on this? “Acupuncture stimulates specific acupoints to regulate the body’s qi—our vital energy flow—while cupping enhanced blood circulation and eases muscle tension. These therapies work by activating the body’s innate self-healing mechanisms, providing sustainable relief from chronic discomfort that many patients have endured for years.”
Editor, the future seems bright, as the TCM team plans to introduce acupoint embedding therapy for weight management early in this New Year, a service highly anticipated by Guyanese grappling with obesity-related health issues. As we know, “Obesity is a major contributor to diabetes and hypertension, two of the most pressing health burdens in our country.” I anticipate a healthier population.