Children at House of Hope get free health checks & treatment by Chinese doctors

By Talaia Mika

APIA, SAMOA – 17 JUNE 2022: Over sixty children residents at the Samoa Victim Support House of Hope at Tuana’imato got free health inspections and treatment on Wednesday by a Chinese medical team.

This Chinese medical team is the sixth from China to assist Samoa’s health system under the Chinese and Samoa medical cooperation scheme and is working at the National Hospital for six months.

The team consisted of eight doctors in different specialist areas such as skin care, cancer, heart diseases, ear diseases and it was their first outside hospital visit to the House of Hope.

A translator for the volunteer doctors and owner of DMC restaurant, Nianda Weng said this is a great opportunity for the children at SVSG to have their health checks if they have any serious illness that need treatment.

“As many of us know, many of the children here are children of domestic violence and sexual abuse so while SVSG is working to provide healing the scars inside, we want to make sure there are no scars outside and we want to make sure that they are happy,” he said.

The Chinese medical team meeting the residents of the House of Hope.

The medical team has been working mainly at the main hospital in Moto’otua for a six months period.

SVSG President, Siliniu Lina Chang said she was humbled by the visit saying it was the perfect opportunity for the children to have their health tested.

“We don’t know what health issues these children may have and this is a great opportunity and chance to have their health tested treat any illness identified that we didn’t know of…. so I’m very grateful,” she said.