Abdallahi Dongo, is a Mauritanian postgraduate student practicing at a renowned hospital in southern China's Guangzhou City.

Abdallahi is one of the few African doctors at the hospital affiliated to Sun Yat-sen University. He's gotten quite popular among his colleagues, through his serious work attitude, easy-going temper and sense of humor. However, he is from another culture, quite different from that of China. So how does he manage to communicate with the patients there? Can they accept an operation conducted by an African doctor?

In the ward, the reporter met some patients for whom Abdallahi is responsible. An old lady who suffered gynecological problems has just received an operation conducted by Abdallahi. It is her first time to undergo an operation by an African doctor.

"At first, when I was told my surgeon was an African, I was a bit scared. I doubt whether he was able to communicate with me smoothly - after all he is from a different culture."

Facing the suspicion and mistrust from patients and their families, Abdallahi is not discouraged at all. Instead, he has strived in his efforts to convince them to accept him. He thinks the reason why patients dare not receive his treatment is not the black skin but their doubts as to whether or not he can speak fluent and clear Chinese. He has tried unstintingly to get close to the patients so that they could accept him.

"It happened for the first time when the patient had just arrived. They were told that Abdallahi would be their doctor. Then they looked at me and asked the nurses 'Can this man speak Chinese?' When I ask them in Chinese what is the disease; what kind of help I can offer, when they see that I am asking them questions, they change their minds. They keep asking me: Wow! You can speak Chinese! This is special. For how long have you been here? Quickly, they forget their pain. You have to give hope to patients showing them you are caring about them so that they have more confidence. This is very important."

Thanks to perfect Chinese, medical competence and a strong sense of responsibility, the old lady has gradually accepted Abdallahi. After receiving careful treatment from him, the lady, who has been hospitalized for two weeks, is now ready to be discharged.

"Later, I find his Chinese so fluent that we have no obstacles to exchange ideas. He is very patient and responsible, and treats our patients as his family. I remember once my case was missing, he stayed at the hospital to rewrite the case for me until midnight. The case was in Chinese, which proved not so easy for Abdallahi. But he tried his best to make sure each word is legible and easy to read. I am so touched by his responsibility."

Here is another patient who praises the superb operation skills and nursing care of Abdallahi.

"He considers everything from our patients' perspective. For example, he knows patients would suffer more or less pain in the operation process, so he tries to conduct himself gently, ranging from making incisions to stitching up the wound. We would therefore feel less pain. Moreover, the first thing he would do everyday is to come to us and inquire about how well we've recovered. And before he leaves, he would come again. I really appreciate his humane care."

Abdallahi has won much popularity among the patients and his colleagues. He tells me jokingly that one day two patients told him they would suggest the director of the hospital employ more black doctors in the gynecology and obstetrics department. That made Abdallahi hilarious and ecstatic, proud of being a surgeon in China.

Prof. Lin Zhongqiu is deputy chief of the hospital Abdallahi works for as well as his tutor, tutoring him the research in gynecologic tumor. He says he is very glad to have such a studious student from Africa.

"He is one of my best students. He has a strong commitment to learning and does everything meticulously. For example, when we are involved in an operation, he often watches carefully and takes many notes, never neglecting any detail. Now he can do some simple surgery on his own. I am very glad. I have a helpful assistant. Moreover, he is very warm-hearted. He often spends spare time teaching his Chinese colleagues English and French. We all like him very much."

Abdallahi first arrived in China in 1999 to pursue his undergraduate courses. He was financed by the scholarship offered by both the Chinese and Mauritanian governments. 

(CRI August 29, 2007)