Solomon Islands' China-aided medical center receives 14,600 patients in first year

The China-aid CMC building and its ancillary facilities. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A China-aided medical center in the Solomon Islands has received 14,600 outpatient visits and performed 191 minimally invasive surgeries in its first year of operation.

The China-Aid Comprehensive Medical Center (CMC) at the National Referral Hospital in Honiara opened in June 2025. Since then, it has introduced cardiovascular intervention, urology, neurosurgery, and breast surgery, allowing more patients to receive treatment locally rather than traveling overseas.

"If China could be here for a long time, we could have saved more lives lost to heart problems," Facebook user Pagziiman Matupiko wrote in a comment.

Patients fill the waiting area inside and outside the CMC outpatient hall. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The China medical team from Guizhou province said the Solomon Islands has long faced shortages of specialized healthcare services, with some conditions previously lacking standardized treatment options.

For instance, the center's breast surgery clinic, launched this year, now receives 15 to 20 patients a day, about half of whom are diagnosed with breast cancer, according to the team. Doctors provide surgery or neoadjuvant chemotherapy based on each individual's condition, while introducing standardized practices to the local healthcare system.

"Through surgical demonstrations, bedside teaching, and professional training, we continue to develop local medical talent and support the long-term growth of the island nation's healthcare system," said Chu Liangzhao, head of the fifth China medical team to the Solomon Islands.

The team said it aims to help develop a sustainable local healthcare workforce with the skills and expertise to serve the community in the long term.

Zhang Faming, an associate chief physician and urologist, performs laparoscopic surgery. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Zheng Qian, an attending physician and nephrologist, trains local physicians in operating dialysis equipment. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]