Across oceans, white lab coats are the couple’s ro...

Across oceans, white lab coats are the couple’s romantic outfits….

… Chinese doctor pays visit to her husband serving in Zim with the 21st Medical Team

Zim Now Correspondent

Recently, the Hunan Provincial Health Commission organized a visit for the families of China medical team members in Zimbabwe.

Dr Yang Zhuoliang, a cardiologist from the Department of Cardiology of Loudi Central Hospital was one of the group visited her husband Dr Chen Junpeng, who is serving in the 21st China (Hunan）Provincial Medical Team in Zimbabwe.

From Loudi, Hunan, together with the couple’s son, embarked on a 10,000-kilometer journey, lasting over 30 hours, by train, car, and plane. After crossing mountains and seas, they safely arrived in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, where they finally embraced as a family after so many months of separation.

“Remember when the hospital organized the recruitment for the China medical team to serve in Africa? You came home excited to discuss it with me. While I supported you wholeheartedly, I was also worried about the harsh environment, scarce resources, and the prevalence of tropical diseases like malaria, typhoid, and cholera,” Yang Zhuoliang said to her husband.

In November 2023, Chen Junpeng was selected as a member of the 21st China Medical Team in Zimbabwe. Yang Zhuoliang, herself a cardiologist, was busy with emergency and critically ill patients, leaving little time to care for their son and family.

And now she finally had a chance to visit her husband and experience his life on another continent

“In Zimbabwe, the China Medical Team’s residence is our happy sanctuary,” Yang Zhuoliang happily said.

Reflecting on the days of separation, she expressed mixed emotions: joy, longing, fear, anxiety, fatigue, helplessness, and happiness.

She felt both concern for her husband working in difficult conditions and admiration for the selfless dedication of Chinese medical doctors in Africa.

Visiting her husband’s workplace and interacting with the local people, Yang Zhuoliang felt a sense of fulfilment and pride, as well as the warmth and gratitude of the Zimbabwean people towards the China medical team.

Wearing white coats, they are not only partners but also colleagues. They don’t have the romantic moments of ordinary lovers, but they share more understanding and tacit agreement.

The white coat is their “couple outfit,” and they interpret love, family, and career in their unique way with double efforts.

They make choices between their small family and the larger community, writing their life stories in their respective ordinary positions.