In brief
Leila Salum Kanyinyi, a 38‑year‑old food vendor in Zanzibar, received a life‑changing laparoscopic ureter reconstruction by a Chinese medical team after a year of crippling pain. The operation also trained local doctors, illustrating growing China‑Tanzania health cooperation.
In a medical breakthrough on Unguja Island, Chinese doctors performed a complex laparoscopic surgery that ended Leila Salum Kanyinyi’s year‑long lower back and abdominal pain.
Leila, a 38‑year‑old food vendor from Meli Nne in Zanzibar’s Urban West Region, had spent a year lying down and struggling to feed her three children. She said, "I feel like I have been given a new life," when Xinhua interviewed her after the operation.
The surgery, carried out by the 36th Chinese medical team, was a minimally invasive laparoscopic Boari flap ureteroneocystostomy. Dr. Wang Wei, the team’s urological specialist, reconstructed a heavily narrowed section of Leila’s right ureter by using tissue from her bladder. The procedure avoided the greater trauma of open surgery and shortened her recovery.
The operation also served a training purpose. Wang explained surgical anatomy, tools, and safety steps to local doctors at Lumumba Hospital, a wing of Mnazi Mmoja Hospital. Gideon Safiel Mwasakyalo, a surgeon there, noted that the Chinese doctors "exposed local medical staff to advanced techniques and advanced our capacity for future surgeries."
"I was very grateful for the treatment and the first‑class care I received," Leila added, highlighting her appreciation for the Chinese team.
The case underscores the growing China‑Tanzania partnership in health. Chinese medical teams arrive with donated equipment and expertise, while Tanzanian hospitals gain training and hands‑on experience. Leila’s recovery shows how international collaboration can transform individual lives and strengthen local medical services.