Before leaving for China in early July, two medical specialists from China; Radiologist Dr. Feng Yan and Oncologist Dr. Ding Xu made huge contributions to Samoa’s health needs despite challenges in carrying out their work. Coming from a country with adequate resources and cutting edge technology at the tip of their fingers, they travelled to the heart of the Pacific answering Samoa’s call for help.
It was a big shift for them coming from bustling cities to a quiet and serene island, but personally for the two doctors they were clear this was not going to be a holiday, they were on a mission.
Radiologist Dr. Feng Yan has worked in radiology for nearly a decade specialising in diagnostic imaging including X-ray, CT and MRI. The past year had been special for her, learning from her team in Samoa the importance of teamwork. She quickly got to work upon her arrival working closely with the Medical Imaging Department unit to set up CT scan protocols, made CT plain and contrast scans more common, and for the first time, they started doing advanced CTA scans.
“These changes helped improve how fast and how accurately we can diagnose patients,” Dr. Feng told Savali News before leaving Samoa.
“More than that, I gained friendship, trust, and support from clinic doctors and CT team here. It’s been a meaningful and unforgettable year for me.”
Radiology plays an important role in clinical diagnosis and treatment, according to Dr. Feng it is like a doctor’s eyes. She told Savali News she hoped that for the hospital there can be more international cooperation, more support in getting modern imaging equipment, and the development of a tele-radiology system for remote diagnosis. Also clearly pointing out that to ensure radiology services are provided at its best, “Radiologists and radiology technicians need more specialised training.”
“This includes learning how to choose and set scan protocols, how to control image quality, and how to do image post-processing. Radiologists have full diagnostic experiences. These skills will help improve the speed and accuracy of diagnosis.”
As for Oncologist Dr. Ding Xu, he encountered many challenges upon starting work in Samoa, seeing many cancer patients, most of them diagnosed at a late stage, and encountering the sad reality that there are not many treatments available in Samoa. Before leaving he expressed his sincere thanks to his colleagues and patients in Samoa.
“Thank you for your trust, your cooperation, and your kindness. You welcomed me not just as a doctor, but as a friend and part of the family,” he said.
“Working together with you has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. I will carry these memories with me always, and I hope that the progress we’ve made together in radiology will continue to grow and benefit more people.”
As a result of his experiences in Samoa, the doctor pondered many possible solutions to aid in Samoa’s capabilities for early-detection screening to identify the cancer early to help solve the problem.
“I also write a report to our Ministry of Health so that maybe in future we can do oral chemotherapy here in Samoa, to help resolve the patient’s problem, especially for later-stage cancer.”
He emphasised that it is important for patients to find the disease at an early stage. “According to WHO, about 50 per cent of cancer can be prevented by life-style change, so I think it’s really cost-effective for Samoan people to reduce their lifestyle, to reduce the cancer risk.”
Further stating that according to the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) in 2019, it was reported that Samoa had 343 new patients and 199 cancer-related deaths. Cancer is a heavy burden in Samoa which is why he is calling for early detection and primary care.
As their time in Samoa was coming to a close, the doctor had concluded although they were ready to head back, they’ve left a significant contribution to the national hospital.
Head of the hospital’s Medical Imaging Department, Dr. Torise Eneliko acknowledged the tremendous work of Dr. Feng to their team and to Samoa.
“On a behalf of the MID & Radiology Dept, to formally acknowledge and express our sincere appreciation for the service and professional contribution of Dr Feng, a Radiologist from the People’s Republic of China, who has been serving voluntarily in our dept over the past year under the Chinese Government Medical Assistance Program to Samoa.”
He said that during this period, Dr. Feng has made an outstanding impact on the delivery and quality of radiology services within the Ministry of Health and their department, particularly in the area of CT Scan interpretation and diagnostic reporting.
“Her presence has been crucial, especially in a time where the dept. has NO locally based Radiologist available.”
According to him, Dr. Feng had:
• CT reporting Excellence: she consistently handled the full responsibility of reporting all CT scans performed at our facility, ensuring accuracy, clinical relevance, and timely delivery of reports to referring physicians. This has been critical for emergency cases, surgical planning, cancer diagnosis, and follow up.
• Filling the Radiologist Gap: her commitment ensured that there was no disruption in CT service reporting, which could have otherwise delayed patient care and clinical decision making.
• Extended Support hours: she demonstrated remarkable dedication by attending to after-hours and urgent cases when required, working closely with the X-ray staff and clinical teams to prioritise critical cases.
• Professionalism & Team Spirit: her willingness to work collaboratively with the staff and adapt to our local health system and language barriers reflects her professionalism, cultural respect, and humanitarian spirit.
• Training & Knowledge Transfer: beyond her reporting duties, she contributed to the upskilling of local staff, offering case reviews, informal training on CT anatomy and pathology, and enhancing the overall understanding of imaging interpretation among our junior registrar, clinicians and radiographers.
It was an emotional farewell, but Dr. Eneliko is forever grateful to her contributions saying she has not only strengthened the diagnostic capacity of their department but has also left behind a direct positive impact on patient outcomes.
“Her contribution exemplifies the value of international medical partnerships and highlights the importance of sustaining such support in future health development plans.”
He said, “We remain fully supportive of continued collaboration with the Chinese Government Medical Team and would welcome any opportunity for Dr. Feng’s extended service or similar voluntary placements.”
“As her voluntary assignment comes to a close, we express our deepest gratitude and highest respect for her service.”
On behalf of the MID and the wider health family, the doctor sincerely expressed blessings for Dr. Feng in all her future endeavours and calling. May she continue to touch lives and inspire others wherever her journey takes her, faafetai tele lava, and farewell with gratitude and love.
