by Xinhua writers Hua Hongli, Lin Guangyao, Lucas Liganga

ZANZIBAR, Tanzania, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- In the white wards of Abdulla Mzee Hospital in Tanzania's Zanzibar Pemba Island, a quiet yet powerful story of life, gratitude, and cross-border friendship has taken root.

A newborn baby Tanzanian girl, gently cradled in her mother's arms, bears the Chinese name "Liu" that tells the backstory.

She was named after Liu Huiling, a Chinese doctor whose decisive actions and unwavering dedication saved the life of the baby's mother, Salma Kombo Omar, after she suffered septic shock following a cesarean section.

The case was handled by members of the 35th Chinese medical team in Zanzibar, whose intervention turned a near-fatal emergency into a story of hope.

According to Omar, the ordeal began a month earlier, when she was rushed to Abdulla Mzee Hospital 20 days after giving birth. A severe intra-abdominal infection kicked in, rapidly escalating into septic shock.

Upon arrival at the hospital, her blood pressure had fallen to a critically low level, vital signs unstable, and she was semi-conscious. Doctors discovered a large accumulation of purulent fluid in her abdomen, placing her at imminent risk of multi-organ failure.

"There was no room for hesitation. Every second was a race against death," recalled Liu Huiling, who is from Lianyungang Second People's Hospital in eastern China.

Liu immediately coordinated with Zhu Shuangjiu, another member from the medical team, to assemble an emergency rescue team. The doctors relied on experience and close cooperation to rush the patient into surgery.

Inside the operating theater, the severity of the infection became clear: the pus was extensive and far beyond initial expectations.

Under strict sterile conditions, Liu conducted careful exploration while Zhu provided steady guidance. The team worked methodically for hours, removing necrotic tissue and draining the infection. The patient's vital signs started to stabilize, and the immediate threat to her life was brought under control.

Recovery, however, proved to be another battle.

The infection caused extensive hardening and necrosis around the abdominal incision, leaving the wound unable to heal properly. Omar repeatedly asked, in broken English, "Will I get better?" Her eyes reflected both fear and fragile hope.

"As long as we don't give up, there is hope," Liu reassured her gently, encouraging improved nutrition and gradual movement to strengthen recovery.

Daily wound care became part of Liu's routine. When specialized medical supplies ran low, she improvised with available resources. Conventional treatments showed limited results, prompting Liu to recall her experience in China using ichthammol ointment to soften hardened infected tissue.

After confirming the ointment was available in the hospital pharmacy, she introduced it cautiously, instructing the patient to apply it several times a day.

The results were encouraging. Within a week, the wound began to soften, and necrotic tissue gradually sloughed off. Two weeks later, healthy granulation tissue appeared. With visible improvement, Liu planned a wound-closure surgery. Limited resources and emergency cases delayed the procedure repeatedly, stretching the wait to three weeks.

When surgery finally took place, it proved far more complex than expected. Long-term infection had rendered the tissue extremely fragile, tearing easily under minimal tension. What was expected to take 20 minutes lasted two hours, as Liu sutured carefully, bit by bit, her surgical gown soaked with sweat.

Recovery exceeded expectations, and the patient was soon cleared for discharge. When Liu told her she could go home within a week, Omar grasped her hand tightly and said through tears, "To remember you forever, I will name my daughter 'Liu.' That way, I will never forget you."

"In such a distant land, a mother gives my surname to her child. This trust and gratitude are overwhelming," Liu said, calling it the most precious gift she had received during her overseas medical mission.

Omar has since fully recovered. She later returned to the hospital with her baby to visit the Chinese doctor who helped save her life. Her husband, Mohammed Omar Talib, said the family remains deeply grateful.

"Since the operation, my wife has been doing well, although she is recovering slowly," Talib told Xinhua. "The child is also doing well, and she is breastfeeding well."

Talib, a businessman from Ukupini village in Mkoani district on Pemba Island, praised the Chinese medical team for their professionalism and compassion.

"The Chinese medical team demonstrated exceptional dedication, expertise, and tireless effort in saving my wife's life," he said. "Though I have no material way to repay them, I offer my heartfelt prayers for their long lives and for the enduring friendship between China and Tanzania."

As the sun sets over Pemba Island, baby Liu sleeps peacefully in her mother's arms, her name a lasting symbol of trust, gratitude, and the enduring friendship forged through medical cooperation between China and Africa. ■