I’m honored to introduce my Angolan medical colleagues: Piedoso and Alberto. They are among the very small number of national medical school graduates, and also among the tiny fraction of these who then choose to serve their low-income compatriots in settings like CEML Hospital. In 1989, when I first came to live Angola, my priority was to provide excellent, compassionate care for as many as possible. But very quickly I realized that the future of this nation’s healthcare actually lies in the hand of citizens like Piedoso and Alberto, rather than in expats like myself.
One of this century’s most revolutionary international health advances is the growing prioritization of equipping national health leaders like these two men. INMED and CEML Hospital are intentionally and actively pursuing this vision: INMED through our Professional Certificate Courses offered in China, and CEML through development of its medical internship for young physicians. What strides are you and your organization taking toward a similar end? I look forward to hearing your own accounts!