Nanjing: Twelve Namibian medical specialists were welcomed during an opening ceremony for the Jiangsu Training Programme for China-Africa Medical and Health Cooperation held in Nanjing on Tuesday. The specialists from the Khomas Region will participate in a 30-day training and exchange programme at the Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital.According to Namibia Press Agency, the initiative stems from a health cooperation Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2025, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the partnership between Jiangsu Province and the Khomas Region. In a video address at the ceremony, Khomas Governor Sam Nujoma highlighted that the Namibian specialists will engage in hands-on clinical observation designed to enhance specialised healthcare in Namibia. Nujoma expressed confidence that this programme will improve clinical standards in Namibian hospitals and strengthen the enduring friendship between the two regions.Shen Yanfei, Deputy Director-General of the Foreign Affairs Office of Jiangsu, remarked that the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and African nations, as well as the official China-Africa Year of Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges, will be celebrated this year. "This training programme serves as a concrete practice to implement the arrangements of the year and deepen subnational medical exchanges," he said.Xia Haiming, Party Secretary of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, stated that the hospital has established a teaching team comprising key professionals from various disciplines to address the healthcare needs of the Khomas Region. "Through theoretical lectures, case discussions and on-site observation, the training programme will share mature clinical technologies, diagnosis and treatment standards and management experience, building a bridge for medical exchanges between the two regions," he said.The 12 Namibian participants from institutions such as Windhoek Central Hospital, Katutura Intermediate Hospital, and the School of Medicine at the University of Namibia, sp ecialise in fields including intensive care medicine, neonatology, oncology, orthopaedics, radiology, mental health, and hospital administration. Dr Juanita Naobeb, an anaesthesia and intensive care specialist at Windhoek Central Hospital and participant representative, stated that the training programme offers much more than just an overseas training opportunity. "It is an investment in the future development of healthcare in Namibia," she said. Naobeb said she looks forward to learning from medical practitioners in Jiangsu.