SHENYANG -- A Chinese medical team departed on Nov 8 from Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, for Gambia on a three-month mission to assist the West African country's fight against COVID-19.

The team consists of nine medics from the province, specializing in the fields of critical care, infectious diseases and respiratory medicine.

Meanwhile, another team of 10 medical experts left Shenyang for Gambia on the same day on a year-long mission.

The experts, specializing in gynecology, general surgery, orthopedics, anesthesia, pediatrics and other fields, will offer assistance to improve the West African country's overall health care system.

From May 2017, Liaoning began to dispatch medical teams to Gambia for medical assistance. So far, the province has sent four batches of 42 medical personnel to the country.