Border Town’s People Covered by Medical Treatment

By Zhang Wencheng

"Generally speaking, the patient is better than the two days ago, but he still can't eat greasy food now. After leaving the hospital, he will be not allowed to eat things of this kind for a long time", Zhou Yi, chief physician of the gastroenterology department from Shanghai Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital, is making a ward round in Funing County People's Hospital to check the patients' recovery and give careful instructions.

In recent years, Hongkou has sent health experts to Funing County every year. Those doctors in the medical frontline of Yunnan Province warmly helped the people in the border town to get medical treatment.

Leaving knowledge and skills there

Funing County is located in the southeast of Yunnan Province, bordering Ha Giang Province in the south, and at the junction of three provinces and ten counties of the two countries. It is an important gateway from Yunnan province to Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guangdong Province and other coastal areas. This year, Hongkou has sent 8 doctors to the four counties in Wenshan.

Zhou Yi is a typical little girl in Shanghai. She is optimistic and cheerful. At the beginning, she was not used to eating and living. However, after several visits to the countryside and free clinics, she was moved by the simple and kind people there. She thought that she should benefit people as much as possible with her professional skill within the limited time, and she had better teach some knowledge and skills to the local doctors. "Many patients here suffer diseases including peptic ulcer, liver cirrhosis, gastrointestinal bleeding. Besides, some suffer from gout caused by drinking. After I came here, I did more endoscopic therapy. It is hoped that more experts and doctors from various fields will come here to improve the medical treatment and help the people in the border areas in the aspects of software and hardware", Zhou Yi said.

The operations that can't be done have been done

Consultation, ward round, discussion with colleagues… In addition to Zhou Yi, Wang Jun, an orthopedic physician in Shanghai No. 4 People's Hospital, came to Yunnan. He said that he focused on operation aids, including joint replacement surgery, as required by the local hospital. "Now the information is developed, and the medical situation is much better than before. I hope that they can do better in the basic hygiene and health education, so that people can have a thorough change in their concepts."

Wei Xuetang, chief of the general Party branch and president of Funing County People's Hospital in Wenshan Prefecture, Yunnan Province, said: "With the help of doctors from Shanghai, some operations can be done, such as laparoscopic surgery, orthopedic surgery, gastroscopy and so on. All of these have been effective. In the past, all the diseases that could not be treated here were transferred to Class III A hospitals in Baise and other cities. In recent years, with the aid of doctors from Shanghai, the situation is much better now. Many serious diseases can be treated within the county."

Over the years, with the help of Hongkou, the health aid work of Funing County has been promoted to a high level. According to statistics, the district organized five groups of experts in education, health and emergency to give lectures to 2,422 person times in 2019; it organized 2 groups of 28 person times of education and health professionals to study in Shanghai; and it carried out 44 batches of 5,042 person times in trainings in supporting medical and teaching services. In addition, Hongkou has newly connected with 5 hospitals in the corresponding counties and organized various activities including supporting medicine and education, exchange visits, professional trainings and the "Hand-in-Hand" national unity. In the future, a steady stream of Hongkou doctors will go to the medical front line of Yunnan province for poverty alleviation, bringing more advanced ideas and new hopes about medical treatment for the local people.