BEIJING, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Gu Chaoshan is exulted
these days. One month ago, the 62-year-old farmer from north China's Hebei
Province felt suffocated all of a sudden, sweating and losing his breath. His
son promptly dialed the town hospital. In 10 minutes, he was sent to a first-aid
room, diagnosed as suffering from paroxysmal miocardial infarction, and was
saved.
First-aid calls, most popular in Chinese cities, was
something new to farmers in Guzhuang Village, Anzhai Township, Quzhou County.
"If I had such illness in the old days, I would have
to go a long way to the county hospital," said Gu. "Nowadays, I am treated in
the neighborhood in great convenience, saving a lot of money."
Glad of his recovery, Gu was often reminded of an
incident 28 years ago. In 1980, his best friend in the village fell ill with the
same symptoms. He died on the way to the county hospital.
"We had to send him to the county seat because the
village and township had poor medical facilities," said Gu, with bitter hatred.
"For a long period, the township hospital remained
shabby. The village clinic existed in name. The medical equipment was simple and
outdated. The doctors were actually unqualified."
The rural healthcare system was once a core element
of Chinese socialism. After the founding of the People's Republic of China
in1949, rural people had access to subsidized health clinics run by "barefoot
doctors," who were basically middle-school students trained in first aid.
The primitive service, essentially free, played a
role in doubling the country's average life expectancy from 35 years in 1949 to
68 years in 1978.
When China began its economic reform in the early
1980s, the system was dismantled as the country attempted to switch to a
market-oriented healthcare system. But the government failed to establish a
viable substitute, leaving its large rural population without health insurance.
A national health survey in 2003 revealed about 73
percent of people in rural areas who should have sought medical treatment chose
not to do so because of the fear of high costs.
China has a rural population of 737 million,
accounting for 56percent of its total population. The per capita net income of
farmers reached 4,140 yuan (606 U.S. dollars) in 2007.
The plight of Chinese farmers has provoked national leaders to move to restore rural medical cooperatives and to establish a nationwide safety net of minimal medical insurance.
