Chapter 53 Premier Zhou who worried about the health of the people on May 2nd

During the war years, I have been engaged in health work in the army, and I have not had much contact with Comrade Zhou Enlai, but his name, like Mao Zedong, Zhu De and other leading comrades, has a huge magnet attraction for me. After the founding of New China, after five years of study in the Soviet Union, I was transferred to work in a government department, and I have been working under the direct leadership of Comrade Zhou Enlai ever since. Whether it was when I was the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Health and the Deputy Minister of the Second Ministry of Machinery, or when I was the Minister of the Ministry of Health, I had the honor to have many contacts with Premier Zhou and listen to his teachings with my own ears.

Therefore, I have personally experienced the Prime Minister's high moral character, serious and responsible spirit, rigorous work attitude, and scientific working methods. The work of our Ministry of Health is one of the departments that Premier Zhou devoted most of his time to. On the occasion of commemorating the 90th anniversary of Premier Zhou's birth, I would like to look back on a few events that are still fresh in my memory, and relive the teaching and care of Premier Zhou. Comrade Zhou Enlai, as the prime minister, has a lot to do every day. When I first came into contact with him, I was surprised that he was so familiar with the work of the Ministry of Health and the cadres of the Ministry of Health. It was only later that I gradually understood the mystery.Whenever the Ministry of Health asks for instructions from the central government and the State Council, reports on its work, and sends documents to the Prime Minister's office, his usual practice is to bring the party members of the Ministry of Health to his office for a meeting.Few people attended, and he presided over the meeting with only a secretary to take notes.It can be seen that the Prime Minister not only carefully read the document before the meeting, but also considered the issues mentioned in the document.But he was never in a hurry to make a conclusion, but always asked the situation first, and then asked questions for everyone to answer.Although the atmosphere of the meeting was democratic and harmonious, everyone still felt nervous in front of the Prime Minister.This is because the Prime Minister asked about the situation in detail and the questions he raised were highly targeted. Therefore, only after doing research and understanding the situation can the answers to the questions be relevant.At this time, the Prime Minister not only listened carefully, but also encouraged the speaker to continue speaking.On the contrary, if he does not understand the situation and speaks empty words, he will ask the speaker to stop and listen to others.Finally, the Prime Minister made a conclusion based on everyone's opinions and his own considerations.I have participated in many meetings held by the Prime Minister personally, such as discussing the prevention and treatment of diseases that endanger people's health, the issue of focusing on medical and health work in rural areas, research on the prevention and treatment of malaria, schistosomiasis and other medicines, research on the production of contraceptives, etc. .Under the leadership of the Prime Minister, a special team was also organized to study and solve chronic bronchitis, epidemic encephalitis and other prevention and treatment issues, and instructed to set up special personnel to study occupational diseases.Every time I participated in the meeting, I gained a lot. Not only did we have a clear answer to the questions we asked for instructions, but also solved the thorny problems encountered in the work.Over time, I gradually realized that this is an excellent way for the Prime Minister to understand the situation, inspect cadres, train cadres, and educate cadres to overcome bureaucracy.Because people who don't know business and don't understand the suffering of the masses will never satisfy the Prime Minister, and it is even more difficult for bureaucrats to muddle through in front of the Prime Minister.He held such a meeting itself is doing research.Through one meeting, he not only fully grasped the phased work situation of the Ministry of Health, but also conducted a strict inspection of the work situation, work attitude and ability of our leading cadres, and urged us to learn Marxism, constantly go deep into reality, investigate Research and do a good job.

Anyone who has been in contact with the Prime Minister can tell many touching stories about his meticulous care for the people.What left a deep impression on me in this regard was an incident that occurred before the explosion of our country's third atomic bomb.At two o'clock that night, I suddenly received a call from the prime minister's office asking me to go to a meeting immediately.After the meeting started, the Prime Minister said: "According to the original plan, a nuclear test will be conducted at 5:00 a.m. today, and the third atomic bomb will be detonated. However, after seeing the weather forecast materials, I found that the current wind direction has changed from the original forecast wind direction. , In this way, it is possible that the time for the explosion dust to drift across the continent will be prolonged, so I invite you here to study whether the experiment can be carried out as planned?" Since the original test time is only a few hours away, everyone had a tense discussion.In my speech, I introduced the U.S. nuclear explosion test in Bikinia Island, the monitoring materials on the pollution of my country’s South China Sea fishing grounds, and the monitoring materials on the impact of the Soviet Union’s nuclear test on the population and sheep in northern Xinjiang, my country, and proposed the tonnage of the test and the The timing of the dust drift may be similar to that after the US-Soviet test.The Prime Minister immediately said: "These two investigation materials are of great reference value. If you have no other opinions, we will proceed with the original plan." Strict precautions must be taken.The comrades present told the Prime Minister that the people in the relevant areas have been notified to be ready.The Prime Minister solicited opinions from the comrades present, and at the same time analyzed the possible pollution of water sources and vegetables, and proposed specific measures.Afterwards, the Prime Minister asked the secretary to inform Gansu Province and relevant departments of the situation discussed at the meeting to do preventive work.Although the prime minister occupies a high position, he never decides issues arbitrarily.As the prime minister, he has the full right to decide on issues, even at critical moments, he still insists on listening to the opinions of lower-level cadres, and analyzes and solves problems with a serious and responsible attitude of seeking truth from facts and respecting science.In addition, the nuclear test at that time not only marked the development level of my country's science and technology, but more importantly, it had great political significance.But I realized from the Prime Minister's attitude at that time that if everyone thought that the nuclear test would affect the safety of the people, his decision would be to stop it instead of proceeding.The prime minister's public servant spirit of putting the interests of the masses first and never forgetting the people is always worthy of our inheritance and development.

After I became the Minister of Health, the Prime Minister talked to me in early 1965 and made a comprehensive instruction on health work.I feel that the Prime Minister's instructions are strategic decisions to promote the development of my country's health care and improve the health of the people based on my country's national conditions and after careful consideration.If we can persist in implementing the Prime Minister's vision without the interference and destruction of the ten-year catastrophe, our country's health care will have a great development.The Prime Minister has always emphasized the principle of putting prevention first. The first question in this talk is the prevention and control of diseases that seriously endanger the health of the masses.In his speech, he analyzed in detail the incidence and prevalence of intestinal infectious diseases, plague and schistosomiasis at that time, and warned us to prevent and control them seriously and not to relax.He asked us to make a plan of which diseases to eliminate in the third five-year plan and in the next 15 years.Regarding planning issues, he instructed: To break the previous frame of pre-determined numbers, we should first formulate strategic plans, look at the main things to be done first, and then make specific arrangements based on the country's financial, human, and material resources.In the planning, it is necessary to highlight the key points, act according to our capabilities, and concentrate our efforts to fight the war of annihilation.It is necessary to promote new technologies, advocate self-reliance, and do all undertakings with diligence and thrift.Dare to break the old frame, free yourself from annual planning, and oppose cumbersome philosophy.The Prime Minister had been the director of the Central Patriotic Health Movement Committee during his lifetime, and he was very concerned about mobilizing the masses to participate in the Patriotic Health Movement.He proposed that according to the situation in various places, mass health campaigns should be carried out four times a year and small ones several times.To make full use of the power of students.Newspapers should cooperate with publicity to promote the development of health campaigns.The masses should learn some hygiene knowledge by participating in patriotic health campaigns. For example, in places where meningitis occurs, the masses should know the simple preventive measures such as frequent drying of quilts and opening windows.At the same time, it is also necessary to promote physical exercise and enhance physical fitness.Now some comrades are not in good health and often fall ill, mainly because of lack of exercise.The health department should carry out publicity, explain the truth, and develop some simple and easy exercise methods; the sports committee should be the main body, and the health department should cooperate.Don't fill in the form to count any figures. What's the use of just making figures in the health campaign?The Prime Minister emphasized that the focus of the rural sanitation campaign is to "manage manure and water".He also said that Vice Prime Minister Tan Zhenlin has instructed the agricultural sector to combine production with manure and do a good job in manure management, and the Ministry of Health should start from improving sanitation and cooperate with the agricultural sector.

The Prime Minister has always cared about the cause of Chinese medicine in our country.When talking about Chinese medicine, he said earnestly: "Chinese and Western medicine have their own strengths. We must emphasize unity, advocate mutual learning, learn from each other's strengths, and improve together. We must never practice one kind of doctor or one kind of medicine, and we must follow the path of combining Chinese and Western medicine. It has been more than 20 years since Chairman Mao proposed to create a unified new medicine and new pharmacy in our country. The Ministry of Health must seriously grasp the integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine. Although some people have different worldviews, they have real talents, experience, and can cure diseases. We must play their role." The Prime Minister is also very concerned about the family planning work.Although the family planning work was still a very sensitive issue at the time, he still strongly supported the work in the conversation.He pointed out that there must be several regulations, and the pilot projects should be carried out first in cities and densely populated rural areas. At present, it is mainly to focus on the cities, and combine the rural areas with doctors to go to the countryside, and carry out step by step and focus.For technical guidance and training of cadres, the health department must pay attention to it, and must also order several items.Family planning is a big deal, and we need to have a plan and do it well.The Prime Minister has repeatedly stressed the need to continue research on the production of safer and more effective contraceptives.

In this conversation, the Prime Minister talked about how to do a good job in rural sanitation.He has careful consideration of both short-term measures and long-term deployment.According to the general shortage of medical personnel in rural areas of our country at that time, he advocated the support of urban medical personnel for rural health work.He said that this is an important way to improve the level of medical services in rural areas of our country.When medical personnel from cities go to the countryside, they can prevent and treat diseases for the peasants on the one hand, and on the other hand, they can help rural health personnel at the grass-roots level to improve their skills, so that medical and health work can take root in the countryside.Among urban medical staff, at least 80% of the medical staff can be rotated, except those who cannot go down due to old age, illness or other reasons. In about five years, they can generally be rotated once, and the content and methods can be continuously improved.It is necessary to mobilize party members, young people, and advanced elements to take the lead in going to mountainous and remote areas.The Prime Minister also instructed that the development of rural health services must accelerate the training of doctors for rural areas.To this end, the training method should be changed.Some three-year schools can be established, and they can be divided into two types: one recruits high school students, and the other recruits junior high school students.Students can be recruited from the cities, or they can come from the countryside and return to the countryside. It is necessary to break the old framework and make the education form suitable for the development of rural health work.In addition, set up some research institutes and select some personnel who have been trained in practical work and have excellent political, ideological and technical levels for further study and improvement.If you have experience in actual work, you can conduct special research and training on a certain issue. The time can be determined according to the specific situation.The existing rural doctors (Chinese medicine or Western medicine) must be improved in a planned and step-by-step manner.In short, the training of rural health personnel should be strengthened, but formula and uniformity should be opposed.The Prime Minister also emphasized the need to gradually establish a three-level medical network above the district level, communes and production teams.The issue of remuneration for health workers in production teams must be properly resolved, otherwise the health teams at the grassroots level in rural areas will be unstable.

Looking back on the development of my country's rural health services, I feel that despite being seriously affected by the "Left" erroneous tendencies, and the "Gang of Four" even under the pretext of "putting the focus of medical and health work in the countryside", they persecuted workers for no reason. The vast number of cadres and intellectuals in the health work have caused huge losses to the health work in our country, but how can they be misleading? !Practice has proved that Premier Zhou's idea of ​​developing my country's rural health services is scientific and has important practical and historical significance.Following the direction set by Premier Zhou, after years of hard work, my country's rural health care has made gratifying achievements and has received international attention and praise.

Premier Zhou's concern for health work is meticulous, and his instructions are rich and extensive, but what I have mentioned is just a drop in the ocean. It is difficult for my article to cover the many contributions of the Premier, nor can I finish my memories of Premier Zhou. I would like to write down the two or three things that I have personally experienced, and bring them into the sea of ​​memories of the whole party and the whole country. I will commemorate and learn from the prime minister with everyone, and contribute to the realization of the grand goal set by the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.