Son follows in the footsteps of 'barefoot doctor' father

LANZHOU－As a child, Li Xiaoyan was so inspired by his father's work as a "barefoot doctor" that he decided to carry on his work of treating residents in a mountain village in Gansu province.

In the 1960s, Li Kewei, now 76, was one of thousands of farmers who received basic medical training to look after the health of millions of people in rural areas.

Li Xiaoyan, 48, remembers his father always carried an old wooden medical kit and was on call around the clock for his patients. On rainy days, he waded through mud and water barefoot from his home in Yangou village, Wangchuan township, to reach his patients.

"At that time, villagers relied on these part-time medics when they were ill. Hospitals were too far away and expensive," Li Xiaoyan said.

"My father would often offer free help to patients in financial difficulty," he said, adding the villagers usually gave him fresh fruit and food as tokens of their gratitude.

Li Xiaoyan finished his medical training at Gansu University of Chinese Medicine in 2000 and returned to his hometown to follow in his father's footsteps. Li Kewei retired from his medical work in 2002.

By then, the country's rural medical system had undergone a remarkable change, driven by government funding. A large number of barefoot doctors had also trained to become licensed practitioners.

In 2012, the first clinic was established in Yangou, and Li Xiaoyan was appointed as one of the first registered doctors. He works from a well-equipped office and does not have to always go see his patients as his father did.

He is part of the household-based healthcare system, providing treatment as a family doctor to the villagers. He is also responsible for epidemic prevention and monitoring.

"There are 1,535 residents in Yangou village, most of whom are elderly people with chronic diseases living by themselves. So I need to keep an eye on their conditions," Li Xiaoyan said.

One of his patients, Li Furong, reported a loss of appetite and weight. After preliminary treatment, Li Xiaoyan accompanied the 51-year-old to a city hospital for further examination.

"I was diagnosed with a tumor in my stomach. I was so lucky to come in time for surgery and I am now recovering," Li Furong said.

In recent years, Gansu has opened 14,080 village clinics, 1,158 township hospitals and 75 county-level public hospitals in impoverished areas, according to the provincial health commission.

Patients with common diseases are diagnosed and treated at primary-level healthcare institutions.

Wang Xinglong, director of Wangchuan's central hospital, said when more difficult procedures are required, village doctors can be guided by specialists via video links.

Li Xiaoyan, who has an annual income of over 50,000 yuan ($7,140), treats 3,000 cases a year.

Last year, his daughter Li Yurong was admitted to Dingxi Teachers College, majoring in nursing. She also plans to carry on the family tradition of caring for the sick.

Xinhua