healthcare

• Health provision- Public health was extremely basic. Missionaries and charities had brought Western medicine to China and in the 1920s-30s, more docters were trained and more hospitals opened. Many still relied on traditional Chinese medicine like acupuncture and herbalism. Healthcare in rural areas was almost non-existant and spending on health was not a priority. Spending on healthcare in the budget never rose above 2.6% until 1956.
• Effectiveness of health policy- The party decided the priority was the prevention of disease rather than cures. Cadres were trained to show peasants how to prevent disease through sanitation and hygiene. Patriotic Health Campaigns sent teams of CCP workers to educate illiterate peasants with one campaign focused on preventing worms through snail carriers as depicted in leaflets and posters. Smallpox, cholera, plague and leprosy were mostly eliminated and cases of parasitic diseases were reduced. Terror campaigns against drugs and criminals reduced the numbers of addicts.
• Improvement in health- During the GLF, communes established medical clinics. The state funded over 800 Western-style hospitals and the number of trained doctors using moder techniques rose from 40000 in 1949 to 150000 in 1965. By the 1960s, medical schools saw 25000 new doctors annually. From 1949-57, the life expectancy rose from 36 to 57.
• The barefoot doctors- The antis campaigns and CR disrupted medical intellectuals as they were purged. Western hosptials resided in cities so the countryside had limited access. Mao denounced hospitals as for 'urban lords only'. To solve this, barefoot doctors were trained: youths were sent to receive training, often without shoes, hence their name. The youths were trained intensively for 6 months with basic medical skills. They provided basic healthcare due to lack of equipment and medicine. Jung Chang was a barefoot doctor and only read 'A Barefoot Doctor's Manual' before being sent away.
• Impact of the barefoot doctors- The scheme provided the best healthcare that rural peasants had ever experienced. The training was adequate enough to treat common problems. The rudimentary doctors were better than none at all as they challenged traditional practises and basic care to rural areas. By 1973, over 1 million new doctors had been trained.
• The Women's Federation- A health campaign for mothers found they had poor midwifery practises with unsterilised equipment. Cow dung was used to dress the umbilical cord. Postpartum care was bad also with mothers often weak and therefore not feeding their child. The backward birthing practises in one village led to an infant mortality rate of 38%. The Federation emphasised cleanliness, prenatal check-ups and having the mother lie down when in labour. Midwifery stations were established. Due to this, fertility rose and infant mortality declined.