Medical Education and Care in People's Republic of China

Abstract

In a personal visit to the People's Republic of China, as a guest of the China Medical Association (simultaneous invitations were extended to Dr. and Mrs. Paul Dudley White, Dr. and Mrs. Samuel Rosen, Dr. and Mrs. Victor W. Sidel, and my wife, Mary Clark Dimond, and myself) in September 1971, I was asked to list areas in which I had special interest. These were medical education, medical care, and acupuncture. Our hosts did their best to make these areas available. Language is the obvious barrier and one's mobility is defined by the agenda. I was able to visit the following health facilities and in addition have perhaps 30 hours of individual and group discussion with physicians: Kwangtung Provincial People's Hospital, Canton; Hsinhua People's Commune (Hospital, Dispensary, Brigade, Barefoot Doctor), Kwangtung; Tungfanghung Kindergarten (Infirmary, Dispensary), Canton; Canton Deaf-Mute School, Canton; Fu Wai Hospital, Peking; Fan Di Hospital, Peking; Third Teaching Hospital, Peking Medical College, Peking; Peking Medical College (Medicine and Pharmacy), Peking; Textile Mill (Hospital, Dispensary, School, Housing), Peking; Library, China Medical Association, Peking; Library, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking; Institute Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Science, Peking.