Yang Pengcheng weighs traditional Chinese medicine in Baoding, north China's Hebei Province, Dec. 30, 2022.(Xinhua)
SHIJIAZHUANG, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- Yang Pengcheng, a rural doctor in north China's Hebei Province, has been on a tight schedule lately, delivering medicine to 50 or 60 households with COVID-19 patients a day.
"Although it's hard work, the needs of the villagers are the driving force for us doctors, and this is also our duty. So it doesn't feel difficult," said Yang from Zhujiayu Village, Quyang County, in the city of Baoding.
On the interview day, Dr. Yang's work began by decocting traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for the patients.
"This kind of TCM is decocted according to the formula recommended by the county's health bureau and according to each patient's conditions," he noted.
After that, the veteran doctor embarked on a long trip, delivering the boiled TCM to the patients from house to house.
He also brought his usual medical bag with antipyretic medicine, and his sphygmomanometer, pulse oximeter, thermometer, and stethoscope to check the patients' health conditions.
The 50-year-old has provided medical support for 28 years in Zhujiayu Village.
Even in winter, with the temperature below minus 10 degrees Celsius, Dr. Yang, with chapped hands, wears only a white working uniform, which he refers to as "a work habit."
In China, rural doctors are indispensable, called "guardians" of people's health. With China having recently optimized relevant COVID response measures, the health of people in rural areas has become a big concern for many and an unprecedented challenge faced by village doctors.
"Not so long ago, my whole family contracted COVID-19. So I called our village doctors, and they brought us TCM decoctions and other Western medicine," said Yang Shaokun, a villager.
"In the following days, they called us to ask about our conditions. With village doctors here, we are confident we will overcome the epidemic. Now that we have all recovered, we are not afraid of COVID-19. We are happily preparing for the Chinese Lunar New Year now," said Yang Shaokun in a cheerful tune.
In Baoding, there are more than 7,700 rural doctors like Yang Pengcheng. In Zhujiayu Village alone, 12 rural doctors protect the health of more than 6,500 villagers, including over 600 elderly aged 65 and above, many of whom have difficulty walking.
Night had fallen when Dr. Yang wrapped up his visits and returned to the clinic. Without much rest, he began to prepare herbal decoctions to be delivered to patients the following morning.
"Village doctors play an important role in epidemic prevention and control," said Wang Xuehui, head of the local health bureau, adding that on the township level, there are 43 patrolling medical teams to carry out inspections.
"For those patients faced with higher risk, we will immediately contact hospitals at the county level to transfer them there for further treatment," Wang said. ■
