Medicare Service After 1951

　　The period from the peaceful liberation of Tibet in 1951 to the Democratic Reform in Tibet in 1959 marked the pioneering stage of the medicare service undertakings in the remote region. During this period, the PLA and the PRC Ministry of Public Health sent large groups of medical workers into Tibet. They included the medical teams from northwest and southwest China, which went in 1951. In the following year, the Ministry of the Public Health of the Central People's Government organized the Qamdo Ethnic Health Work Team which was sent into Tibet. In July the same year, the Clinic of the No.3 Qamdo Office of the PLA was demobilized to become the Qamdo People's Hospital. To cope with the growing need for medical treatment, the hospital joined hands with the Qamdo Ethnic Health Work Team in January of the following year. The Lhasa People's Hospital was founded on September 9, 1952. In March 1953, the Central People's Government organized a 125-member Health Team of the Ministry of the Public Health, which was sent into Tibet in two groups. They included Gao Lun, a famous surgeon, and Wang Chuanwen, a famous gynaecologist. The same year saw the PLA troops in Tibet dispatch its medical orderlies to Qamdo, Denqeng, Gyangze, Bome and Ngari. By 1954, there were more than 300 medical workers who went from China's hinterland to Tibet; 17 percent of them were demobilized PLA medical orderlies. The Ministry of the Public Health of the Central People's Government also assigned graduates from medical schools or sent hospital doctors to Tibet. In the mid-1950s, hospitals and clinics mushroomed in Xigaze, Gyangze, Nyingchi, Shannan, Nagqu and Ngari. By early 1959, there were 62 medical institutions in Tibet. They boasted 480 beds and 791 doctors and other medical workers.

　　In July 1953, the Detachment of the 18th Army of the PLA set up the Public Health Office, assuming unified administration over the Western medicinal work in Tibet. The local government exercised management over the traditional Tibetan medicinal work. Two years later, the Public Health Office held the First Health Work Conference of Tibet. The conference set forth the principle of "developing the health cause in Tibet in a planned and steady way, cultivating public health workers of ethnic groups, uniting with the Tibetan medicinal practitioners, strengthening health publicity, improving the quality of medical work on the existing basis, greatly eliminating medical incidents, and further expanding the mass work". Under the guidance of this principle, the broad masses of the medical workers worked with might and main to serve the Tibetans. Scientific Western medical diagnosis and treatment technology was adopted. Some contagious and endemic diseases were brought under control.
　　
　　The Central Government has since the peaceful liberation of Tibet in 1951 been practicing free medicare in Tibet. This played a special role in winning over the broad masses of the Tibetans. Medical workers strove to relieve the pains of the sick. Wherever they went, they opened the medical kits carried on horse backs to treat the sick. When there was the need to conduct surgical operation, tents were put up for the purpose. Mobile medical teams were also organized to visit the locals and those in the rural and pastoral areas. At that time, however, Tibetan separatists created rumors and even ambushed the medical workers. This forced the PLA to escort medical workers during their field work. Some died as a result. For instance, when 16 medical workers of the Clinic of the PLA Tibet Military Area were sent to Xigaze for free medical treatment on September 17, 1958, they were killed by the Tibetan separatists on way back home.

　　The period from the Democratic Reform in 1959 to the first half of 1966 marked a steady development of the medicare work in Tibet. During this stage, medical institutions were reinforced and large numbers of ethnic medical workers cultivated; various inland medial workers continued to go working in Tibet. By 1965, there were 193 medical institutions in the whole region, representing a 3 II percent increase over the pre-1959 period. The number of hospital beds increased to 1,631, a 340 percent increase. The number of health workers rose to 2,947, a 373 percent increase. Funds involved in medicare shot up from 2.208 million yuan to 6.968 million yuan, a 216 percent increase.

　　Developing medicare service in Tibet met with setbacks during the nationwide "cultural revolution" (1966-76). However, medical workers went on serving the folks. In July 1973, on order from the late Premier Zhou Enlai, the State Council organized a medical team composed of medical workers from eight provinces and municipalities into Tibet. Medicare situation resumed order following the end of the chaotic "cultural revolution." Efforts were made to modernize the work. Health work entered a new stage in Tibet.