The Chinese Medicines and Health Foundation (CMHF) has donated 3
million yuan (about US$395,000) to the Ministry of Health for
awarding outstanding doctors working in rural hospitals and
village-based clinics.
Chen Xiaohong, vice minister of health, praised the foundation
for its contribution to promoting medical services in rural areas,
and he pledged to well use every cent of the donation.
In 2005 and 2006, the ministry appointed 200 rural doctors as
"National Excellent Rural Doctors" every year, each awarded a prize
of 5,000 yuan (about US$658), for their contribution to serving
villagers.
The CMHF's donation will be used for awarding rural doctors in
the coming three years.
The candidates are those who have worked in rural medical
institutions for 10 years or more and are currently still working
in rural clinics.
The foundation was set up a year and half ago, with Wang Yanfeng
as its chairman.
So far, the foundation has donated 50 million yuan (about
US$658,000) for training over 7,000 rural doctors and carrying out
disease control and prevention programs in Hebei, Henan, Guangdong,
Guizhou and Jiangsu provinces and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous
Region, involving 20 million rural beneficiaries.
As of the end of 2006, China has 1.06 million rural people
working in medical institutions in the countryside, including
906,000 rural doctors.
(Xinhua News Agency August 31, 2007)