Rural CPC member's contribution is family tradition
chinadaily.com.cn, 09-21-2017
Liu Guizhen travels on foot to visit her patients at Liangjiadian village, which is a 30-minute walk from her own, in North China's Shanxi province on June 13, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]
The 54-year-old's arms are strong and muscled with blue serpent-like veins standing out, a legacy of her time. Standing at 1.53 meters tall and weighing up to 40 kilograms, Liu Guizhen has played multiple roles on an everyday basis.
Though petite, Liu is a giant of a woman who has shouldered the responsibilities of being a doctor, teacher, Party secretary and head of Duanjiawan village in North China's Shanxi province for decades.
It is a remote mountainside village of 54 residents living 8-kilometers away from a small-town clinic. Locals usually tough it out rather than see a doctor when they get sick. Before Liu, if people with severe illness needed medical treatment, they might wait to make the journey to the clinic until doing so became a last resort.
It was on a day in 1978 when the then-15-year-old was involved in a car accident on her way to sit the annual national college entrance exam.
"It was pure coincidence but frustrating because I missed the exam," said Liu.
As the only high school graduate in the village, Liu was chosen to be trained as a rural health practitioner.
From learning basic medical skills to handling cases on her own, Liu always kept herself informed about the latest medical developments and healthcare reform.
This came into play in 2007 when one of her patients, Chen Zhiliang, was suffering from a serious illness. Liu arranged medical insurance for him under China's new rural cooperative medical system that helped cover half of Chen's 30,000-yuan ($4,500) medical bill.
In addition, she sells medicines and prescription drugs at the cost price.
"I have never thought of making money from the medicines, even though I'm as poor as my fellow villagers," said Liu, whose family's income relies heavily on farming.
"She is different from other rural medical practitioners, she never charges any fees," said a villager named Guo Zhigong.
Come rain or shine, day or night, Liu never minds being on-call or ready for after-hours visit when her patients need her.
To alleviate Liu's financial burden, the local government has granted her a public healthcare allowance of 400 yuan ($60) per month since 2012.
"Actually, I can don't need that money for my own expenses. Now, I can use it to ease the burden of medical charges of the needy," she said.
Liu Guizhen teaches a boy how to write a Chinese character at Wangjiahui Primary School, which merged with the school where Liu has served as a substitute teacher at Duanjiawan village in North China's Shanxi province on June 14, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]
In 1988, Liu was offered a position as a substitute teacher after the village's only teacher suddenly left, forcing dozens of school-aged children to drop out.
Liu said that's when her teaching career kicked off - and it is still going strong almost 30 years later.
Liu is not only a teacher and doctor, but also a friend who shares students' ups and downs, according to fifth-grade student Ding Xiujuan. She was reluctant to part from Liu when it was time to join most of her peers who moved to different schools in big cities due to limited grade levels.
In 1996, Liu was elected as the secretary of the CPC's village branch due to her years of commitment and dedication to the community. In 2003, Liu took on major double-duty role of being the village chief after her predecessor retired.
More responsibilities did not bring Liu a higher salary, but they did bring happiness.
"My true happiness lies in being needed, even if I'm earning 1,000 yuan ($150) monthly," Liu told the Beijing-based China Central Television.
In 2003, villagers, with the local government's help, were provided new houses in the town to relocate away from the area prone to natural disasters. But the elders felt attached to their native village and most were unwilling to move out.
"I will be there as long as there is one villager," Liu said, even though her family members have already prepared for her move to the new house.
To help locals out of poverty, Liu led them to grow pine saplings. Women who participate in the program saw their incomes increase by 2,000 yuan ($304) in 2016.
Liu said she was "deeply affected" by her late father, who was a Party member. Earlier in 1992, Liu followed in her father's footsteps to join the Party.
"I always remember his words of 'thinking of what other people need and serving unselfishly as a Party member'," Liu said when asked why she has stayed in the poor community for so many years and devoted so much to it.
"That's my life value and a family tradition handed down to me," said Liu, "I will teach my two daughters the same things my father did."
Accompanied by her younger daughter Yang Xingyu (R), Liu Guizhen carries water home at Duanjiawan village in North China's Shanxi province on June 14, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]
Liu Guizhen takes a patient's blood pressure at Liangjiadian village, which is a 30-minute walk from her own, in North China's Shanxi province on June 13, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]
Liu Guizhen (left) visits a patient living at Liangjiadian village, which is a 30-minute walk from her own, in North China's Shanxi province, June 13, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]
Liu Guizhen updates information about the poor households she serves at the Duanjiawan village, in North China's Shanxi province, June 13, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]
The picture, taken respectively on June 13 and 14, 2017, shows a comparison of Liu Guizhen's houses - the old house (upper photo) where She's lived for decades and the new one (lower photo) that she plans to move into. [Photo/Xinhua]
Liu Guizhen, with her husband Yang Hongsheng and her younger daughter, Yang Xingyu, weeds by hand at their farm at Duanjiawan village in North China's Shanxi province on June 13, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]
chinadaily.com.cn, 09-21-2017
Liu Guizhen travels on foot to visit her patients at Liangjiadian village, which is a 30-minute walk from her own, in North China's Shanxi province on June 13, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]
The 54-year-old's arms are strong and muscled with blue serpent-like veins standing out, a legacy of her time. Standing at 1.53 meters tall and weighing up to 40 kilograms, Liu Guizhen has played multiple roles on an everyday basis.
Though petite, Liu is a giant of a woman who has shouldered the responsibilities of being a doctor, teacher, Party secretary and head of Duanjiawan village in North China's Shanxi province for decades.
It is a remote mountainside village of 54 residents living 8-kilometers away from a small-town clinic. Locals usually tough it out rather than see a doctor when they get sick. Before Liu, if people with severe illness needed medical treatment, they might wait to make the journey to the clinic until doing so became a last resort.
It was on a day in 1978 when the then-15-year-old was involved in a car accident on her way to sit the annual national college entrance exam.
"It was pure coincidence but frustrating because I missed the exam," said Liu.
As the only high school graduate in the village, Liu was chosen to be trained as a rural health practitioner.
From learning basic medical skills to handling cases on her own, Liu always kept herself informed about the latest medical developments and healthcare reform.
This came into play in 2007 when one of her patients, Chen Zhiliang, was suffering from a serious illness. Liu arranged medical insurance for him under China's new rural cooperative medical system that helped cover half of Chen's 30,000-yuan ($4,500) medical bill.
In addition, she sells medicines and prescription drugs at the cost price.
"I have never thought of making money from the medicines, even though I'm as poor as my fellow villagers," said Liu, whose family's income relies heavily on farming.
"She is different from other rural medical practitioners, she never charges any fees," said a villager named Guo Zhigong.
Come rain or shine, day or night, Liu never minds being on-call or ready for after-hours visit when her patients need her.
To alleviate Liu's financial burden, the local government has granted her a public healthcare allowance of 400 yuan ($60) per month since 2012.
"Actually, I can don't need that money for my own expenses. Now, I can use it to ease the burden of medical charges of the needy," she said.
Liu Guizhen teaches a boy how to write a Chinese character at Wangjiahui Primary School, which merged with the school where Liu has served as a substitute teacher at Duanjiawan village in North China's Shanxi province on June 14, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]
In 1988, Liu was offered a position as a substitute teacher after the village's only teacher suddenly left, forcing dozens of school-aged children to drop out.
Liu said that's when her teaching career kicked off - and it is still going strong almost 30 years later.
Liu is not only a teacher and doctor, but also a friend who shares students' ups and downs, according to fifth-grade student Ding Xiujuan. She was reluctant to part from Liu when it was time to join most of her peers who moved to different schools in big cities due to limited grade levels.
In 1996, Liu was elected as the secretary of the CPC's village branch due to her years of commitment and dedication to the community. In 2003, Liu took on major double-duty role of being the village chief after her predecessor retired.
More responsibilities did not bring Liu a higher salary, but they did bring happiness.
"My true happiness lies in being needed, even if I'm earning 1,000 yuan ($150) monthly," Liu told the Beijing-based China Central Television.
In 2003, villagers, with the local government's help, were provided new houses in the town to relocate away from the area prone to natural disasters. But the elders felt attached to their native village and most were unwilling to move out.
"I will be there as long as there is one villager," Liu said, even though her family members have already prepared for her move to the new house.
To help locals out of poverty, Liu led them to grow pine saplings. Women who participate in the program saw their incomes increase by 2,000 yuan ($304) in 2016.
Liu said she was "deeply affected" by her late father, who was a Party member. Earlier in 1992, Liu followed in her father's footsteps to join the Party.
"I always remember his words of 'thinking of what other people need and serving unselfishly as a Party member'," Liu said when asked why she has stayed in the poor community for so many years and devoted so much to it.
"That's my life value and a family tradition handed down to me," said Liu, "I will teach my two daughters the same things my father did."
Accompanied by her younger daughter Yang Xingyu (R), Liu Guizhen carries water home at Duanjiawan village in North China's Shanxi province on June 14, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]
Liu Guizhen takes a patient's blood pressure at Liangjiadian village, which is a 30-minute walk from her own, in North China's Shanxi province on June 13, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]
Liu Guizhen (left) visits a patient living at Liangjiadian village, which is a 30-minute walk from her own, in North China's Shanxi province, June 13, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]
Liu Guizhen updates information about the poor households she serves at the Duanjiawan village, in North China's Shanxi province, June 13, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]
The picture, taken respectively on June 13 and 14, 2017, shows a comparison of Liu Guizhen's houses - the old house (upper photo) where She's lived for decades and the new one (lower photo) that she plans to move into. [Photo/Xinhua]
Liu Guizhen, with her husband Yang Hongsheng and her younger daughter, Yang Xingyu, weeds by hand at their farm at Duanjiawan village in North China's Shanxi province on June 13, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]
