The History, Current Status, and Future Prospects of Barefoot Doctors in China

1. The History, Current Status, and Future Prospects of Barefoot Doctors in China China Rural Health Association Dr. Wang Shucheng

3. Author synopsis • Education experience: March 1978 - In 1982, student of Bethune Medical University in Changchun City of clinical study 1988 - 1990 San Diego State University of United States • Work experience: In 1983 - 1999 Head of PHC Division in Ministry of Health 2000 – present China Deputy Director of Rural Health Association

4. The definition of barefoot doctors

5. The main contents of the report • Formation and Development of Barefoot Doctors in China • Current Situation • The Future of Village Doctors in China • Case study • Experience

6. Formation and Development of Barefoot Doctors in China

7. Formation and Development of Barefoot Doctors in China • First stage－1949 to 1965

8. Formation and Development of Barefoot Doctors in China • First stage－1949 to 1965 • Second stage－1966 to 1978

9. Formation and Development of Barefoot Doctors in China • First stage－1949 to 1965 • Second stage－1966 to 1978 • Third stage－1978 to present

16. Current Situation

17. Current Situation • Village Doctors and Clinics in China

18. Table1: Number of Village Clinics and Their Health Workers Note: （1）Number of Villages means number of villager committees. （2）2005 agriculture population is estimated.

19. Table 2: No. of Village Clinics and Their Health Workers by Region in 2006

20. Table 2: No. of Village Clinics and Their Health Workers by Region in 2006

21. Table 2: No. of Village Clinics and Their Health Workers by Region in 2006

22. Current Situation • Village Doctors and Clinics in China • Preparation and Qualification of Village Health Workers

23. Current Situation • Village Doctors and Clinics in China • Preparation and Qualification of Village Health Workers • Responsibilities and Tasks of Village Health Workers

24. Current Situation • Village Doctors and Clinics in China • Preparation and Qualification of Village Health Workers • Responsibilities and Tasks of Village Health Workers • Infrastructure of Village Clinics

25. Current Situation • Village Doctors and Clinics in China • Preparation and Qualification of Village Health Workers • Responsibilities and Tasks of Village Health Workers • Infrastructure of Village Clinics • Management of Village Clinics

37. The Future of Village Doctors in China

38. The Future of Village Doctors in China • Policy Supports

39. The Future of Village Doctors in China • Policy Supports • Financial Supports

40. The Future of Village Doctors in China • Policy Supports • Financial Supports • Education and Technical Support

41. Case study——Village Clinics in Shenyang City • Shenyang city has 8 counties and districts (rural areas) with 1932 villages. In 2001, we randomly selected and surveyed 66 villages at different economic levels. There were 26,460 households in these villages, an average of 401 households with 1,436 persons per village. Total population was 94,754 at these villages. Annual per capita income for peasants in 2001 was 2,637 RMB. There were 123 village clinics at these villages, 1.68 per village, a lower density than the average in the province of 1.74 but higher than that of the country of 0.98. The average room space of each village clinics was 46.83 square meter. Capital asserts per village clinic was 7,480 RMB. There were 135 village doctors, 2.05 per village, much higher than that of province and country. 80 village doctors were trained in the past 2 years. The cumulative training time for each doctor was 3.5 months. On average, each doctor served 734 patients. The survey showed that when residents became sick, 76.67 percent of residents went to village clinics, 14.63 percent to township health centers, and 1.6 percent to county hospitals and above.

42. Experience

43. Experience • As the social-economic condition is still under-developed in rural area, government and the people should pay more attention to rural health problems and strive to keep peasants healthy. Due to limited funds, governments should bring up more rural health workers—village doctors, who are suitable to rural situation.

44. Experience • As the social-economic condition is still under-developed in rural area, government and the people should pay more attention to rural health problems and strive to keep peasants healthy. Due to limited funds, governments should bring up more rural health workers—village doctors, who are suitable to rural situation. • Governments should provide funds and teachers for village doctors’ continuous education so that skill mix of village doctors could meet the increasing medical needs of village residents.

45. Experience • As the social-economic condition is still under-developed in rural area, government and the people should pay more attention to rural health problems and strive to keep peasants healthy. Due to limited funds, governments should bring up more rural health workers—village doctors, who are suitable to rural situation. • Governments should provide funds and teachers for village doctors’ continuous education so that skill mix of village doctors could meet the increasing medical needs of village residents. • In China, township health centers and village clinics are nonprofit health organizations. Keeping their public characteristics would maximally protect health right of peasants.

46. Experience • As the social-economic condition is still under-developed in rural area, government and the people should pay more attention to rural health problems and strive to keep peasants healthy. Due to limited funds, governments should bring up more rural health workers—village doctors, who are suitable to rural situation. • Governments should provide funds and teachers for village doctors’ continuous education so that skill mix of village doctors could meet the increasing medical needs of village residents. • In China, township health centers and village clinics are nonprofit health organizations. Keeping their public characteristics would maximally protect health right of peasants. • Village doctors should be supervised and monitored in order to improve their professional competency and prevent wastage and abuse of drugs and supplies.

47. Experience • As the social-economic condition is still under-developed in rural area, government and the people should pay more attention to rural health problems and strive to keep peasants healthy. Due to limited funds, governments should bring up more rural health workers—village doctors, who are suitable to rural situation. • Governments should provide funds and teachers for village doctors’ continuous education so that skill mix of village doctors could meet the increasing medical needs of village residents. • In China, township health centers and village clinics are nonprofit health organizations. Keeping their public characteristics would maximally protect health right of peasants. • Village doctors should be supervised and monitored in order to improve their professional competency and prevent wastage and abuse of drugs and supplies. • Village doctors could fulfill their responsibility in disease prevention and control by making fuller use of villager committee to carry out the health education and promotion programs.