At the tender age of 8, Mawrixarep Hapa was already accompanying his father, a doctor in a pasture county of Altay, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on his house calls. Most patients were low-income herders. Mawrixarep recalled his father's words: "Whether they can pay or not, I will do my best to cure them."
Inspired by witnessing his father improve the lives of many, young Mawrixarep followed in his footsteps and became a doctor. Now in his 70s and officially retired, he continues to see patients, while still living his childhood dream. Over the years, he has become a beloved doctor who has treated countless people.
"Curing diseases is my life mission," Mawrixarep said.
In mid-August, as China celebrated its seventh Doctors' Day, Mawrixarep and nine other doctors were recognized as National Model Medical Personnel for 2024. The announcement came from the National Health Commission (NHC) and the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.
These 10 doctors were honored for their contributions to medical science, technological innovation, the development of traditional Chinese medicine, and improving women's and children's health.
China's Doctors' Day, inaugurated in 2018, is celebrated annually on August 19 to honor the contributions of doctors to society.
Fulfilling a promise
Growing up alongside his father, Mawrixarep not only learned a great deal about ethnic medical practices but also became acutely aware of the urgent healthcare needs among local herders. In June 1975, he graduated with honors from what is now the Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Xinjiang Medical University. Despite being offered a position in a more developed city, he chose to return to his hometown.
"When I left for university, about 80 people came to see me off. They told me, 'Please come back after graduation'," Mawrixarep recounted, adding he
assured them he would. At that time, the pastoral areas were underdeveloped and in dire need of medical services and medicine. Fully aware of the health-related challenges locals faced, he set out to deliver on his promise.
Mawrixarep went house to house treating minor illnesses and injuries, all the while ensuring patients with more serious conditions were transferred to bigger hospitals.
Due to the climate and dietary factors, many herders suffer from rheumatism, high blood pressure, and gastrointestinal diseases. Mawrixarep combined traditional Chinese medicine with Western medicine and collected folk remedies to create effective treatment plans tailored to the pastoral areas. He also authored several medical works and published 68 papers based on his studies and practical experience. In retirement, Mawrixarep still regularly visits former patients, bringing them medications.
His good deeds don't end there. Over the years, he has consistently donated money and supplies to disaster-struck areas and funded the education of more than 500 students from underprivileged families.
Moreover, Mawrixarep has witnessed the improvement of grassroots healthcare in underdeveloped areas. In 1992, he was assigned to set up the first-ever clinic in Arda Township. Over one decade, the clinic grew from an abandoned warehouse with four medical workers to a well-equipped hospital featuring different departments and 33 medical personnel.
Mawrixarep, who once looked up to his father, has now become an inspiration for his own offspring. His daughter works as a sonographer at a local clinic, and his granddaughter is currently studying at Xinjiang Medical University.
"I want to be like my grandfather," said Yeknaz, Mawrixarep's granddaughter. "Despite his age, he keeps reading medical books and studying. I understand that this is all about continuous studying and self-improvement. I'm very determined to go down this path."
Helping hands
Hou Xinlin, Deputy Director of the Children's Medical Center at Peking University First Hospital in Beijing, is another doctor who was honored with the title of National Model Medical Personnel for 2024. Similar to Mawrixarep, she, too, has dedicated her life to helping patients in the country's lesser developed regions.
Since graduating from university some 30 years ago, Hou has worked in pediatrics, focusing on the diagnosis and brain
development and the treatment of neonatal brain injury.
In 2016, she signed up for a professional stint in Xizang Autonomous Region, where healthcare services were inadequate. This was part of a national drive sending high-caliber medical teams from more developed regions to lesser developed ones. Doctors like Hou not only treated patients there, but also helped train staff and improve medical services in local hospitals.
Shortly after arriving in Xizang and beginning her work at the Xizang Autonomous Region People's Hospital, Hou encountered a critical case in her department. A 3-year-old boy with a lip injury was admitted, suffering severe anemia due to persistent bleeding from the sutured area. By the time he was hospitalized, his condition had become life-threatening.
In the past, doctors would advise such patients to be transferred to better-equipped hospitals outside of Xizang. However, with pediatric specialists like Hou on staff, the hospital was able to treat the boy locally, saving valuable time.
After multiple consultations, the team diagnosed the child with hemophilia A, marking the first confirmed case of the disease in Xizang.
Hou said she has witnessed the development of local medical services, describing the transition as a shift "from basic facilities to refined expertise."
Today, the Xizang Autonomous Region People's Hospital has established a treatment center for rare diseases, including hemophilia. "Now, all children with hemophilia in Xizang can receive regular, effective, and long-term treatment. Seeing the results of our years of aid work is incredibly rewarding," Hou said.
Over the years, she and other doctors from outside Xizang have achieved several breakthroughs at the Xizang regional hospital, turning the impossible into reality.
Additionally, thanks to her training efforts, many local doctors have mastered more complex procedures. "Teaching a person to fish is better than giving them a fish," Hou often says. Through continuous hands-on training, she has transformed several local key doctors into pediatric professionals with a solid foundation in clinical practice, strong problem-solving abilities and a clear direction for independent research. Their clinical skills have greatly improved, ensuring better early treatment and enhanced prognoses for local children.
Giving and receiving
In addition to doctors like Mawrixarep and Hou, the national award recognized senior care personnel from across the country for their dedication to safeguarding the health and wellbeing of older patients. These professionals include nurses and medical caregivers working in hospitals, nursing homes, and other institutions. Some care for senior patients suffering from common and chronic conditions in medical facilities. Others extend their services to communities and homes, offering daycare and home care, while some specialize in providing palliative care to terminally ill patients.
Deng Baofeng, head nurse of the Beijing Geriatric Hospital's nursing department, understands all too well the challenges faced by seniors in managing their own care, as well as the demands placed on elderly care teams.
With nearly two decades of experience in the field, Deng has observed that many elderly patients suffer from at least one chronic illness, making it difficult for them to care for themselves. This adds to the complexity of senior care, requiring both patience and skill.
"Doing a good job in elderly care is not simple. We treat seniors' falls, incontinence, temper tantrums and insomnia in a professional way," Deng said as a representative of the honored senior care personnel nationwide at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on August 22, where the honored medical workers shared their stories.
"We need skills to effectively communicate with elderly people, understand their pains, predict the risks they might face, and provide effective measures," Deng added. "Most importantly, we must view everything about the elderly with understanding, respect, sincerity and love, so that they can truly feel safe, comfortable, and happy."
"The elderly have gone from having to lie on a bed to being able to sit up, stand up and walk, and seeing their families smile, I think these are all professional values of our nursing profession," Deng said.
Statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics show that the Chinese population is aging rapidly. By the end of last year, the number of people aged 60 and above had reached 297 million, accounting for some 21 percent of the population. To respond to population aging, China has been refining the policies and mechanisms for developing senior care programs and industries.
"We will develop the silver economy [referring to the economic activities and industries associated with an aging population] and support the creation of diverse jobs tailored to elderly people," read the resolution on further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, which took place in Beijing from July 15 to 18.
A shortage of management professionals has been a persistent issue, hindering the expansion of elderly care institutions. Despite this, Deng believes that with the growing elderly population and the continued development of the silver economy, the demand for nursing services and the scope of services provided will also become wider.
While medical workers dedicate their lives to caring for patients and vulnerable groups, the government has been working to improve their working conditions, wages, and benefits, lifting their care and protection. For example, in 2021, the NHC released a guideline featuring a series of measures aimed at healthcare workers handling public health emergencies. These include prioritizing the distribution of protective equipment to frontline workers, arranging paid leave, issuing subsidies and additional pay, streamlining evaluations for work-related injuries, and helping with personal challenges such as child-rearing and elderly care.
The document, jointly released by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the Ministry of Finance, also states that healthcare institutions must set up appropriate positions, allocate personnel, and manage shifts to guarantee that workers get adequate rest and avoid exhaustion.
"Establishing a long-term mechanism to protect and care for medical workers will enable them to continue fighting against viral diseases in good health, while promoting a societal atmosphere of respect and recognition for healthcare professionals," the guideline notice read.
(Print edition title: A legacy of healing)
Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
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