Moment of compassion

The charity program China Hearts sends medical professionals and volunteers to Nyingchi, a remote and underdeveloped area in the Tibet autonomous region. Doctors from Beijing offer free clinic services and medicine to local Tibetans. [Photo by Liu Xiangrui/China Daily]

His mother has a liver disease, and Tsedro suffers from a stomach illness.

Outlining the shortage of healthcare professionals and facilities in the area, Zhang Bin, director of Bomi county's healthcare department, explains there are only three medical institutions in Bomi, which have just 55 medical workers, while another 64 medical workers are divided among 11 township-level health centers in the county, which has a population of more than 30,000.

"We lack professional medical staff. Often one person has to take on multiple jobs," explains Zhang, adding that not only do they lack enough medical staff, they also lack infrastructure investment, medical facilities and funds.

He praises the "China Hearts" program, saying: "Such charitable projects not only bring us good medical services, medicine and equipment, they also help train the local medical workers."

Doctors specializing in 10 clinical areas, such as cardiovascular diseases and gynecology, were among the team that visited Yuxu.

According to Hu Sanbao, director of the department of orthopedics of Beijing's Anzhen Hospital, one of the volunteer doctors who visited Yuxu, residents in the region commonly suffer from such health problems as rheumatism and arthritis, as a result of the climate and the locals' traditional living environment.

Under the China Hearts program, which was initiated in 2008 by medical experts and philanthropists in Beijing, health services are provided to underdeveloped and remote parts of China.

A committee organizes the program each year. So far, the organization has sent more than 20,000 volunteers to provide medical services to farmers and herdsmen in various regions, and the local healthcare facilities receive medicines.

In Nyingchi, medicines worth 8 million yuan were delivered to local hospitals and other medical institutions.

As well, contributions and donations worth over 200 million yuan have been given to the needy and nearly 10,000 local medical workers have received training over the years thanks to the program.

It is estimated that more than 500,000 people have directly benefited by the program in the past years, including nearly 1,000 children with congenital heart disease, who have undergone free surgery.

Contact the writer at liuxiangrui@chinadaily.com.cn