By Zhu Zhe (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-05-24 09:15

MIANZHU, Sichuan - 77-year-old Zhong Junxiu was sitting in front of her collapsed home in the village of Haozhao in the town of Xiaode at 3pm yesterday. Her 78-year-old husband Lin Shude was sitting beside her with a bag of fertilizer.

Dr Gan Ling performs an eye test on Friday on elderly villiager Zhong Junxiu. [China Daily]

In front of them was a small piece of land full of newly planted rice seedlings, and a tent in which they have spent their nights since last Monday's earthquake.

"We're waiting for the doctor from the town," Zhong said, holding a walking stick she needs because of her poor eyesight caused by cataracts.

"They come almost every afternoon to bring us medicine and tablets we use to purify our water."

About 10 minutes later, a middle-aged woman dressed in a white doctor's coat appeared. She walked slowly because the rains had made the road muddy. With her were three teenagers carrying leaflets.

Gan Ling, a doctor at the Xiaode branch of the Mianzhu People's Hospital, visits villagers every day, handing out water purifying tablets and leaflets on how to prevent epidemics.

She said she had been paying special attention to Zhong and Lin because their son died many years ago and their daughter-in-law had remarried.

"They're old and lonely," Gan said.

When Gan reached the couple, she asked them if they had followed the instructions on how to purify their water. When they said they had, she smiled, and said: "Just remember, one tablet for every 50 kg of water. But for your water jar at home, you just need to put half a tablet in."

After reminding them not to eat dead animals or drink cold water, Gan checked Zhong's eyes and told her she would need to have an operation as soon as possible.

"It's only a small operation and it's free for elderly people like you" she said.

"Ou, ou," Zhong said, showing she understood.

One of the teenagers with Gan tried to give the couple a leaflet, but she stopped her.

"They can't read," she said.

Gan said it has become a daily routine for doctors from her hospital to visit village families to tell them how to prevent disease.

The town of Xiaode was not too badly hit, as "only" 30 people died there, she said. But it is still necessary to stop epidemics, as they could prove more deadly than the quake.

"Many of the bodies in nearby towns were just deeply buried instead of being cremated, so we must be alert to the possible contamination of underground water," Gan said, adding most villagers drink water from a well.

Hearing this, Lin said the government had also given them some bottled water.

"So we drink that as well," he said.

Gan reminded the couple to keep mosquitoes and flies away from their toilet.

"But we give pesticides only to the village head and make him responsible for that. The pesticide is poisonous and some villagers are ignorant about it," she said.

Fortunately, no epidemics have been reported, Gan said.

The 30 medics at her hospital are responsible for all epidemic prevention work in the town. They each have their own village, she said.

"We see up to 400 patients a day. Most of them have colds or minor injuries," Gan said.

"The work is too much."

She said she was delighted to see the arrival of the Italian medical team.

"They have good equipment and nice tents. And its' the first time I've seen so many foreign faces," Gan said.

The 22-member Italian team arrived with a field hospital in Xiaode yesterday morning.

Wang Gang, head of the town hospital, said: "Now the Italians are here, we can leave many of our patients to them, and get on with the epidemic prevention work."

As Gan was leaving the village about 5 pm yesterday, she passed by Zhong and Lin, who waved to her.

"Thanks," they said.

"Thanks for worrying about us."