站着去，躺着回……这位医生赢得了所有人的尊重！

Chen Mingguang is an orthopedic surgeon from the Affiliated Hospital of Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine in Xianyang, Shaanxi province. From Aug 6 to 11, just ahead of the Chinese Doctors’ Day on Friday, he came to the Yushu Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Qinghai province as a volunteer doctor to provide free healthcare services and perform surgeries.

With the help of other volunteer doctors and local medical workers, Chen completed 21 surgeries, including several hip replacements.

The intense workload and mental stress caused Chen to develop a severe herniated disc, and he could not sit down. He had to stand for three hours on the bus to the airport, then lie flat on his flight back to Shaanxi province.

“As the head of the surgical team, I was under a lot of pressure because we were responsible for ensuring the safety of every patient, ridding them of their pain and improving their quality of life,” he said.

“My father was a rural practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine. He earned the respect of local villagers through his efforts to address common illnesses and saved them the trouble of trekking hundreds of miles to the county for treatment,” Chen said. 

Influenced by his father, Chen also chose to study medicine in college. “I intended to solve problems in people’s lives, just like my father did,” he said.

The latest operation of the Chinese Medical Volunteers, an initiative aimed at boosting healthcare services in impoverished areas, was launched in Yushu Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Qinghai province. More than 40 medical professionals from Beijing and the provinces of Shaanxi, Jiangxi and Henan participated. 

“As grassroots medical workers, we need stronger support and guidance on how to improve health awareness among local residents,” said Ma Haibo, a local doctor who participated at this year’s event.