Patients can come anytime, My Home Island | Chen Yizhu | Patient

On Yutou Island in Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Zone, Fujian Province, there is an inconspicuous small house. There are no signs on the gray cement wall, but villagers occasionally come and go, which can only be recognized from the health education propaganda wall. This is a health center.

Entering the door, looking down the narrow aisle, a doctor is in the consultation room, preparing to change the patient's dressing. This doctor's name is Chen Yizhu, 71 years old this year. This is his "office" and also his home.

01

After retiring from the military, he made up his mind to return home to seek medical treatment

Yutou Island is located in the northwest of Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Zone, facing Changle and Fuqing across the sea. It is 2.35 kilometers away from the nearest point on the mainland and is the farthest outlying island from Pingtan Island. There are thousands of people on the island, and boats are the only means of transportation for entry and exit.

Chen Yizhu was born in 1952 in Yunan Village and is a native of Yutou Island.

△ Yunan Village

In 1968, Chen Yizhu's sister passed away due to illness. At the age of 16, he was heartbroken and decided to study medicine. "At that time, the medical conditions in the village were very limited, and many people's minor illnesses could lead to serious illnesses, and the consequences of serious illnesses were even more unimaginable."

The impoverished environment, blocked transportation, and lack of medical resources have made the idea of "studying medicine and returning to his hometown to help the people" gradually firm in his heart.

At the age of 20, Chen Yizhu joined the army. In the army, he obtained the qualification of a health worker and mastered the necessary medical professional knowledge and skills.

△ Chen Yizhu reads medical books

After retiring from the military, Chen Yizhu, who was concerned about her parents and fellow villagers, chose to return to the island to support the medical and health care industry in her hometown. "I have had feelings since I was young, and seeing them sick makes me feel very uncomfortable."

02

"In the middle of the night, on call"

In 1977, at the age of 25, Chen Yizhu arrived at the South First Health Center on Lantau Island - more like a "small single room" than a health center. He and two village doctors are treating patients while promoting the vaccination work of the villagers.

Due to the lack of disease prevention awareness among many villagers, many believe that they only seek medical treatment and buy medicine when they feel clearly uncomfortable, and various infectious diseases threaten the health of villagers. Chen Yizhu recalled, "At that time, vaccines had not yet been fully implemented, and many people were sick. Sometimes, more than 100 patients had to be treated in a day."

The days on the island were too difficult. In a few years, two colleagues also left, and his work became even busier. He had to attend to both internal medicine and surgery, and he personally took care of the traumatic sutures.

△ Chen Yizhu's consultation

Chen Yizhu simply moved the health center to his own home - he designated an area in his home as the village health center to serve the villagers.

Chen Yizhu's home, patients can come at any time. When there is an emergency, he carries a medicine box and runs to the patient's home. Work day and night. "As soon as I got home and was about to rest, someone was sick again and needed to go for a consultation. They can come knocking on my door at any time. I can't delay my illness. What's wrong if I delay someone's illness?"

△ Chen Yizhu measures blood pressure for villagers

On the evening of the Chinese New Year's Eve in 2020, Chen Yizhu, who was having dinner with her family, received a phone call from a villager whose chest was so painful that she couldn't straighten up. Upon hearing this, Chen Yizhu hurriedly rushed to the diagnosis box on her back. After some examination, Chen Yizhu suspected that she had a sudden myocardial infarction. She immediately injected her with a cardiac stimulant and had her family contact a speedboat to quickly send her to a large hospital across the bank for treatment. Fortunately, the myocardial contractility was enhanced in the first time, and the patient ultimately did not have any major issues.

Chen Yizhu said that she has long been accustomed to the life of patients knocking on the door late at night, but feels guilty to her family and spends very little time with them.

Over the past 46 years, Chen Yizhu has established health records for almost every villager. There are over three thousand people in the village, and he knows exactly who is sick. "He is kind-hearted and never overcharges patients for medication and injections." This is the unanimous evaluation of the villagers towards him.

△ Chen Yizhu is on her way to the clinic

03

The story of guarding the island continues

In recent years, with the continuous promotion of deepening medical reform, the working conditions and benefits of rural doctors in China have been significantly improved. Many places have renovated and built a large number of standardized village clinics, and uniformly equipped them with medical equipment and office supplies. Yutou Island is also continuously receiving standardized training for rural doctors.

Replacing "small single rooms" is already a fully equipped sanitary center. The 60 square meter health center has all the internal organs, not only drugs for treating common diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, but also acupuncture and moxibustion, massage, cupping and other equipment.

However, the number of permanent residents on the island is decreasing. In the 1990s, more and more young people went out to make a living on outlying islands, leaving only some elderly and children behind. "The number of patients treated every day has decreased to more than ten. Previously, there were more children, but now there are more elderly patients," Chen Yizhu sighed.

Someone advised Chen Yizhu to leave the island and enter the city, but he refused - Chen Yizhu said, "I have to be with the villagers and support their health. This is my original intention to become a village doctor."

After a long period of exposure, Chen Yizhu's two sons also chose to study medicine, joined the ranks of doctors, and devoted themselves side by side to grassroots medical services.

△ The health center located in Chen Yizhu's home

Nowadays, Chen Yizhu is still on the road of medical consultations, practicing the responsibility and mission of a rural doctor.

In China, there are countless doctors saving lives and protecting lives.

Today is Chinese Physician's Day, paying tribute to the dedicated medical workers!