But some people object:
"That won't work. They're all physical goods. Where would the barefoot doctors get the money to buy medicine?"
"There's so much food that even a barefoot doctor can't finish it all. Fish will die, and when they die, they're worthless."
"Bartering, is this considered social regression? Does it violate national policy?"
Lin Sanqi heard everyone's different opinions and stood up to explain:
"Providing supplies to offset medical expenses is actually a helpless compromise.
As this comrade just said, there is a problem here. What if the barefoot doctors cannot collect money, but receive a large amount of food, game, or medicinal materials?
After all, barefoot doctors have to pay for the medicine they buy, and they also have to survive and support their families, so how to convert the supplies they receive into cash and various tickets is a difficult problem.
There is no problem in Andu County because they are all ethnic minorities. They are allowed to sell their own grain or game on the streets. This is the country's care for ethnic minorities. Barefoot doctors can cash in on the supplies.
But how can barefoot doctors in other regions cash in on their products? This requires the state to make a small concession for them. As long as they can prove that the supplies are used to offset the medical expenses of ordinary people, they should be allowed to sell them on the market and cash in.
Deputy Minister Zhang beside him smiled and reminded:
"Comrade Sanqi, don't worry about this. Don't forget that there are purchasing stations or supply and marketing cooperatives in the city. These places can buy the goods from farmers, although the price is a bit low.
In addition, if farmers are just selling some local specialties produced by their own farmers, such as a bunch of vegetables or two eggs, the law is not strictly enforced.
The ones being arrested now are mainly small traders engaged in speculation and profiteering, not professional traders. Ordinary farmers are not included in this category, and they are generally released after being arrested."
Lin Sanqi felt relieved when he heard this, thinking that there is always a way out, at least there is a small opening left.
In fact, there is another way to monetize, just like in many fan fictions, now large and medium-sized enterprises have their own purchasing departments.
People like Yi Zhonghai and Sha Zhu had a "purchasing department" in the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill. Because planned materials were tight, the factory was allowed to go to the countryside to purchase materials.
The purchase price of this kind of factory and mining enterprise will be higher than that of the supply and marketing cooperatives, and the farmers will also be given a certain amount of coupons such as food coupons, cloth coupons, and match coupons.
This is actually a way for barefoot doctors to make money. One wants to sell, and the other wants to buy.
Minister Li thought further and said thoughtfully:
"When I return to the capital, I will ask the leaders for a policy that, when the barefoot doctor program is fully promoted, it should be clearly stated in the document that barefoot doctors can charge farmers for various local specialties as medicine fees.
At the same time, barefoot doctors are allowed to sell the supplies they receive at a fair price, either to supply and marketing cooperatives or to individuals. As long as the barefoot doctors are restricted from selling at high prices or engaging in speculation, it will be fine.”
Just as everyone was discussing this, a second patient came up for treatment.
I saw that the patient was carried up by two strong young men. The outside of his right thigh was wrapped with a dirty piece of clothing. Blood was dripping as he walked.
It was obviously an external injury, and a serious one. The patient's face was pale.
"Doctor Adong, hurry up! My brother fell down while chopping wood in the mountains and cut his thigh."
When Wang Xidong heard this, he quickly took off his white coat for fear of being contaminated, and then began to untie the clothes on the patient's legs with his bare hands, regardless of whether it was contaminated or not.
"Hurry up and lie down. Let me check the wound first."
Originally, the environmental doctor should wear rubber gloves, but how can a barefoot doctor have this condition?
The doctors who were watching were fine, as they were used to bloody scenes, but the crowd who were watching the gossip were excited, and they all stretched their necks.
The dirty clothes were untied and blood flowed out all over the floor. Everyone saw a bloody gash about 15 centimeters in size.
When the experienced villagers saw this, they all sighed and lamented:
An old man sighed and said, "Ah, this wound is too big. It can't heal."
Someone nearby said nonchalantly, "If it can't heal, then it can't heal. At most, it'll just leave a scar. Why would a man be afraid of looking bad?"
The old man rolled his eyes:
"Look at this wound, it's big and dirty, filled with dirt and broken leaves. A wound like this will definitely get inflamed, and if it gets inflamed, it means death."
Boom~~~Everyone around who heard this became excited:
"Yes, my father's wound became inflamed and he died within a month."
"Hurry up and wash with clean water. These people have no brains."
"You're clueless. Washing the wound with clean water will only increase the risk of infection. It's said that our water is full of bacteria and parasites."
The common people were talking about it, and each of them acted as a wise man after the event.
When Wang Xidong saw the wound, he felt relieved because after a preliminary examination, he found that only the skin and flesh were cut, but the muscles inside were not damaged.
He was confident that he could handle this superficial wound.
But in order to be responsible to the patient, Wang Xidong still looked at Dr. Yu, the instructor sent from Bao'an County.
"Teacher Yu, can you check this for me?"
Doctor Yu squatted down, looked at it with pliers, and then nodded:
"Xiao Wang, your judgment is correct. Just sew it up. Even if the muscles inside are broken, it can usually be sewn back together. There's at least a 50% chance of success. Don't be afraid."
Wang Xidong nodded heavily after listening, and then began to prepare the tools.
He took out a bottle of saline solution and began to flush the patient's wound. The patient screamed in pain, but the wound was soon cleaned, and blood was still flowing out.
Wang Xidong cursed softly:
"Huang Hao, bear with it. This is still saline solution. The iodine will hurt more. If you want to stay alive, don't move."
Huang Hao's two elder brothers quickly held down their younger brother and comforted him:
"Little brother, you are lucky. Famous doctors from all over the country are here. Even if Adong can't treat you, he won't let you die. You must hold on."
After hearing this, Lin Sanqi thought to himself that this country guy was smart. He knew that there was someone to guarantee the treatment, so he was not afraid of not being able to cure the disease.
But today is a public examination for barefoot doctors, and no one else will interfere. Otherwise, how can this "bamboo experience" be promoted nationwide?
Wang Xidong then took out iodine, unscrewed the bottle cap, and rinsed it directly.
A nearby dean asked curiously, "Minister Lin, what is this disinfectant? It doesn't smell like iodine to me."
Lin Sanqi explained:
"This is called iodine tincture. It's more advanced and more effective at killing microorganisms. Unlike iodine tincture, which contains alcohol, it needs to be deiodinated and can't be used on broken skin. Don't worry, we will promote it nationwide in the future."
Another dean laughed at himself:
"Our big hospitals haven't used it yet, but the barefoot doctors have. Minister Lin has really put a lot of thought into this rural doctor program."
Lin Sanqi looked back at the dean and thought, why are you being so sarcastic? Your good days won't last long.
Amid the discussion among the crowd, Wang Xidong took out a circular needle and a piece of thread and started stringing the needle.
At this point, everyone knew that the barefoot doctor was preparing to suture the wound.
Things that are commonplace outside the mountains seem like fairy tales to the people in the mountains, and they all stare with wide eyes.
Can wounds be sewn up like clothes?
Huang Hao's brother was also quite knowledgeable. Seeing Wang Xidong about to suture the wound, he asked:
"Adong, I've been to the provincial capital. I heard that suturing a wound requires anesthesia?"
Wang Xidong said without raising his head:
"I have 10 anesthetics, but each one costs 5 yuan. If you are sure you want them, I will use them right away."
hiss~~~
Huang Hao no longer cared about the pain and quickly shouted:
"No need for anesthesia, it's too expensive. Just sew it up, Brother Dong. I can bear it."
Wang Xidong looked around and found a small stick nearby, so he took it and put it directly into Huang Hao's mouth.
This scene made everyone laugh.
Then Wang Xidong lowered his head and began to sew the wound stitch by stitch. The pain was so severe that the patient was almost bitten to pieces by the stick.
In fact, Wang Xidong's suture was completely inconsistent with aseptic operation standards. The doctor did not disinfect his hands in advance and did not wear sterile gloves.
The wound was not cleaned thoroughly, no sterile towel was placed, and the needle holders, vascular clamps, and tweezers were not disinfected.
Doctor Wang Xile even used his hands to pinch the round needle and thread. If the director of the quality control department in the future saw this, he would definitely go crazy.
But so what? In those days, given the conditions, if we were to hold barefoot doctors to the same standards as regular hospitals, we would be being pedantic.
As I said, solve the problem of "having" first, then solve the problem of "good".
Amid the patient Huang Hao's screams like a pig being slaughtered, the wound was finally sutured. Although the suture was crooked and unsightly, at least the bleeding stopped.
This debridement and suture operation was considered a success.
Instructor Dr. Yu came forward to check it out, nodded, and said:
"After the surgery, disinfect it once or twice with iodine so that you can wrap it with gauze."
Minister Li's eyes lit up as he watched from the side:
"Okay, okay, you can sew after just one month of training. Doctor Wang is very skilled, and Doctor Yu, who trained me, is even more skilled. Comrade Sanqi, did you provide these surgical instruments, gauze, and disinfectant?"
Lin Sanqi knew what the old lady meant.
Because even the best hospital in the country like Union Hospital is in very short supply of surgical instruments.
With the metallurgical level and manufacturing technology in China in the 1960s, it was impossible to produce needle holders, scalpels and the like.
Even gauze is in severe shortage.
After experiencing three years of natural disasters, everyone was afraid of starvation, so a large amount of farmland was planted with crops, and cotton production dropped sharply.
No one grows cotton anymore, so where will the gauze, cotton cloth and other things come from? This is a vicious cycle.
Lin Sanqi wanted to promote barefoot doctors across the country, which not only required a huge amount of medicines, but also a huge amount of surgical instruments, which was difficult to supply.
"Minister Li, don't worry. I will provide all the surgical instruments and gauze. However, I can only provide a batch. It will be difficult to replace them in the future. Our domestic pharmaceutical and textile factories will need to find a solution."
Decades later, medical gauze is disposable.
Change the medicine and gauze every time.
But in the 1960s, gauze had to be reused. Specifically, it had to be cleaned, boiled at high temperature, dried and then used again.
Minister Li was deeply moved when he heard this:
"Comrade Sanqi, wouldn't it be a loss for you and Bao'an County?"
Lin Sanqi smiled and said, "Then, will you give me money?"
Minister Li dodged as if he had seen a ghost: "Where would I get the money? My funding is provided by your Bao'an County."
After Wang Xidong finished the operation, he carefully put away the precious surgical instruments and prepared to go back and clean them up.
Then he said:
"Huang Hao, I'll give you six more cephalosporin pills later to reduce inflammation. Don't touch water. Come back every other day to change the medicine. I think your life will be saved."
Huang Hao and his two brothers wanted to kneel down and kowtow to Wang Xidong when they heard this:
"Adong, look, how much does this cost?"
Wang Xidong did not speak too loudly and said:
"The registration fee is 5 cents, 6 cephalosporins are 60 cents, and the sutures are a little more expensive, 2 yuan. Please give me 2.65 yuan."
The Huang brothers emptied their wallets and found that the three families combined had only 1 yuan. They were really poor.
At this time, Huang's parents also rushed over, holding a pheasant in their hands:
"Adong, we don't have enough money. Didn't you say we could use something to pay for it? We just caught these two pheasants. Can they be used to pay for the medicine?"
Wang Xidong was scratching his head:
"Uncle, two pheasants can be sold for three yuan in the city. You are at a disadvantage. How about this, I take one pheasant."
Lin Sanqi was already in the Liupinshui at this time. He was very loving and liked to eat small animals, especially game.
Huang Hao's parents threw down the two pheasants without hesitation:
"Adong, this pheasant isn't domestic. It just took a little effort. You saved Ahao's life, so we should thank you. Take the pheasant and consider it as a deduction for the cost of changing the dressing and removing the stitches later."
Wang Xidong agreed, so he happily took the two pheasants and handed them to his wife behind him:
"Then uncle, I won't be polite, haha."
Lin Sanqi whispered to Li Yujie beside him:
"Go buy these two pheasants, give Wang Xidong 5 yuan, and then ask his wife to cook them for me right away. We'll have chicken soup at noon with some mushrooms in it. It's delicious."
County Magistrate Jin, who was standing next to him, waved his hands repeatedly when he heard this:
"Minister Lin, with so many high-ranking officials visiting Andu County, we must provide a good reception. Don't worry, we've prepared wild boars, rabbits, and pheasants. Everyone, enjoy yourselves."
Lin Sanqi thought to himself, you, the county magistrate, really know how to entertain.
Sure enough, at lunch time, the whole Dizhu Village was filled with the aroma of meat, and all the women in the village were busy cooking.
The men were busy slaughtering pigs and cattle, and the corpses of various wild animals were scattered all over the ground.
The small animals in Andu County also suffered a great disaster. All the hunters in the county went up the mountain and dug deep into the ground.
The deans and directors from big cities all ate until their mouths were full of oil and their stomachs were bulging.
After everyone finished eating, Lin Sanqi stood at a table and shouted loudly:
"Did everyone enjoy their lunch?"
“Great~~~”
"If you're happy, please hand over your food and meat coupons. Andu County is a nationally designated impoverished county. We're here to learn from them, but we can't let them go bankrupt, right?"
Everyone was stunned. They originally thought that since it was wild game, it would be free to eat.
You only need to pay for your food coupons when eating at the canteens of major units in the city.
To put it bluntly, they still look down on the countryside. When they arrive in the county, everyone acts like an official, and Lin Sanqi will not do as they wish.
Minister Li was the first to stand up when he heard this:
"Comrade Sanqi, I'll personally pay for five kilograms of national food coupons. The meat coupons are local and can't be used in Andu County. I'll give you an additional five yuan as compensation. Do you think that's enough?"
Lin Sanqi gave a thumbs up:
"Minister Li, you're so generous. Okay, then I'll keep it for Andu County. Lao Jin, you take care of the accounting."
When the other cadres saw this, they realized that the minister had already paid for the meal out of his own pocket, so there was no reason for them to not contribute a penny. So they lined up one by one and started to pay for the meal.
These days, cadres really need to have some dignity.
If this is a cadre decades later, what kind of money will it be? I'll just write you a receipt and talk to you later.
At noon, after everyone had rested enough, they sat together in the threshing ground of Dizhu Village and began to summarize the morning's experience.
Minister Li and Lin Sanqi sat in the middle, each with a bench, while Wang Xidong, as the protagonist, was also assigned a bench.
Everyone else gathered around to make sure everyone could hear.
The scene was like "Lu Yu Interview".
Lin Sanqi asked, "Comrade Wang Xidong, how many patients did you see this morning?"
Wang Xidong: “I saw five patients in total.”
Lin Sanqi: "Do you think it's difficult to treat patients? Or are there patients who are unsure of their condition?"
Wang Xidong smiled innocently at this time and said:
"If you say you're unsure, then everyone is. I was a village clerk a month ago, and a month later, I became a doctor. This change has been terrifying for me. To be honest, I didn't sleep well last night."
Hehehe~~~Everyone chuckled.
"But I remember Minister Lin told us during the training that we barefoot doctors don't need very good skills. What's important is a sense of responsibility and being able to provide basic medical and health services.
So I became more and more courageous. I thought to myself, if these villagers don't get treatment today, they might die tomorrow. So I will use all my knowledge to treat them. They have at least a 50% chance of survival, and that's enough."
Lin Sanqi thought, in fact, the cure rate is more than half.
Just like the trauma patient before, if there were no sutures and medication, the possibility of infection and the probability of death would be extremely high.
But after suturing, the mortality rate will be reduced by half.
If the miraculous anti-infection drug cefuroxime is taken together with the medicine, the mortality rate will be reduced by another 80%. In other words, the patient will hardly die.
However, in order to prevent the barefoot doctor from becoming complacent, Lin Sanqi did not dare to speak too confidently.
Lin Sanqi asked again:
"Comrade Wang Xidong, how much money did you make this morning?"
When it comes to money, Wang Xidong gets excited:
"I've calculated, I've earned a total of 2 yuan, plus two pheasants and a handful of dried herbs, so all in all I've earned at least 5 yuan.
If I earn money at this rate, even if I average it out and add the 10 yuan government subsidy, my monthly income will definitely exceed 40 yuan."
Lin Sanqi turned to ask County Magistrate Jin:
"County Magistrate Jin, how much do doctors at your county hospital earn per month?"
County Magistrate Jin said embarrassedly, "It's about 20 yuan. Our distribution standard doesn't meet the city's standards."
Everyone was shocked when they heard this. By this calculation, the income of a barefoot doctor who had only received brief training was far higher than that of a doctor in the county hospital.
40 yuan is already the income of a mid-level doctor in a big city. This is really the opposite of the sky. (End of this chapter)
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