In 1997, Shannan had 747 hospital beds in 195 medical and health institutions. The number of various health technicians reached 946, or 3.11 persons for every one thousand. Over 100 people held senior academic titles. Among these, minority medical workers accounted for 736, or 83.8 percent. The People's Hospital of Shannan Prefecture has 140 beds. Average annual outpatient volume is about 67,000. In 1959, the treatment rate of common illnesses was 38 percent, but now it has reached 75.5 percent. The hospital is also equipped with fiber gastroscopy, B-type ultrasound diagnose equipment, electrocardiogram and electroencephalogram, x-ray machines and other important diagnosis and treatment equipment. They can deal with various kinds of operations including cranial fracture alignment techniques.
In October of 1970, Shannan erected a prefectural health and quarantine station. Afterwards, 12 county level health and quarantine stations were set up. In 1972, the prefecture conducted vaccinations for leprosy. Beginning in 1986, the immunization plan for children was carried out across the prefecture, the vaccination rate for common children diseases such as polio, measles, diphtheria, pertussie and tetanus reached 96.55 percent, making the occurrence of various infectious and endemic diseases declined dramatically.
On September 21, 1985, the Health Care Hospital for Women and Children was founded, filling another blank in the history of Shannan medical and health undertakings. By the end of 1990, 12 counties had established health care stations, which help ensure the health of women and children. In order to quickly develop the county-level health care undertakings for women and children, the UN International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the public health department of the Tibet autonomous Region, after many investigations, signed a pilot county project cooperation program with Shannan Prefecture, offering support with medical equipment and communication tools.
Shannan's medical and public health undertakings have been greatly supported by other provinces and cities. From 1973 to 1994, Henan, Jiangsu, Shaanxi, Shanghai, Guangdong, Heilongjiang and other provinces and cities sent 416 medical workers in 30 groups to work or teach in the hospitals at the prefectural or county level, playing an important role in the development of Shannan's medical and public health undertakings.
Health care conditions have been constantly improved and health levels have been gradually raised. Average life span rose from 36 years in 1951 to 65 years in 1997. The natural population growth rate has been controlled below 12 per thousand. Family planning work had gone well in the autonomous region. Tibetan medicines have also been energetically developed since the reform and opening began in 1978.
In 1982, Shannan set up a traditional Tibetan medicine hospital. Now there are 108 employees, 77 of whom are medical professionals including more than 50 doctors holding senior academic titles. It has 80 hospital beds. Daily outpatient volume is about 100 patients. The Songtsan Tibetan Medical School, the first city-level Tibetan medical school in Tibet, was set up in Qoingyai County in 1992. In 1998, there were 40 students studying in the six-year program. Each county hospital has set up a Tibetan medicine department.
To popularize Tibetan medical science and medicine in the country and expand its service scope, the Beijing Tibetan Hospital was set up in Beijing by the china Tibetology Research Center and the Shannan prefecture Tibetan Hospital in November 1992. It has treated over 25,400 patients from home and abroad. Scientific research personnel from 20 or so cuntries have visited the hospital.
The Beijing Tibetan Hospital has established a clinic in Tianjin. Shenzhen, Shanghai, Xi'an, Chengdu and other cities have shown interest in the opening of a similar clinic. The Tibetan medical treatment effectiveness has been well received by society, thus showing a prosperous future for the development of Tibetan medicines. With the needs of people's health, the output of Tibetan medicine has grown year by year. The prefecture's Tibetan Hospital Pharmaceutical Factory can produce more than 170 varieties of Tibetan medicines. Some have gained fame both at home and abroad, and demand exceeds supply.
(reship from en.tibet.cn)
