China Eastern partners Yunnan poverty battle
Airline teams up with NGO to offer free treatment in remote areas
People living in under-developed Cangyuan Va autonomous county in southwestern Yunnan province are receiving three weeks of special medical services from Shanghai volunteers, part of China Eastern Air Holding Co’s latest efforts to eradicate rural poverty.
Jointly organized by the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Youth League of China and China Eastern, a total of 36 postgraduates and undergraduates from the medical schools of Fudan University, Shanghai JiaoTong University and Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine formed eight medical teams to provide services for Cangyuan medical organizations from July 20.
Within four days, 241 clinic or inpatient treatments were conducted, 785 patients received free medical consultations, and more than 200 people attended health classes.
“There has been a significant rise in patients visiting our hospital recently, as people show great enthusiasm when hearing there are doctors from the big city,” said Wan Yan, office director of the local people’s hospital.
According to Wan, thanks to the poverty alleviation agreements signed with Shanghai medical organizations and Yunnan province, the local hospital launched eight rounds of free medical consultations in the first half of 2018.
“This has greatly improved our outpatient numbers, which have risen 22.36 percent to 74,974 visits from January to June,” said Wan.
“This is an opportunity not only for local people to get the same treatment as those in large cities, but also for our medical students to better understand their needs,” said Wang Shiyun, a doctoral student from Shanghai Jiaotong University.
“Many of the patients finally decided to go to hospital after realizing their conditions were severe. After hearing their stories, I will cherish my position fas a doctor even more,” Wang said.
China Eastern began expanding its poverty alleviation efforts into the medical sector in 2017, when eight children aged between 4 and 12 with heart disease received free surgery in Shanghai last August.
Encouraged by the positive results and feedback, China Eastern is looking to launch more medical-related projects in the future. The group has built five new health stations and renovated 10 existing centers, investing 4.5 million yuan ($657,000) in medical facilities in Cangyuan.
Education is another focus of the aviation group’s poverty alleviation activities. It invested 5.5 million yuan in a program helping thousands of children receive education in the region. On July 26, an education program was launched at the Menglai school of Cangyuan, through which students can take online classes.
A member of the local Blang ethic group, 12-year-old Li Hengyu was selected to visit Shanghai for a weeklong trip last year, as part of a program sponsoring outstanding teachers and students to visit scenic spots in the nation’s business hub.
“My classmates marveled at the photos I took in Shanghai. But I wish to show people around the world the picturesque scenery of my hometown, although it is still poor,” said Li.
Li said that in her hometown birds chirp around you in the morning and the fragrance of flowers surrounds you as you fall asleep at night.
She studies at the Mangle school, one of the three schools sponsored by China Eastern, with the support covering construction and innovation.
“Our school’s facilities have greatly improved in the past few years. Now we have an internet connection in every classroom, and the school is equipped with a library, musical instruments, art materials and sports equipment,” said Feng Wenli, dean of students at the school.
He Chao, 23, a Boeing 737 copilot at China Eastern, decided to motivate the students with his own experience.
“I am a member of the Naxi ethic group from Shangri-La, and in my fourth grade, a volunteer teacher named Han Qi told us many things about Shanghai, the city where she lived and worked. Since then, I dreamed of exploring the wonders of the city one day,” said He.
He did just that last December, when he received training at China Eastern’s headquarters in Shanghai. He also met his former teacher and took a photo at the Bund, a famous scenic spot in the city.
“I want to share my story with the school children, and I want to tell them to challenge different aspects of their lives,” he said.
Since 2003, China Eastern has invested more than 61 million yuan in Shuangjiang and Cangyuan, two povertystricken areas in Yunnan. The investment has improved local people’s living and working conditions, and helped them to get rich, said Ma Xulun, president of China Eastern.
After more than a decade’s experience, China Eastern has formed an all-around poverty alleviation system that covers local industries, education, aviation-related business development, helping people with disabilities and providing medical care.
“Our goal is to help lift all people in Shuangjiang and Cangyuan out of poverty by 2020,” said Ma.
As many as 8,742 people have been lifted out of poverty so far.
Chen Hongjiang, 43, said she is grateful that China Eastern could help her when her beloved Va ethic group clothing business ran into trouble.
“We had no money for further investment, because my family had put all their savings into the clothing business. In 2016, China Eastern invested 25,000 yuan, which enabled us to buy the facilities we needed. Now, our monthly business revenue exceeds 300,000 yuan,” said Chen.
Chen, who has physical disabilities, started her own business in January 2015. She said she wants to employ more disabled people to show that people like her are valuable to society.
“We can be independent and confident,” Chen said.