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Further Training for Bare-foot Doctors
42.
Traveller added that in order to raise the profes- sional standards of bare-foot doctors, further training has been arranged and a professional test held by the County Public Health Bureau must be passed. Successful students will be recognised as qualified rural doctors and allowed to con- tinue their practices.
43.
A doctor from Jieshe Town, Haifeng County, (see earlier reference at paragraph 4), said that because of the shortage of qualified doctors in the rural communes, the Haifeng County Government applied to the Guangdong Provincial Public Health Bureau to hold a medical licentiate examination.
The examination was county-wide and open to all local bare-
foot doctors and experienced medical personnel. Candidates
who passed the examination were recognised as qualified doctors and would either be assigned to work in hospitals and public
health stations or allowed to practice privately. The examin- ation was held for two days in the middle of August 1982 in the Donghai Town Public Health Bureau. It was supervised by
the surgeons-in-charge of the towns of Donghai, Jieshe and Jiazi. The examination papers were divided into two parts,
medical theory and clinical practice. Over 250 bare-foot doctors and medical personnel took part in the examination but only 20% of them passed.
Herbal Medicines
44.
A technician employed by the Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Pharmaceutical Industry said that in recent years a range of pharmaceutical factories in Guangzhou Municipality have been receiving processing orders for herbal medicines from Hong Kong businessmen. China is the major supplier of most of the medicinal herbs, with the exception of some valu- able ingredients for traditional Chinese medicine which are imported from South East Asian countries.
45.
To keep in line with world health standards, the medicines are subject to strict tests and checks before they are exported. Traveller said more than 120 kinds of medi- cines have been found unsuitable and have been banned.
BIC/HMD/jbg
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