TNAG-2293-FCO40-3305-Official-visits-from-Hong-Kong-to-China-1991 — Page 106

Summary of the Briefing

2.

56

The public health

system,

started way back in

1946, was based on the four principles :

(a) public health was a public service;

(b) accent was

placed on preventive health in primary

health care;

(c) attention was given to the integration of Chinese

and western medicine; and

(d) the

importance of participation at the grassroots

level was stressed.

3.

As

rural areas

China was largely rural, reforms started in the

through the

of a system which

introduction

could be applied not only in the villages, but also in

counties and townships, eg a three-tiered system which

linked village to county, & to province; and a network in

the city which operates via district ( ), street (5),

( 5 } etc.

application of this system

necessitated the introduction

'si'

The

of barefoot doctors in the_

early days to cater to the masses and to stress on the

importance of self care through participation by the

grassroot population.