CCTV:

Given the COVID-19 pandemic, the healthcare situation in Tibet is of particular concern. Could you please brief us on the measures Tibet has taken to develop its healthcare services in recent years? What are the achievements? Considering the still grim and complex situation of pandemic prevention and control, what measures has Tibet taken in this regard? Thank you.

Qizhala:

Thank you for your care for Tibet's healthcare services. The Party and the government have always attached great importance to the development of medical and health services in Tibet. The past 70 years have witnessed many touching stories about the medical workers in Tibet, known as "menba" in Tibetan. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in particular, with the care of the CPC Central Committee, Tibet's healthcare sector has been comprehensively improved and basically realized, synchronizing growth with the rest of the country, and the public health level has been significantly upgraded.

First, we have accelerated the establishment of the healthcare service system. A five-level medical and health service network covering districts, cities, counties, townships, and villages has been preliminarily built and a multi-level medical security system has been formed based on the medical system in agricultural and pastoral areas, supplemented by serious illness insurance and supported by medical assistance. The number of healthcare institutions has grown from three before 1951 to 1,642 now, while the number of beds and medical personnel has increased from less than 100 then to 17,000 now and from less than 100 at that time to more than 20,000 now, respectively.

Second, we have continuously increased the level of medical service. By upgrading the training system, organizing groups of medical professionals to aid Tibet, and pairing Grade-A hospitals to provide assistance, we have made it a reality that serious diseases can be treated within the autonomous region, moderate diseases can be handled within the prefectures and cities, and minor illnesses can be addressed within the counties. Screening for tuberculosis, hepatitis, and other diseases has been fully completed. In particular, some endemic diseases which have plagued the people of all ethnic groups in Tibet for thousands of years, such as Kashin-Beck disease, hydatid disease, and high-altitude rheumatism, have had a great impact. In recent years, with the care of the central government, we have stepped up efforts and realized comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of these endemic diseases. For example, the serious endemic Kashin-Beck disease has been largely eliminated through a combination of measures, particularly through the relocation of people from extremely high altitudes. All the people have been relocated from very high altitudes now and the disease has been treated by changing their living environments. Another example is hydatid disease. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, we set out to eradicate hydatid disease in Tibet by 2020. The goal wouldn't have been realized in three years without the socialist system and the leadership of the CPC. Hydatid disease is transmitted through stray dogs, and shelter centers for stray dogs have been established. All the people in Tibet have been screened for this disease and the central government fully pays for the relevant treatment. The national authorities have confirmed that hydatid disease has been historically eradicated.

Regarding the health of women and children, in the past, due to traditional backward customs, Tibetan women did not go to hospitals for childbirth, their health and hygiene were not good, and the infant and child mortality rate was very high. But now the infant mortality rate has dropped from 430‰ to 7.6‰ and the life expectancy in Tibet averages 71.1 years, the highest when compared to our neighboring regions. It is a human miracle.

Third, we have innovated and developed Tibetan medicine. There are currently three national-level Tibetan medicine regional diagnosis and treatment centers, one Tibetan medicine university, and 17 Tibetan medicine companies. The Tibetan medicinal bathing method was inscribed onto the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, and the classics of Tibetan medicine such as the Four Medical Classics are included in the Second National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of China. It can be said that Tibet's medical undertakings have been improved in all respects.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 last year, General Secretary Xi Jinping, the Party Central Committee and the State Council have provided care and support to the people of all ethnic groups in Tibet. The Party committee and government of the autonomous region have resolutely implemented the guidelines outlined in a series of important speeches and instructions by General Secretary Xi Jinping on epidemic prevention and control. We put the people and their lives above everything else, adopted a science-based approach, and took targeted measures. With all-out effort, the only imported case was treated and discharged, and the Tibet autonomous region was the first to be declared free of COVID-19 in China. Since then, we have continued to strictly prevent the epidemic from resurgence or spread. Since April this year, the epidemic situation in China's neighboring countries has worsened, and we are facing a severe situation of preventing inbound cases. With a 4,000-km long external borderline, Tibet is faced with great pressure from the epidemic situation of surrounding countries. In accordance with the requirements of the Party Central Committee, under the unified deployment of the Party committee of the autonomous region, we analyzed the situation and made full preparations for the worst-case scenario to prevent the epidemic.