Northwest China is home to various ethnic groups. In some places, they live together in one village. One Tibetan doctor in Qinghai spent the past four decades treating patients from different ethnicities, with equal devotion, care, and respect.
Every morning, Lijia Cairang waits for patients in his clinic. The sixty eight year old doctor specializes in Tibetan therapy, which he combines with western medicine. He draws on different treatments because his patients are diverse.
Dr. Lijia Cairang, Guide County of Qinghai, said, "Each ethnic group has its own culture and habits, so I try to be careful about that. They are equal to me as patients, no matter which group they belong to. I believe we should care for every person when he's in trouble and help him get over it. And we share happiness, too, as when people send best wishes to one another when any ethnic group celebrates important festivals."
Wen Guoqiang, a Hui patient, said, "He's very considerate of our ethnic customs. For example, we Hui have a month of fasting, when we can't eat during the day. So he prescribes medicine in a way that lets us it over night. This is respectful."
The doctor provides more than just medical care. He treats needy patients for free.
In this notebook, primarily written in Tibetan, we see a list of records, patients’visiting time, this one starts from 2007. It has patients’age and their names. And the last column with the red finger prints is the total fees that are exempted, ranging from half a yuan to four hundred and eighty. Over the past four decades, the doctor has exempted half a million yuan of medical costs from his patients.
In the afternoon, LiJia Cairang makes house calls in surrounding villages.
He's an old friend to this family. The patient suffers from arthritis and can barely walk. The doctor visits him every other week and has given him the means to get around.
Wanma Xiangjie, wife of patient, said, "It's not one or two days. He's been visiting us for more than twenty years. He doesn't charge us, and even bought this vehicle for us. He's such a good man. I don't know how to thank him. Maybe all we could do is to pray for him in our hearts. We can't imagine days without him."
Guide County is home to five different ethnic groups. The people here have been living alongside each other for decades. The doctor is no stranger to the locals here. Village by village, and year by year, for the past four decades, he always showed up wherever and whenever needed.
Lijia Cairang gets a warm welcome everywhere he goes.
Gao Juming is ethnic Han. He says the doctor keeps him in a good health condition and never misses a follow-up check.
Gao Juming said, "He's so committed to what he's doing. He's professional and nice. Sometimes he's the subject of conversation in our neighborhood. I don't understand much of the Tibetan dialect, but when they say his name, I know it's him. And when I say it, they can understand it, too."
Lijia Cairang says sometimes he's tired, but has never thought about given up.
Lijia Cairang said, "I'm old but I'm well, so I want to serve these people as much as I could. By helping them I feel fulfilled. So I want to continue my job, carrying on as long as I still can."
The doctor says his mission is to supplement the county's rural medi-care services. His way is maximum contact with patients.
(CCTV September 15, 2009)
