Barefoot doctor

The term refers to persons barefoot doctor in China, which, though medically active, but this only meet minimum requirements (may).

Definition

As a barefoot doctor (Chinese赤脚 医生, Pinyin chìjiǎo Yisheng ) is called in China trained in traditional Chinese medicine person who moves from village to village. Among other things, should also be expressed with the notion that the person concerned has no academic training. In this way one tries in China, to ensure a minimum of medical care in the villages.

Use

The barefoot doctor was part of a greater interest to the rural areas during the Cultural Revolution. This is also underlined by a dictum of Mao Zedong, which claimed in 1965: " Sets the focus in healthcare to rural areas! "

The barefoot doctor was not part of the government health care but was organized and financed by the collective farm. He was a member of the collective farm, who performed only simple additional medical services. In the propaganda, this should always be a farmer, often however, it was also a country of sent young person or others that have been demoted to the country. Usually he only had three months' training in the hospital of the county and then took over, especially tasks of prevention. He (or she ) was the first stop for the farmers, with a supply of herbs was propagated. How many barefoot doctors there really was, is no longer determine because it was performed at the time of the Cultural Revolution, no official statistics.

Women also worked as barefoot doctors. There are also suspicions that they even formed the majority.

A barefoot doctor in this form it no longer exists. The remaining barefoot doctors were renamed the village doctors (乡村 医生Xiang Cun yī Sheng ) 1985.

Figurative meaning

The same is also available in other countries in Asia and Africa.

In Germany, the term for academically trained physicians and specialists is used, the need to work or work without significant aid. Among themselves doctors evaluate this expression other specialist groups or warn of such devaluation.

• "Barefoot doctor " is actually used as a term of abuse for a physician or a physician group, such as the importance of a quack.