Comments on the Situation Report
(April 9, 1952)

Comrades He and Fu[IJ, please review it and then forward it to Comrade Peng Zhen for Premier Zhou’s consideration and action.

I believe it is necessary to allocate 50 billion yuan to carry out the public health projects mentioned in Document 131 and to construct an isolation hospital. Whether this is feasible should be decided by convening a meeting under Premier Zhou’s chairmanship.

Mao Zedong
April 9


He refers to He Cheng, who at that time served as Deputy Minister of Health of the Central People’s Government and Director of the Health Department of the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission. Fu refers to Fu Lianzhang, who at that time was Deputy Director of the Health Department of the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission.
[2]
Peng Zhen was then Secretary of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the CPC and Mayor of the Beijing Municipal People’s Government.
[3]
This refers to the report submitted by He Cheng and Fu Lianzhang to Mao Zedong on April 7, 1952, concerning the Beijing Municipal Epidemic Prevention Work Conference. The report outlined the epidemic prevention situation in Beijing, as well as in units directly under the Central Government and the Military Commission, and summarized several issues resolved at the conference. It also put forward the following requests for approval:

1. It is suggested that Beijing hold a meeting of people’s representatives from all sectors to launch another mobilization campaign for epidemic prevention work.
2. To improve environmental sanitation, it is proposed to convert 12 open sewers throughout the city into underground culverts and to transform the Taoranting sewage reed pond into a scenic lake. The estimated construction budget is 50 billion yuan, and we request central government approval to allocate special funds to cover these expenses.
3. In order to prevent the spread of acute infectious diseases, it is recommended that Beijing build an isolation hospital with 200 beds.