( March 16, 1960 )
To the Shanghai Bureau, all cooperative zone committees, all provincial, municipal, and autonomous region Party committees, all central-level departments and Party groups:

In the past two years, because we have been busy with the Great Leap Forward in production, health work has been somewhat neglected. Now we must immediately grasp the arrangements, grasp the summing up of experience, and grasp inspection, competition, and evaluation. On February 2 of this year, the Central Committee approved the "Report of the Ministry of Health Party Group on the National Health Work On-the-Spot Meeting in Jishan County, Shanxi" [2] and its appendix "Opinions on Several Issues Concerning Health Work in the People's Communes," [3] which were issued to you long ago. According to our investigation, they have failed to attract your attention; the first secretaries of most provincial, municipal, and autonomous region Party committees have not read this very important and very well-written document, nor has it been distributed down to the Party committees, Party groups at all levels, and the people's communes. The Central Committee now reminds comrades to pay attention to this issue, to relaunch the Patriotic Health Movement which has been slackened in the past two years, and to be sure to achieve notable results within these three years—1960, 1961, and 1962—first of all by firmly grasping this year's health campaign. The method is as follows: At meetings of Party committees and Party groups in provinces, municipalities, prefectures, counties, and communes attended by leading members of health departments and mass organizations, conduct one serious discussion within this March, or at the latest in the first ten days of April. The first secretary of the Party committee shall take command; the specially designated secretaries in charge at all Party committees and the Party group secretaries of relevant departments shall also, under the leadership of the first secretary of the Party committee, take command. Immediately distribute the document approved by the Central Committee on February 2 down to the people's communes. All provincial, municipal, and autonomous region Party committees shall promptly issue their own directives, reestablish the organization and work of the Patriotic Health Movement committees, mobilize the masses, coordinate with the production campaign, and vigorously carry out health work. Everyone—old people, children, youth, the middle-aged, teachers, students, men, women—should, wherever possible, take up fly swatters and other tools, on a grand scale, with great momentum, and vigorously eliminate the four pests. All health and medical personnel must rouse themselves, form a three-way combination with the Party committee and the masses, display their abilities, and criticize right-leaning thinking. There is one more thing: sparrows should no longer be beaten; replace them with bedbugs. The slogan is "Eliminate rats, bedbugs, flies, and mosquitoes." [1] As for other serious diseases, they must of course all be eliminated or reduced according to plan. The work of the pest and disease elimination committees in all localities must be earnestly grasped and earnestly inspected by Party committees at all levels. Environmental sanitation is extremely important; we must ensure that residents develop hygienic habits, regarding hygiene as an honor and lack of hygiene as a disgrace. Wherever conditions permit, we must promote doing calisthenics, playing ball games, running, mountain climbing, swimming, practicing Taijiquan, and all kinds of sports. It is wrong to regard health work as an isolated task. Health work is important precisely because it benefits production, benefits work, benefits study, and benefits the transformation of the low and weak physical constitution of our people, making their bodies healthy and strong and the environment clean, in combination with the Great Leap Forward in production and the great cultural and technological revolutions. At present, many people still do not understand the significance of this matter of transforming customs and habits and changing the world. Therefore, we must conduct propaganda on a grand scale and with great momentum, so that it is known to every household and everyone takes action. In doing this, there are no insurmountable difficulties; it all depends on human effort. We must strive to achieve great results within three years, and this year we must launch a vigorous and dynamic campaign. To this end, all Party committees, Party groups in health departments, trade union Party groups, Youth League Party groups, and women's federation Party groups shall hold four meetings on health work this year, once every quarter, each lasting three or four hours, no longer. The same shall be done every year thereafter. The Patriotic Health Movement committees shall convene immediately after the above-mentioned meetings, also four times a year, once every quarter, and the same every year thereafter. Comrades are requested to comply uniformly and not to cause any delay.

The Central Committee
March 16, 1960

--- Notes

[1] The 27th article of the "Draft National Program for Agricultural Development, 1956–1967," proposed by the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on January 23, 1956, stated: "Eliminate the four pests. Beginning in 1956, within 5, 7, or 12 years respectively, in all possible places, basically eliminate rats, sparrows, flies, and mosquitoes."
[2] This report by the Ministry of Health Party Group was submitted on December 16, 1959, to the Central Committee's Culture and Education Group and forwarded to the Central Committee. The report stated that the meeting convened by the Ministry of Health from November 12 to 21 resolved the following issues: 1. Further clarified the thinking that health work must proceed from production, coordinate with production, and serve production. 2. Vigorously carry out health work in the people's communes and continue to launch extensive and in-depth campaigns to eliminate pests and diseases. 3. Actively develop and improve rural health organizations and health personnel.
[3] The main opinions put forward in the appendix to the Ministry of Health Party Group's report were: 1. To do a good job in people's commune health work, medical and health organizations must be established and strengthened. 2. Clarify the nature and tasks of commune health centers and health stations. 3. Strengthen the unity and cooperation between Chinese and Western medicine. 4. For the medical care system for members of the people's communes and the management and operation of health institutions, it is currently appropriate to implement a collective health care system. 5. Implement the policy of "walking on two legs" and vigorously train rural health personnel.