Comments on the Report by the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Public Health Concerning Improvements in Health Care for Senior Cadres [1] (August 10, 1964) To be read by Zhu, Deng, Peng, and Kang [2]. Please have the Secretariat consider whether this proposal [3] is feasible, and inform the Ministry of Public Health of its decision.
Mao Zedong August 10, 1964

Printed from the manuscript.
Notes [1] The report submitted by the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Public Health to Mao Zedong on July 29, 1964, concerning improvements in health care for senior cadres, stated that on June 24 of that year, during an audience with Vietnamese foreign guests, the Chairman had criticized China’s health-care arrangements for high-ranking officials.
The Chairman’s criticism was entirely justified: our health-care practices were seriously divorced from reality and from the masses, fostered a privileged lifestyle, and had led some doctors and nurses to remain for extended periods away from ward and outpatient work.
The Chairman also remarked: “If a person does not move about—merely eats well, dresses well, lives comfortably, and travels by car instead of walking—he will fall ill more often.
Overly favorable treatment in clothing, food, housing, and transportation are the four principal causes of illness among senior cadres.”
Indeed, the existing set of practices in our health care for senior cadres has, to a large extent, produced negative effects and must be changed.
To this end, the following measures are proposed: First, abolish the system of dedicated health-care physicians and nurses; transfer these personnel back to hospitals to engage in ward and outpatient work.
In future, when central leaders require medical attention at their residences, they should notify the Health Care Bureau or Beijing Hospital, which will then dispatch physicians on an ad hoc basis.
Second, encourage those without serious illnesses to engage regularly in outdoor activities, to take exercise, to practice proactive disease prevention, and to enhance their health.
We must substantially strengthen public health and disease-prevention efforts, so as to better integrate preventive medicine with clinical health care.
At the same time, Beijing Hospital should be given greater authority over health-care operations, and ideological education for medical personnel should be intensified to improve the quality of medical services.
Third, eliminate certain practices in health care for senior cadres that have become overly specialized.
When reviewing this report, Mao Zedong not only wrote the comment included here but also appended two additional notes.
Beside the first proposed measure, he wrote: “The Health Care Bureau should be abolished.”
Beside the second measure, he noted: “Beijing Hospital has many doctors but few patients; it has become a ‘gentleman’s hospital.’
It should be opened up.”

[ ] Zhu refers to Zhu De.
Deng refers to Deng Xiaoping, who at the time served as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee.
Peng refers to Peng Zhen, then a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and a secretary of the Secretariat.
Kang refers to Kang Sheng, then an alternate member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and a secretary of the Secretariat. [3] Refers to the three measures for improving health care for senior cadres put forward in the report by the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Public Health, as described in note [1] above.