Ningxia clinic transformed from basic facility to advanced health center

"Back then, the whole center covered a mere over 200 square meters with only two consultation rooms. Supplies were extremely scarce — desks, chairs and medicines were all pieced together, and wards were furnished with simple wooden plank beds. Sandstorms were rampant year-round, with yellow sand filling the sky. Every morning when we opened the door, we had to shovel away piles of accumulated sand," Meng said.

The original staff of just 13 medical workers could only treat minor common ailments such as colds, heatstroke, headaches and fevers, and the range of available medicines was very limited, according to Meng.

"Transportation was inaccessible in those years. We often rode bicycles to make house calls across villages, carrying vintage medical kits. Restricted by poor medical conditions, we could only conduct basic consultations for most illnesses and failed to deliver thorough treatments," he said.