[MASSES "Away with all pests. People's China. By…]

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MASSES "Away with all pests.

People's China. By J.S.

REVIEWED BY This book is not new, but has a fresh relevance as struggles break out in defence of the National Health Service in Britain.

Its value as a book is that it gives an example of an alternative Health Service which is run for the good of the majority, where knowledge is not confined in the hands of a few all-powerful consultants but is the property of everybody who works in the hospital, and also the patients.

The problem of the monopoly of technical expertise being held by members and agents of the reactionary classes is one which impinges on many fields of producton.

LIBERATED

This book shows that the development of an advanced technology is possible if changes in social relations liberate the vast knowledge and expertise possessed Cy the working class, which is undervalued and underutilised by a courgeoise bent on maintaining their power through the control of knowledge.

The book gives no attempt at a political analysis in any way. There is only the most cursory discussion of important points, such as the •auonal organisation of the health service and hospitals, and who decided the priorities in the statement of principles which was adopted at the First National Health Conference in August 1950.

These four principles are:

*Health work should primarily are the masses of the labouring people.

Chief emphasis should be placed prevention of disease.

Close unity should be fostered between traditional and modern doctors Health work should, whenever appropriate, be conducted by mass caprigns with the active participation of medical workers".

PAYMENT Payment for services provided •dividual morkers is made by t .." An account by an English surgeon in Horn. Hamlin, £1.75. Published 1969. A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT The harmful effect this system may have, tending to tending to producé an producé an unequal distribution and uneven quality of care betwe en different areas is only hinted at and left unanalysed -as indeed are many other contradictions in Maoist DISCUSSION Inspite of these shortcomings this book should be widely read as basis of discussion on issues concerning most workers in a technological society, not just those in the NHS.

The Chinese treatment of syphillis is a particularly . good example of the redistribution of knowledge.

To combat syphillis in a country as large as China was a daunting task.

But armed with the fact that health is related to social conditions and social conditions were improving, the health workers' fight could also become the peoples' fight, and it was therefore possible to win.

As one worker, who was part of the riblicity campaign for the need to be treated for syphillis, said, "Comrades, we're going foward to Communism and we can't take this rotten disease with us"

To combat syphillis, which is far from controlled-let alone wiped out-in the Western world, historical analysis was presented to the workers and peasants with a simple questionnaire of ten questions to help people identity themselves as a possible case.

This is very different from the elitist "education campaigns" and half-hearted provision of preventive and screening services in this country.

NO PROFIT There is no profit to be made from treating such diseases-who will pay the bill?

And the bill is always large if, in the conventional bourgeois manner, expensively trained people have to organise the programme.

After all, capitalist ideology insists that workers must not be selves. Yet in China, workers have ensured there is now no syphillis.

The description of medical research in China again provides an interesting contrast with our society.

INSULIN

A group of young research workers attempted to manufacture insulin-and succeeded-inspite of opposition from their old professors, who said it was too difficult a problem for them.

The description of their enquiries and their use of the dialectical method simplified in some of Mao's writings, to develop their investigations • is a useful example of the unity of theory and practice.

This is quite different from the work of students in a capitalist country who, in the author's words have to "cram their heads with empirical knowledge and dogma to pass one exam after another"

The research priorities in a socialist country will reflect the needs of workers.

China therefore leads the world in research and treatment of trauma especially the injuries suffered by workers and peasants-while South Africa for example spends its research funds on heart transplants to patch up decrepit, over indulgent white capitalists.

NO NEED shows th Tenure search nor treatme methods

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* SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday April 27th, 1977.

The Socialist Labour League-forerunner of the The • Newsletter Prepare for June 5: Force T.U.C: to call AND THAEE тоу в. 1900 Aske Ahot nar Faeeram nphtad tha Price de. Cermam mortMy der

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London - May 1 E,60 marchers determiaed to fikt anti-waion laws