Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao paid his second visit to China's
worst AIDS-hit villages in Henan Province, a day before the 20th
World AIDS Day.
Chinese
Premier Wen Jiabao talks with AIDS orphans in Shangcai County,
central China's Henan Province, Nov. 30, 2007, a day before the
20th World AIDS Day. ?
It was Wen's fifth face-to-face talks with AIDS patients or
their family members since 2003.
"What's your name?"
"Zhang Shuwan."
"Do you remember how your parents were dying?"
"No, I don't."
This was a dialog between the visiting Premier and Zhang Shuwan,
a 10-year-old girl, whose parents died of AIDS seven years ago, at
the Chinese Red Ribbon Home, an orphanage at the Wangying Village
of Lugang Township in Shangcai County on Friday morning.
Wen was accompanied by Henan's Communist Party chief Xu Guangchun and Governor Li Chengyu.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (2nd R
Front) talks with residents at Wenlou Village in Shangcai County,
central China's Henan Province, Nov. 30, 2007, a day before the
20th World AIDS Day.
?
Upon learning that all the orphans are studying hard and with
good results, Wen said with smile: "I have come to see, because I
have kept you in my mind."
"You are very unfortunate for losing your parents at a young
age, but you are very lucky, as well, since there are lots of
people in the country who have taken care of you and showed concern
for you," said the premier, advising the children to walk out of
the shadow of losing parents.
He expressed his hopes that these children will study even
harder to make themselves useful for the people, the nation and the
society, in the future. He asked them to be happy and take an
optimistic attitude toward life.
Afterwards, the premier sang a song together with the children.
He also visited their dormitory, played table tennis, and had lunch
with them.
Wen first visited Shangcai County in 2005 on the eve of Spring
Festival, China's traditional Lunar New Year.
The county in Henan is well known for high AIDS incidence caused
by illegal blood deals in 1990s. Among 38 worst AIDS-hit villages
in Henan, 22 are located in Shangcai.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao talks with
AIDS orphans and their "fathers" and "mothers" at the Xinhe Home of
the Shaodian Township in Shangcai County, central China's Henan
Province, Nov. 30, 2007, a day before the 20th World AIDS
Day.
The premier's second stop was Wenlou village, home to 373 HIV
carriers, one tenth of the village population. And 360 of them have
developed AIDS.
"I came here two years ago," Wen told some AIDS patients and
medical staff, while visiting the village's clinic.
Kong Chunyi, one of the patients and a worker of the village's
mushroom factory, said he has been quite fine with the help of the
government's special policies for this group of people.
The Chinese government provides AIDS patients, who have been
covered by social security umbrella, with free medicine; provides
free consultation to all those who are voluntary to consult on the
disease; provides free schooling to AIDS-caused orphans; and
provides free consultation, medical check, and medical treatment to
pregnant women from areas which have been made exemplary for
comprehensive control over AIDS, so as to reduce the spreading of
HIV between mother and infant; and make all AIDS patients
accessible to financial assistance from the government.
During his visit, the premier showed his concern for the problem
of drug fastness among some patients. He asked Health Minister Chen Zhu, who was with him, to study the
issue.
In talks with some medical staff working with the clinic, Wen
thanked them for their devotion.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (2nd L)
talks with local medical workers and AIDS patients at a hospital of
Wenlou Village in Shangcai County, central China's Henan Province,
Nov. 30, 2007, a day before the 20th World AIDS
Day.
The premier also encouraged the patients to be confident and
optimistic to face the illness.
Wenlou Village is a vegetable production base, but its products
do not sell well due to prejudice by some outsiders. Wen called for
greater awareness about the disease among the public so as to
eliminate prejudice against AIDS patients.
"You can tell them that the premier has eaten Wenlou's vegetable
today," he told the villagers.
According to the villagers, with the help of the government,
great changes have taken place at the village. The village is
gradually out of the shadow of AIDS. About a dozen of children in
the village go to college every year.
"I believe that Wenlou will become better and better day by
day," said the premier.
In Shangcai County, there are some "simulation families" formed
by volunteer "parents" and AIDS-caused orphans.
On Friday afternoon, the premier visited one of them with father
Hu Shaoling, mother Zhang Ping, and four orphans.
In his talks with the "family", Wen questioned the "family
members" carefully. "It is not a matter of money, but a matter of
passion," he said, upon learning that the "mother" only gets a pay
of 500 yuan (US$about 67) per month.
The premier told the kids, "Your 'dad' and 'mum' are caring and
kind people. You must study hard. Don't forget them and treat them
with filial respect when you grow up."
At another "simulation family", with five orphans, Wen wrote an
inscription, "Study hard for a beautiful future."
Later the day, Wen presided over a workshop attended by experts
and local officials. In his speech, the premier urged local people
to prepare for a protracted war against AIDS.
On the same day, Chinese President Hu Jintao visited doctors and communities in
north Beijing, talking and shaking hands with HIV carriers to
encourage the people "not to be daunted by HIV."
An official report released on Thursday said that China
officially reported 223,501 HIV contracted cases, including
62,838AIDS patients, by October this year while about 700,000
people are estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS.
(Xinhua News Agency December 2, 2007)
