The Barefoot Doctor

This documentary film recounts Dr Sun Lizhes remarkable experience as a barefoot doctor in rural China and offers a glimpse of Chinas healthcare condition during and shortly after the Cultural Revolution 19661976 Described as Chinese Dr Zhivago in the film Suns distinguished life began from his decision to become a barefoot doctor when he was an 18yearold educated youth from Beijing sent down to the countryside He had since saved numerous lives by performing difficult surgery when emergency situations arose For example he once manually removed a placenta from a peasant womens uterus during her placental dystocia In villages where medical resources were extremely limited Sun devoted himself to the healthcare of peasants performing more than 3000 operations in the cave dwellings of Shaanxi province In 1974 he was selected by Chairman Mao as one of Chinas five model educated youths