At the age of 56, he served as the deputy minister of health, why did he commit suicide by taking medicine at the age of 57? What did Shi Shuhan experience in his life?
"You are the pride of our school"
Shi Shuhan was born in 1909 in Chengbei Village, Chengguan Town, Qinyuan County, Shanxi Province, and received a traditional education since childhood, first entering a private school for enlightenment, and then entering a primary school in the county for three years, and after graduation, he became an apprentice in a private hospital in Kaifeng, Henan.
In the corridors of the hospital, he shuttles from room to room, assisting doctors in diagnosis and treatment, and carefully observing patients' conditions. Whenever he has free time, he will pick up medical books, study them carefully, and strive to improve his medical knowledge.
One day, while changing a patient's dressing, he overheard a conversation between the two doctors.
"This patient's condition is somewhat complex and requires more specialized treatment." A doctor said with a frown.
"Yes, we have limited conditions here, if we can have more advanced medical equipment and more professional doctors, we may be able to save him." Another doctor sighed.
A strong urge swelled in Shi Shuhan's heart that he wanted to be the one who could save lives. So, he made up his mind to study medicine harder.
In 1929, after unremitting efforts, Shi Shuhan was admitted to Lichuanzhi Medical College in Shanxi Province, where he began more in-depth medical study, leaving early and returning late every day.
At the graduation ceremony, the principal personally presented him with a graduation certificate and placed high hopes on him: "Shi Shuhan, you are the pride of our school. I believe that in the days to come, you will be able to become an excellent doctor and make greater contributions to the cause of people's health. ”
After graduation, he stayed in Lichuanzhi Medical College in Shanxi Province as a teaching assistant, during the school he used his knowledge and experience to light the light of the road of medicine for more students, whenever a student asked him questions, he always patiently answered, with his own actions to interpret the true meaning of "doctor benevolence".
"You're doing a great job, keep up the good work!"
Because of his outstanding performance, Shi Shuhan was sent to Japan to study in 1935. At that time, although China was experiencing turmoil and change, the thirst for advanced medical knowledge in the medical community had never diminished, and Shi Shuhan knew this truth very well.
After arriving in Japan, he overcame the language barrier and quickly devoted himself to his studies, actively communicating with his tutors and classmates, and trying to adapt to the new learning environment. Once, in the lab, Shi Shuhan and his mentor conducted an important experiment together.
They were engrossed in operating various instruments, carefully recording every data, and when the experiment made important progress, the mentor excitedly patted Shi Shuhan on the shoulder and said in jerky Chinese: "You are doing a good job, keep working hard!" This simple encouragement made Shi Shuhan feel warm and proud.
In 1937, when Shi Shuhan graduated from Japan with great expectations and was ready to return to China to make a big difference, the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression broke out. At this time, Shi Shuhan had become a mature and progressive young man, and the safety of the country and the fate of the nation always affected his heart.
At the dock in Tianjin, the scene in front of him made his heart surge, and he saw the cruelty of the war and the suffering of the people. He knows that as a doctor, his mission is not only to treat diseases and save people, but also to contribute to the future and destiny of the country and the nation.
So, Shi Shuhan did not hesitate to devote himself to the call of the times to resist Japan and save the country, he resolutely went to Shanxi, where he led a medical team, day and night to treat the wounded who were withdrawn from the front line, even if the working conditions were extremely difficult, medical resources were scarce, but Shi Shuhan never complained, he used his own practical actions, interpreting the true meaning of the doctor's benevolence.
In November 1937, Shi Shuhan and his wife made an even more courageous decision - they went to Hongdong together to join the Eighth Route Army. In the ranks of the Eighth Route Army, they were assigned to teach in sanitary schools. He used his medical knowledge and experience to train batches of outstanding medical talents for the Eighth Route Army.
In the ranks of the Eighth Route Army, Shi Shuhan gradually strengthened his faith, and he saw the hardships and efforts of the Eighth Route Army under the leadership of the Communist Party of China for the cause of national liberation. He saw the sacrifices and dedication of the soldiers for the future of the country and the nation. All this made Shi Shuhan deeply shocked and admired. So, in October 1938, he resolutely joined the Communist Party of China and became a member of the Communist Party.
Since then, Shi Shuhan has been engaged in medical work for a long time, serving as the director of the Eighth Route Army Health School, the medical director of the Eighth Route Army General Hospital, the vice president of the Eighth Route Army General Hospital, and the director of education of China Medical University.
We are committed to cultivating more medical talents
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Shi Shuhan's career ushered in a new chapter. With his outstanding contributions to the field of medicine and strong political beliefs, he was appointed to important positions such as the president of the Fourth Military Medical University. In this position, he is committed to cultivating more medical talents and laying a solid foundation for the development of medicine in mainland China.
After the outbreak of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, he not only personally went to the front line to treat the wounded, but also participated in the Korean armistice negotiation delegation. At the negotiating table, he made an active contribution to the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement with his rich medical knowledge and outstanding diplomatic skills.
After returning from North Korea, he joined the General Logistics Department and served as director of the Education Division and director of the Training Bureau of the Ministry of Health of the General Logistics Department, mainly responsible for the medical education and training work of the whole army.
When the title was conferred in 1955, the 46-year-old Shi Shuhan was awarded the rank of colonel and became the founding colonel. After the award ceremony, Shi Shuhan did not stop moving forward. He knew very well that as a soldier and a member of the Communist Party, his mission was far from over, so he continued to devote himself to the construction of medical and health undertakings on the mainland, and used his professional knowledge and rich experience to escort the people's health.
In 1965, the Health Bureau was abolished, and in the face of this sudden change, Shi Shuhan was not discouraged. After the abolition of the Health Bureau, the 56-year-old Shi Shuhan was reappointed as deputy minister of health.
Just as Shi Shuhan was about to do a big job in the Health Bureau, the ten-year catastrophe began, this sudden political storm swept across the country, bringing great disasters to the country and the people, Shi Shuhan was not spared, he was forced to leave the post of deputy minister of health, subject to censorship and criticism of various persecution, so that Shi Shuhan's spirit almost collapsed.
In August 1966, Shi Shuhan, who could not stand the long-term persecution, chose to commit suicide by taking medicine at the age of 57. Thirteen years after Shi Shuhan's suicide, the Ministry of Health restored all his honors and held a grand memorial service for him, which was the last bit of relief for his ancestors.