"I feel both honored and somewhat surprised and anxious." On March 2nd, Wang Jun, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and president of Peking University People's Hospital, expressed upon learning that he had been awarded the Outstanding Performance Award for CPPCC Members in 2023.
The year 2023 marked Wang Jun's first year as a member of the CPPCC. As a "rookie" on the stage of duty, his focus was squarely on grassroots healthcare, aiming to promote the health of the people and enhance their sense of well-being.
Wang Jun: Focusing on Grassroots Healthcare
Wang Jun, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Image Source: People's Political Consultative Conference Website
From Research to Assistance, Focusing on Grassroots Healthcare
"Promoting the expansion and equitable distribution of high-quality medical resources" - this was emphasized in the 2023 Government Work Report of the State Council as a key measure to improve people's livelihoods, and it became a focal point of discussion among CPPCC members in the medical field during the 2023 National "Two Sessions" group discussions.
At the time, Wang Jun remarked that while the policies were sound, the key lay in ensuring their effective implementation to achieve the intended goals. He was pleased to see that the topic of "promoting the expansion of high-quality medical resources and the equitable distribution of resources" was included in the annual consultation plan of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC. Shortly after the conclusion of the 2023 National "Two Sessions," the National Committee of the CPPCC's Education, Science, Culture, and Health Committee conducted special research trips to Anhui and Fujian provinces on this issue, with Wang Jun being one of the members of the research team.
During the research, Wang Jun found that the overall medical service capacity and management level of county hospitals in China still needed further improvement. There was an imbalance in the distribution of resources between the eastern, central, and western regions, and there were significant differences in the medical service capacity and management level of county hospitals between regions. There was still some gap to be bridged in achieving the goal of "major illnesses not requiring patients to leave the county." In response, he suggested continuing to promote the comprehensive capacity enhancement of county hospitals under the "Thousand County Project," establishing a group of high-level county-level medical centers, guiding localities to gradually integrate and share medical and health resources at the county level, and promoting the high-quality development of county hospitals.
To promote the policy of "major illnesses not requiring patients to leave the county," Wang Jun also actively promoted the improvement of clinical diagnosis and treatment capabilities in grassroots medical and health institutions, participated in the "National-level Precision Assistance Project for Major Illnesses Not Requiring Patients to Leave the County," initiated the National Standardized Minimally Invasive Chest Diagnosis and Treatment Center project, and facilitated the establishment of the first nationally standardized minimally invasive chest diagnosis and treatment center in the country. This effectively combined his professional duties with his responsibilities as a member of the CPPCC.
In order to promote the balanced development of regional medical services, Wang Jun, as the director of a hospital, led his team to provide assistance on several occasions. The "report card" of continuous assistance was particularly impressive - with full support from Peking University People's Hospital for over seven years, in 2023, Yudu County People's Hospital in Jiangxi Province achieved outstanding results, ranking first among county-level hospitals and eighth among tertiary hospitals in the province in comprehensive DRGs ranking. This "real assistance" and its model were also recognized by the National Health Commission. Since being entrusted by Peking University People's Hospital for over a year, Huailai County Hospital in Hebei Province has implemented 46 new technologies in 2023, with a 1733.3% increase in Beijing medical insurance hospitalization, helping Huailai County become a veritable "backyard" of Beijing.
In participating in the "serving the people" activities of CPPCC members, Wang Jun always focused on the crucial aspects of people seeking medical care. The news of the opening of People's Park at Peking University People's Hospital in 2023 attracted considerable media attention. Located in the old urban area of Beijing, adjacent to important transportation hubs, the West Gate Campus of Peking University People's Hospital is surrounded by tall buildings, with extremely limited space and frequent complaints from medical visitors about the hospital environment. Under Wang Jun's leadership, the original closed area of the hospital was transformed into a 1,500-square-meter park area capable of accommodating more than 300 people for rest in just over 40 days.
"The needs of patients are the starting point for all our work," said Wang Jun. Peking University People's Hospital combined its own development needs with full consideration of patient needs, planning passage spaces, green vegetation, creating rest spaces, and reconstructing architectural interfaces. This highlighted the modern medical model of "environment-psychology-physiology" and the psychological perception effect of the environment on people. This approach integrated rest spaces and green vegetation into the patient's medical environment, alleviating outpatient pressure and improving patients' sense of medical care.
A Bigger Stage, Stronger Sense of Responsibility and Mission
"I come from Huaibin, Henan Province. I have been focusing on grassroots medical and health care throughout the more than 40 years from my hometown to Beijing," said Wang Jun. Before becoming a member of the CPPCC National Committee, Wang Jun was more concerned about grassroots medical and health care due to personal and disciplinary leadership factors. After becoming a member of the CPPCC National Committee, he gained a bigger stage to play a more significant role, as well as a stronger sense of responsibility and mission.
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei. In order to serve the construction of the capital's sub-center and promote the coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei, Peking University People's Hospital Tongzhou Campus operates efficiently and has become an important hub for medical and health care coordination in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. As one of the first batch of landmark hospital relocation projects in Xiong'an New Area, Peking University People's Hospital Xiong'an Campus officially started construction in 2023, injecting new vitality into the medical and health care coordination development of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei.
"The planning and construction of the 'new wings' of Beijing in the urban sub-center and Hebei Xiong'an New Area is a millennium project and a major national event. The new 'wings' of Peking University People's Hospital closely cooperate with the national strategy, which is the mission and responsibility of public hospitals," Wang Jun said. In order to continuously promote the high-quality development of public hospitals and play a leading role in their professional work, on the Lantern Festival and the day before the festival, Wang Jun organized a two-day strategic development seminar for Peking University People's Hospital in Xiong'an Campus in 2024. Last year, he also made many proposals for the high-quality development of public hospitals.
In 2023, the new CPPCC members' learning and discussion class set requirements for CPPCC members to "fully play a leading role in their professional work, the main role in CPPCC work, and the representative role among the sectoral masses." Wang Jun said that this indicated the direction for CPPCC members to fulfill their duties. "I demand this of myself to be a qualified CPPCC member, and unexpectedly received recognition from the National Committee of the CPPCC and was awarded the Outstanding Performance Award," Wang Jun said.
In his view, this weighty award for outstanding performance is not just a personal honor but also fully reflects the high attention paid by the Party and the country to the medical and health care cause and the people's health and well-being. This has also greatly encouraged him as a member of the medical and health care sector,
