Photo taken on August 9, 2021 shows the Special Press Conference of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on the Medical Policies Benefiting the People. Photo by Xinjiang Daily/ Zhou Peng

On August 9, 2021, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region held a special press conference on medical policies benefiting the people. Seven representatives of ethnic minorities from Urumqi, Turpan, Hotan and other places were invited to tell their personal experiences and real life regarding their work and study, which has strongly refuted the so-called "genocide", "forced sterilization" and other Xinjiang-related lies abroad.

Photo taken on August 9, 2021 shows the hostess Mubarak Mugetti speaks at the Special Press Conference of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on the Medical Policies Benefiting the People. Photo by Xinjiang Daily/ Zhou Peng

Mubarak Mugetti: Greetings, friends from the press! Welcome to the press conference of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. I am Mubarak Mugetti, the hostess of this press conference.

For some time, the anti-China forces in the U.S. and the West have turned a blind eye to the achievements in the development of health care in Xinjiang, fabricating that there is "genocide" and "forced sterilization" in Xinjiang. This is a completely barefaced lie, which we firmly oppose. In fact, for a long time, Xinjiang has insisted on giving priority to the protection of people's health. The development of health and health undertakings has been accelerated and the health level of people of all ethnic groups has been improved steadily, with an increased the average life expectancy from 30 years in 1949 to 74.7 years in 2019.

Xinjiang has been prioritizing the people's health and implementing the "Healthy China" strategy. We have promoted the construction of healthy Xinjiang while constantly improving the urban and rural medical and health service system. We have also built a grass-root medical and health service network covering urban and rural areas. All have met the standard of township health centers and village clinics, ensuring that people of all ethnic groups have places to go for medical checks and treatments. With this, we have basically achieved the goal of "minor illnesses can be healed in the village and major ones can be treated in the county". We have also improved the quality of medical and health services and provided 14 types of national basic public services to urban and rural residents free of charge, which basically cover the whole life of all residents.

Xinjiang has established a social security system covering all of its people, significantly improved the level of health security, noticeably enhanced its ability to respond to public health emergencies, timely and effective social assistance, and effectively guaranteed the reproductive rights of ethnic minorities. Xinjiang has been continually strengthening its social security, and it has established a social security system which covers a wide range of population, guarantees basic needs while doing all this from multiple levels. Xinjiang also has taken the lead in establishing a basic old-age and basic medical insurance system that coordinates urban and rural areas and covers all of its people, so as to realize that everyone can enjoy basic social security.

Today, we have invited: Kalbinur Ablat, a postgraduate student from class 2020 in Uygur Medical College of Xinjiang Medical University; Turhong Amer, a chief physician of the Uygur Medical Hospital of the Autonomous Region (the Second People's Hospital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region); Patamhan Kadir, a doctor of Sanbao Township Health Center in Gaochang District of Turpan; Aynur Abulikim, an obstetric nurse of Urumqi Maternity and Childcare Hospital; Rozguli Byker, a farmer in Luopu County, Hotan Prefecture; Kurban Ali, the vice president and an associate professor of Uygur Medical College of Xinjiang Medical University; Zaoerhan Yiminjan, a sales director of Xinjiang Uygur Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. to tell their own experiences and their current life.

Mubarak Mugetti: the anti-China forces in the U.S. and the West fabricated the lie of "genocide" in Xinjiang, maliciously spread false information, and plotted to disrupt Xinjiang and control China through using Xinjiang. The fact is that Xinjiang attaches great importance to the health of the people of all ethnic groups and vigorously cultivates health talents of all ethnic groups, which has laid a solid talent foundation for ensuring the health of the people of all ethnic groups. Kalbinur Ablat is a medical postgraduate student. She studies Ethnic Medicine in Xinjiang Medical University to improve her medical knowledge and skills. Next, let's give the floor to Kalbinur Ablat, a postgraduate student from Class 2020 in Uygur Medical College of Xinjiang Medical University, to tell her story.

Photo taken on August 9, 2021 shows Kalbinur Ablat speaks at the Special Press Conference of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on the Medical Policies Benefiting the People. Photo by Xinjiang Daily/ Zhou Peng

Kalbinur Ablat: Hello everyone! My name is Kalbinur Ablat, a Uygur girl born after 1990s. I was born in a family with my parents being teachers in Yecheng County, Kashgar Prefecture. Now I am a postgraduate student majoring in Ethnic Medicine in the Uygur Medical College of Xinjiang Medical University. I brought a video today. Now, please take a look at my graduate life.

After studying Uygur medicine for so many years, what impresses me the most is that when I went home during my junior summer vacation, I heard from the elders that there was a Uygur doctor in Yecheng County whose expertise had been passed down from several generations of his family. His medical skills were said to be very superb and prestigious. So, I had an idea of learning from the senior doctor during that summer vacation. When I came to the old doctor's clinic, he stared at me with joy and surprise on his face and he said, "little girl, are you really studying Uygur Medicine at Xinjiang Medical University? Can Uygur doctors still have such higher education? " I answered him, and he said, "In the past, we could only learn Uygur Medicine from our master. We learned and groped for decades of knowledge. But now, you can learn it in a few years in school, and you can also learn the knowledge of modern medicine. You are so lucky! This is so great! See how good the government is now, how well the country is developing, and how much it supports the development of Uygur Medicine. I'm so happy for you, for Uygur Medicine! " As he spoke, tears started to dwell around the old doctor's eyes. Since then, I have a new understanding of my major, knowing that my learning opportunities are actually so enviable, and that the country has always been concerned about the development of our minority medicine.

After five years of undergraduate study in Uygur medicine, being the top one in the performance in the University, I won an opportunity to be recommended for a postgraduate study without having to take examinations, and became a postgraduate student majoring in ethnic medicine in the Uygur Medical College of Xinjiang Medical University.

During my postgraduate years, under the guidance of my tutor, I was lucky to participate in a national key R&D project and a project supported by the Natural Science Foundation of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. This national key R&D project I participated in was aimed at modern scientific research on "Tibetan Medicine, Mongolian Medicine, Uygur Medicine and other minority medicine". When I went to the Uygur Medical Research Institute of the Autonomous Region to participate in the experiment, I was shocked upon seeing so many advanced experimental equipment and busy staff while listening to those who came before me talking about all kinds of scientific researches they had ever made, because I came to know that my major could actually have so many researches, together with such a great development potential. Through the introduction of tutors and staff, I learned that our country has invested a considerable amount of manpower, resources and funds in the research and development of Uygur Medicine every year, and has formulated many laws and regulations and given many support policies for the development and inheritance of traditional medicine and ethnic medicine. And these are just what I have seen and heard. There are still many projects that I have not known are ongoing or planned.

I am very grateful to our country and the Autonomous Region for their support for the development of Uygur Medicine. I am also very honored to be a participant in the inheritance and development of Uygur Medicine in the new era. I can have today's harvest and achievements all because our country has given me strong support and help for Uygur medical education and a platform for my learning and development.

When I saw on the Internet that the anti-China forces in the U.S. and the West fabricated "genocide" in Xinjiang, I was very angry. I would like to ask them with my own experience. Have you ever seen the "extinction" of spending so much money on getting everyone go to school, learn traditional medical knowledge and learn how to cure the disease and save people? Wake up, your lies can never disturb our happy life.

Mubarak Mugetti: Thanks for the introduction from Kalbinur Ablat. Xinjiang attaches great importance to the inheritance and protection of ethnic medicine such as Uygur Medicine and Kazakh Medicine, carries out the selection of ancient prescriptions of Uygur Medicine, and recommends a number of classic prescriptions of Uygur Medicine to the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Turhong Amer has devoted himself to Uygur medical research and treated patients with ethnic medicine for decades. He has witnessed the development of Xinjiang Uygur Medicine from selling medicine in the form of "80 Bags of Medicine" to modern medical industry. Next, let's give the floor to Turhong Amer, a chief physician of the Uygur Medical Hospital of the Autonomous Region (the Second People's Hospital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region), to tell his story.

Photo taken on August 9, 2021 shows Turhong Amer speaks at the Special Press Conference of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on the Medical Policies Benefiting the People. Photo by Xinjiang Daily/ Zhou Peng

Turhong Amer: Hello everyone! My name is Turhong Amer, and I’m 70 years old. I’m working as a chief physician who has been again recruited by the Uygur Medical Hospital of the Autonomous Region. I have 47 years of working experience, which covers the areas of medication, teaching, research, and management. It can be said that I have devoted all of my life to the course of Uygur Medicine. Now, please watch this video to get to know my life.

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Uygur Medicine embraced a new life. Since 1952, local Ugyur medical practitioners in areas like Kashgar, Hotan, Yutian, and Kuqa have established Uygur medical cooperatives in the form of public-private partnership under the organization of the government. Since 1954, simple Uygur medical institutions such as Uygur medical clinics, outpatients and hospitals have been established in Kashgar, Hotan, Turpan, Urumqi and Yining. However, most Uygur medical and pharmaceutical practitioners still use the form of "80 Bags of Medicine", and they are distributed in villages and they sell medicine and make treatments through setting up stalls. However, with the development of medical and health care, our country and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have issued many favorable policies to support Uygur Medicine. At present, the government has opened 41 Uygur medical hospitals at the levels of Autonomous Region, Prefecture and County. By December 2020, there have been nearly 10,000 beds in public Uygur medical hospitals in the whole region.

After graduating from the Chinese Medicine School of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in 1974, I returned to Hotan to study Uygur Medicine with my father and became an apprentice. In 1982, I officially studied medicine with my father-in-law and treated patients. I studied with my father-in-law until 1994. In these 12 years, I have been sorting out my father-in-law's diagnosis and treatment methods, medication prescriptions and relevant materials.

In 1984, I was transferred to the Health Department of Hotan Prefecture. In the 17 years I worked there, I participated in a lot of Uygur medicine management. During this period, I started to have a deeper understanding of Uygur medicine.

In 2001, I went to the College Of Xinjiang Uygur Medicine to understand and witness the development of Uygur medical education.

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Uygur medical education gradually entered the modern medical education system. In order to give full play to the characteristic advantages of Uygur Medicine in disease treatment, our country and the Autonomous Region have started the construction of key specialties and key disciplines. Uygur medical hospitals at all levels and of all types have, in accordance with their own characteristics, advantages and conditions, achieved national and autonomous region level key specialties and key discipline construction projects such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, liver diseases, tumors, skin diseases, gynecological diseases, andrological diseases, bone diseases and bone injuries. Since then, Uygur medicine has had a large number of key specialties and key disciplines recognized by the state and autonomous region, which has laid a solid foundation for medical development.

In 2011, I officially retired. At that time I was just 60 years old, and I always hoped to do something for Uygur Medicine. Therefore, in 2012, I was specially hired to the Hospital of Xinjiang Traditional Uygur Medicine to carry out the research on the "12th Five-Year Plan" of the country and the autonomous region together with the experts here. I was responsible for a number of topics, carried out a lot of work in the determination of advantageous diseases, screening and promotion of appropriate technologies, establishment of key specialties, key disciplines, research and formulation of diagnosis and treatment schemes, and I also undertook a lot of clinical teaching and training. In 2015, the Hospital of Xinjiang Traditional Uygur Medicine issued 14 Uygur medical diagnosis and treatment standards such as the Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vitiligo in Uygur Medicine, which is the first clinical technical standard issued in all ethnic medicine fields in China.

At present, there are 8 Uygur medicine production enterprises in Xinjiang, which have formed a complex mode of Uygur Medicine R&D, production and application. The National Ethnic Affairs Commission of the People’s Republic of China has incorporated the types of Uygur medical patent medicines and medicine production processes into China's minority special needs commodities, traditional production processes and technical protection projects. Among them, Zukamu Granules, "Aiweixin Oral Liquid" and 20 other more Uygur Medicine brands are well-known both inside and outside Xinjiang.

I am 70 years old and have been engaged in the work related with Uygur Medicine for nearly 50 years. My colleagues and younger generations always say that I am a "walking dictionary" who has witnessed the development and growth of Uygur Medicine. Now I also want to continue to make contributions to the high-quality development of Uygur medicine.

I saw some Western politicians say in the newspaper that Xinjiang is engaged in the so-called "genocide". It is ridiculous. I have witnessed the development of Uygur Medicine from setting up stalls to selling medicine to modern hospitals and pharmaceutical enterprises, and the training mode of Uygur Medicine talents from master-apprentice spread to the establishment of modern education system. These are the benefits from the country's continuous investment of a large amount of human, material and financial resources for decades. Such a large investment is to protect the physical and mental health of the people of all ethnic groups. Don't you feel guilty about calling this protection "genocide"?

Mubarak Mugetti: Thanks for the introduction from Turhong Amer. The anti-China forces in the U.S. and the West fabricated the absurd remarks of the so-called "genocide" in Xinjiang, in an attempt to tarnish the image of China's Xinjiang in the international community. The truth is that Xinjiang attaches great importance to the development of health and health undertakings, invests considerable financial, human and material resources, and takes various measures to ensure the health of people of all ethnic groups. Since 2016, Xinjiang has launched the free physical examination project for all of its people, with a total investment of 8.18 billion yuan to carry out free physical examination once a year for urban and rural residents in Xinjiang so as to realize early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment of the diseases. Patamhan Kadir is a doctor in a township health center. She has witnessed the development and changes of a grass-root health center. Next, let's give the floor to Patamhan Kadir, a doctor of Sanbao Township Health Center in Gaochang District of Turpan, to tell her story.

Photo taken on August 9, 2021 shows Patamhan Kadir speaks at the Special Press Conference of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on the Medical Policies Benefiting the People. Photo by Xinjiang Daily/ Zhou Peng

Patamhan Kadir: Hello everyone, my name is Patamhan Kadir. I graduated from the Kashgar Normal College in 2008 and have been working in Sanbao Township Health Center in Turpan since August 2012.

In the past 9 years, it has grown from a small health center with only two shabby rooms and a few health care workers to a comprehensive health center with a building area of 1,800 square meters and more than 30,000 patients annually. All of this is inseparable from the Party and the state's attention to medical and health services and the care for people's lives and health.

When I first went to work, the Sanbao Township Health Center was in extreme poor condition, with incomplete examination and laboratory equipment, few types of medicines, limited rescue equipment, and limited health care workers, which caused many patients to be transferred to higher-level hospitals. Although the basic medical security system has been fully covered, and the problem of "high expense and difficulties in medical care" has generally been alleviated, it still cannot meet the health needs of people of all ethnic groups.

With the strong support of the government, the health center built a new three-story building with a construction area of 1,800 square meters in 2015, and set up In-patient Department, Traditional Chinese Medicine Department, Radiology Department and other professional examination and treatment departments, apart from necessary professional examination equipment and instruments, it also has the same conditions for remote consultation in the higher-level hospital, which greatly improves the medical level of the health center. Just in 2020, our health center has more than 30,000 patient visits and more than 1,500 patients admitted to the hospital, enabling the masses to seek medical treatment at home.

At the same time, the government has continuously increased its illness insurance support, lowered the payment standard for the rural poor, increased the strength of medical assistance, and further implemented preferential assistance to patients with special difficulties. Rebihan Ali, a villager in Group 3 of Yingtuer Village in our township, was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with acute exacerbation, bronchiectasis, and type 2 diabetes in May 2020. She was hospitalized in our health center, because her family financial condition makes it difficult to pay medical expenses, we launched the national poverty alleviation and treatment policy according to the regulations, adopting policies such as first diagnosis and treatment, then payment, and one-step settlement. The total cost of treatment is more than 18,000 yuan, and the reimbursement is more than 17,000 yuan. It cost her about 1,000 yuan, which greatly reduced her family's financial burden.

Since 2016, our health center began to undertake free physical examination for nearby residents. Through this work, we have a better understanding of the health status of residents in the area under administration, and we have also discovered some diseases that have not been diagnosed in the past. Villager Abudureyimu was diagnosed with cirrhosis during the civil physical examination in 2018. His family sent him to the hospital for treatment. Since he was diagnosed early and treated in a timely manner, he recovered quickly. There are many examples of this kind. The annual free physical examination for the all citizens can enable early detection and treatment of many diseases, which not only guarantees the health of the people to the greatest extent, but also reduces the cost of treatment. In the past few years, there have been fewer serious illnesses among residents in our town, and the use of medicines for chronic diseases has become more and more scientific. The health of the residents has become better and better, and the mental state of the elderly has generally been improved a lot.

Another important task of our health center is to vaccinate children. From 2018 to 2020, our town has vaccinated children aged 0-6 years with more than 12,000 doses of 10 vaccines such as hepatitis B vaccine and BCG vaccine. All these vaccines are free inoculated. After these years of effort, many common infectious diseases and children's susceptible diseases in the past have been reduced. I and my colleagues are very happy to see the children grow up happily. Then please see the new changes in our health center by a video.

The anti-China forces in the U.S. and the West spread rumors online that Xinjiang is engaged in "genocide", which is totally a joke. If we are going to be extinct, why should our country build such a good health center for us? It is the government that cares about the health of the people that allows people of all ethnic groups to "get medical services to treat illness", so I urge those who spread rumors, no matter how many lies, all of them will be exposed in front of our happy life!

Mubarak Mugetti: Thanks Patamhan Kadir for telling her story. Recently, the anti-China forces in the U.S. and the West fabricated the fallacy that there is "forced sterilization" in Xinjiang and tried to use lies to sow discords in Xinjiang. In fact, Xinjiang fully guarantees the rights of ethnic minorities to procreate. Whether or not to adopt contraceptive measures and which method of contraception should be adopted by the people of all ethnic groups is determined voluntarily by individuals, and no organization or individual is allowed to interfere. There is no "forced sterilization". Aynur Abulikim is an obstetric nurse. For 9 years, she has helped many mothers of various peoples to give birth well, guided would-be mothers to take good care of their newborns and delivered necessary help for the healthy growth of newborns. Next, we would like to invite Aynur Abulikim, an obstetric nurse at the Urumqi Maternity and Childcare Hospital, to tell her story.

Photo taken on August 9, 2021 shows Aynur Abulikim speaks at the Special Press Conference of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on the Medical Policies Benefiting the People. Photo by Xinjiang Daily/ Zhou Peng

Aynur Abulikim: Hello everyone! I'm Aynur Abulikim, I’m 32 years old now. I was born in Qapqal Xibe Autonomous County, Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture in 1989. I grew up under the care of my parents and received a good education. In 2012, after graduating from Xinjiang Modern Vocational and Technical College, majoring in nursing, I worked in the obstetrics department of the Urumqi Maternity and  Childcare Hospital. Please take a look at the short video to see how our hospital protect pregnant women and newborns.

Our hospital is a specialist maternity hospital. It has established a complete work process from pre-pregnancy examination and guidance to perinatal health care and scientific production. It helps newborns of all ethnic groups to grow up healthily in terms of prenatal examination and consultation, and postpartum breastfeeding guidance. In addition, practitioners technology and medical equipment are very advanced, which can effectively protect the health of pregnant women and newborns. In our hospital, mothers and babies live in the same room to enhance the tie between mother and child; we also carry out newborn care, bathing, touching and other projects to provide high-quality and comfortable environment for mothers and newborns. What's more, in our hospital, folic acid and other medicines are placed in the lobby. Young people who are preparing for pregnancy and pregnant women are free to get them, whenever they need them.

In the past 9 years of work, my colleagues and I have done a lot of work for pregnant women of all ethnic groups for a smooth delivery. We have encountered many pregnant women with severe illness, and the hospital has opened a green channel for them. All of them are diagnosed and treated first before making payment to ensure that patients receive timely and efficient medical treatment. I still remember when I just started working, I met a Uygur pregnant woman. At that time, the pregnant woman had high blood pressure, blurred vision, and her consciousness was not clear. Her family did not bring any money, and they were very anxious. I told them not to worry, that they can pay after diagnosis and treatment. Now the treatment is important, you need the peace of mind to give birth to the baby. In the end, the pregnant woman gave birth to her baby, then the mother and child were safe.

In these years of work, I have also witnessed changes in the concept of fertility among women of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. In the past, some mothers-to-be often asked us whether it was very painful to have a baby, whether it would be life-threatening, whether a cesarean section was possible, etc. We all suggested that they choose to give birth on their own as much as possible, it is good for the health of baby and postpartum recovery, and the doctors in our hospital are very experienced, and the equipment is also very advanced, which can minimize the pain during birth and have the ability to ensure the safety of mothers and newborns of all ethnic groups. In recent years, with the popularization of scientific fertility concepts, fewer and fewer puerperae actively request cesarean section. Cesarean sections are only adopted when doctors think it necessary.

All parts of Xinjiang pay great attention to women's childbirth and provide many benefits for pregnant women of all ethnic groups. One of my relatives in Hotan began to enjoy free national examination from the premarital examinations and pregnancy preparations. These examinations saved her a lot of money and enjoyed a long period of maternity leave. During this period, pays were also paid normally. "Five social insurances and the housing provident fund" is being paid normally. When giving birth to her baby, she also enjoyed the favorable policy of paying after medical treatment. After she was discharged from the hospital, the hospital staff also called back regularly to check the health of her and her baby at home. The baby also enjoyed the benefit of regular free vaccination.

I saw on the Internet that some western media and unscrupulous politicians slandered Xinjiang for "forced sterilization" of ethnic minority women, which is simply absurd. In the past few years when I worked in the obstetrics department, I have seen and nursed many women who gave birth to their babies in the hospital. As a medical worker, there are only patients in my eyes. No matter what ethnic group they are, my colleagues and I will do our best to ensure their health. I have never seen or heard of anyone being "forced sterilized" in the hospital. So I want to use my own experience and those who around me to tell them that we live a happy life and stop talking nonsense. If it is real as what they say, how should they explain so many mothers I have taken care of and the babies they have given birth to?

Mubarak Mugetti: Thanks for the introduction from Ayinur Abulikenmu.

Mubarak Mugetti: Health is the foundation of all-round social development. Medical and health undertakings are related to the happiness of thousands of families and are a major livelihood issue. Xinjiang has implemented a unified basic medical insurance system for rural and non-working urban residents, established serious disease insurance systems and personal accident insurance systems across the country, carried out a number of trials of the medical insurance system, and made solid progress in promoting universal medical insurance from "universal access" to "equitable access for all". With the help of the medical policy, Rozguli Byker’s husband cured the disease successfully with little cost. Next, let's ask Rozguli Byker, a farmer from Luopu County of Hotan Prefecture, to tell her family's story.

Photo taken on August 9, 2021 shows Rozguli Byker speaks at the Special Press Conference of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on the Medical Policies Benefiting the People. Photo by Xinjiang Daily/ Zhou Peng

Rozguli Byker: Hello everyone! My name is Rozguli Byker, I’m from Luopu County of Hotan Prefecture. There are five members in my family. My husband and I have three lovely children. As a family benefiting from serious illness health insurance, let me tell you about my story.

My husband and I are both farmers. We used to earn money mainly by farming and doing odd jobs. Our annual income is about 40,000 yuan, our life is not rich but very happy.

However,something happened broke our quiet life, there was a period of time when my husband often feel flustered, short of breath, weak, his physical condition was getting worse and worse. At first, we didn't pay any attention to him, thinking that he was too tired and would get better after more rest. We treated it like a common cold.

At the end of 2019, he suddenly fainted while working at home. I was so frightened that I rushed him to the People's Hospital of Hotan Prefecture. After the examination, the doctor said he had heart valve disease and needed surgery as soon as possible.

At that time, I felt so desperate, because my husband and I were the only two earners in the family, and he was the main support of the family. If he was hospitalized, I would be the only one earning money in the family, and with the cost of the operation. When he told me he didn't want the treatment, I was so sad.

The village cadres told me that we didn't need to worry about the expense because we all had medical insurance and most of the expenses could be reimbursed. The villager who was sick and hospitalized had been reimbursed. They also told me to take good care of my husband, stop worrying about money.

On January 2, 2020, my husband was admitted to the People's Hospital of Hotan Prefecture for treatment. After two weeks of comprehensive examination, the doctor fully grasped his condition, formulated the final operation plan and asked my husband and me for advice. Seeing the doctor so responsible to him and the nurse taking good care of him, I felt relieved a lot.

On January 17, 2020, the doctor performed the operation on my husband. The operation was successful. With the careful treatment and care of the medical staff, he recovered quickly after the operation and was discharged from the hospital in a week.

When he was discharged at the hospital, I went to meet the accountant to settle the hospitalization fee. The total treatment fee was more than 110,000 yuan, but we only paid a little over 1,000 yuan. The rest of the money was reimbursed to us in accordance with the national basic medical insurance and serious illness insurance policy. After settling the fee, I felt relieved, and the pressure on my heart was finally lifted. Thanks to health insurance, it not only saved my husband's life, but also saved my family.

Later, my husband recovered so quickly that he could work in the fields in less than half a year. In order to reduce the economic burden of my family, the village committee helped him find a job as a security guard in a kindergarten near home. The job is a perfect fit for him. I also work in a company not far from home, so we can not only earn a wage, but also take care of the family.

Now, my husband and I have stable jobs and income, and life is getting better and better. Our greatest wish is to raise the three children into adults, hoping that they will become useful people to the country and society. Today I bring a short video to share our happy life with you.

I read on the Internet that the anti-China forces in the U.S. and the West said that our Xinjiang "genocide", it is completely ridiculous, my husband's life was saved by the national health care policy, where is the extinction? They just want to destroy our happy life and mess up our Xinjiang by spreading rumors. We will make our life better and better and do not let their plot succeed!

Mubarak Mugetti: Thank you Rozguli Byker for sharing with us her story. In order to train high-quality medical workers of Uygur medicine, protect and carry forward the traditional medicine, and speed up the development of Xinjiang ethnic medicine and health care, the Ministry of Education in 2005 approved Uygur Medical University to open Uygur medical higher education. Xinjiang Medical University undertakes the important task of cultivating high-level medical talents of Uygur medicine, and brings unprecedented development opportunities to Uygur medicine. Kurban Ali is a teacher who has been engaged in Uygur medical teaching and clinical work for more than 30 years. He has witnessed the development of Xinjiang Uygur medical specialty construction and high-level practitioners training. Let's get to know him through a short video.

Mubarak Mugetti: Next, let's ask Kurban Ali, deputy dean, associate professor and chief physician of The Uygur Medical College of Xinjiang Medical University, to tell his story.

Photo taken on August 9, 2021 shows Kurban Ali speaks at the Special Press Conference of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on the Medical Policies Benefiting the People. Photo by Xinjiang Daily/ Zhou Peng

Kurban Ali: Hello, everyone. My name is Kurban Ali. I’m 51 years old. I’m deputy dean, associate professor and chief physician of The Uygur Medical College of Xinjiang Medical University. I have been engaged in Uygur medical teaching and clinical work for more than 30 years.

First, I want to talk about my own upbringing. When I was a child, my hometown was in short of doctors and medicines, so they treated people through daily diet and folk remedies. For example, after having pilaf, mother tells us to drink yogurt, because it can adjust the heat of the pilaf; When you have a fever, you can use the grass in the field, squeeze the juice and smear it on the forehead, palms and feet to reduce the fever and relieve the symptoms. These simple and effective methods aroused my curiosity. It was amazing to see the scene of a folk doctor on the street. It can be said that the mysterious and effective Uygur medicine stimulated my interest in learning.

I grew up in Korla, a child of an ordinary Uygur family. My father told me that in rural areas of old China, there was a shortage of doctors and medicines, transportation was inconvenient, people could not get timely treatment when they were sick, medical conditions were not good, and medical technology was not systematic and comprehensive. After the founding of new China, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China and the care of ethnic policies, Uygur medicine gradually began to move from the master-apprentice spread to the platform, from selling medicine on the street to the clinical practice, and Uygur medicine has since gained new vitality.

In 1987, Xinjiang Uygur Medical College began to train talents at the junior college level, and I was in the second class of this school. When I was in college, the state intensified efforts to rescue, sort out and protect Uygur medicine. I have witnessed the hardship of teachers in the process of looking up materials from ancient books and translating professional content.

At that time, I saw a lot of small bottles and medicinal tea on the table in some restaurants in Hotan. In addition to chili and vinegar, there were also black pepper, white pepper, cumin powder, rapeseed powder and fresh coriander, etc. Later, I learned that this is a medicine and food seasoning product that everyone put into rice according to their own needs to flavor and adjust the heat and coldness. Local people generally through this way to "cure disease", health care. From then on, I really understood the saying that "People in Hotan are all folk doctors". In order to save and protect these excellent experiences of the people, the Party and the government have trained researchers, established research institutions, provided funds for scientific research and vigorously developed Uygur medicine. I also chose to teach in the university after graduation. Later, I worked in the Korla Uygur Medical Hospital for 18 years. In 2010, I came to Xinjiang Medical University to teach.

For 30 years, I have been engaged in the medical treatment, education, scientific research and administrative management of Uygur medicine, and witnessed the great efforts made by the Party and the state in protecting, rescuing, sorting out, inheriting and developing the Uygur traditional medicine. The state has provided a large amount of funds for the construction of textbooks, disciplines and scientific research for Uygur medicine, and organized elites of various ethnic groups in modern medicine, Traditional Chinese medicine and life science to jointly develop Uygur medicine. A lot of manpower, material and financial resources have been invested in the construction of experimental platform and experimental base.

Uygur medicine has developed from private practice to regular Uygur medical hospitals, It has been passed from mouth to mouth, from father to son, from family to formal education; from scattered operation to the third class ethnic medical hospital; from the original state of itinerant doctors to the current national qualification examination for medical practitioners, Uygur medicine now has a national master of traditional Chinese medicine, and Uygur hospitals at all levels have established famous doctor inheritance studios.

The training quality of Uygur medical talents has been continuously improved. Students of all ethnic groups in The Uygur medical major study hard, the rate of postgraduate entrance examination continues to increase, and the employment rate ranks first among all majors in medical universities. Uygur medical students trained by our school not only play a key role in medical institutions and enterprises at all levels in the north and south of Tianshan Mountains, but also play an important role in medical and scientific research institutes in other provinces and cities. Two of them are engaged in the research and development and sales of maintenance medicine and health care products after graduation, and their annual income is hundreds of thousands of yuan.

As an inheritor of Uygur medicine and a university teacher, I have the honor to live in a great era. The Party and the government are making greater efforts to inherit and protect Uygur medicine, and Uygur medicine will play a greater role in safeguarding the health of people of all ethnic groups. We are full of confidence in the future development of Uygur medicine.

Mubarak Mugetti: Gratitude presented to Kurban Ali’s statement. Traditional Chinese medicine, Uygur medicine, Kazakh medicine and other traditional medicines in Xinjiang have boasted a long history standing with their own characteristics, and all have made outstanding contributions to the prevention and treatment of diseases and promoted the development of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. Now against the background of protecting and developing Xinjiang's rich and unique ethnic medicine resources, Xinjiang has taken a variety of measures to support the growth of ethnic medicine industry. And with the help of Xinjiang's policies to promote the development of Uygur pharmaceutical industry, Zaoerhan Yiminjan's enterprise has built a modern enterprise and introduced Uygur pharmaceutical products to the whole nation through science and technology. Next, let's invite Zaoerhan Yiminjan, sales director of Xinjiang Uygur Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., to tell her story.

Photo taken on August 9, 2021 shows Zaoerhan Yiminjan speaks at the Special Press Conference of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on the Medical Policies Benefiting the People. Photo by Xinjiang Daily/ Zhou Peng

Zaoerhan Yiminjan: Hello, everyone. My name is Zaoerhan Yiminjan. It can be said that I grow up drinking melted water from the snow in Tianshan Mountain, because it is this land that breeds me

When I was a child, my family lived in dilapidated bungalows with muddy roads surrounding. We sometimes needed to draw well water far away from home so as to get drinking water. But now, with the development of the shantytown rebuilding project, my family has moved into clean and bright buildings. My father in his 60s no longer have to get up early to make a fire for the heating. My parents also used the demolition funds issued by the government to build a warm farmhouse, which has become the happy land for children in summer. This not only indicates the change of my family, but also shows the state's care for the happy life of ethnic minorities.

In the year 2009, I graduated from the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xinjiang Medical University. Then I began my work in the Sales Department of Xinjiang Uygur Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and the company paid "five insurances and the housing provident fund" for all our employees.

I still remember that when I first arrived at the company, the equipment was so backward and the products were of small varieties. But in 2017, the company invested 80 million yuan to establish an intelligent extraction workshop. The automatic control of equipment soon reached the top level of the world, and the production capacity increased by 5 times. Now there are as many as 20 products. What is more, the annual sales of Zukamu Granules and Compound Muniziqi are more than 100 million yuan. Compound Muniziqi is the exclusive product of our company. It is widely used in dermatology, gynecology and other fields, and deeply welcomed by patients all over the country.

With the strong support of the government, our company has boasted an Uygur Medicine Industrial Park base of 100 mu, with a construction area of nearly 60000 square meters and 8 modern production lines. Our company has now become a leading enterprise of ethnic medicine with an integrating process of plantation, R & D, production and sales. Pomegranate blood tonifying syrup produced by our company is the main product of OTC (over-the-counter) drugs. It is made of sweet pomegranate and sour pomegranate, which are good for human blood and brain. Especially for female, the solution is more effective. October is the season of picking sweet and sour pomegranates. With the large increase in the sales of pomegranate blood tonifying syrup, the demand for sweet and sour pomegranates also increases, effectively driving the farmers in the producing area to work hard to earn income and become rich. I am particularly proud that through our efforts, we have inherited the traditional Uygur medicine, brought health to consumers and increased the income of farmers.

After 20 years of development, the company has become the leading enterprise of Uygur Medicine in China. In 2020, the sales reached 800 million yuan and the tax payment was nearly 100 million yuan. By the end of the 14th five year plan, the annual sales is expected to exceed 2 billion yuan and the profit and tax will amount to 500 million yuan.

The traditional Chinese medicine has played an important role during the epidemic, our ethnic medicine was also playing a special role. We worked overtime to produce Zukamu Granules during the epidemic, which indicates the responsibility of Xinjiang ethnic medicine enterprises in the national work against the COVID-19.

Now there are nearly 1000 employees, composed of 20 ethnic groups such as Han, Uygur and Hui. I have been working here for 12 years, growing from a freshman to a sales director. And I am continuously expanding the Uygur medicine market. Many pharmaceutical manufacturers in other provinces and cities are scrambling to find me to order the products! My income is also growing. With savings, a car and a house, I can also take my children to anywhere we want to go. My life is getting better and better. At the same time, I hope our medicines can bring health to more people so they can receive same happiness!

Here is a video that will show you the place I work.

I learned on the Internet that the anti-China forces in the U.S. and the West fabricated rumors, slandering that Xinjiang had committed “genocide”. I would like to ask them where is your conscience. My colleagues of all ethnic groups and I work together to develop Uygur medicine and provide basic medical and health protection for the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. Suppose there is "genocide" in Xinjiang, how do they explain that we produce so many medicines each year? Aren't these drugs produced just to protect everyone's health?

Mubarak Mugetti: Gratitude presented for Zaoerhan Yiminjan’s statement. It is the focus of the foundation of people's livelihood to let patients have access to treatment, be able to afford expenses and most importantly recover from the disease. Let medical treatment benefit the people has been an important project of livelihood and popular support, that is what Xinjiang government has been holding to. And now the right to life and health of the people of all ethnic groups has been greatly guaranteed, the sense of access, happiness and security of the people of all ethnic groups has been continuously enhanced, and the future is full of hopes. That's the end of today's press conference. Thank you, dear speakers and media reporters!