Foreword
On December 16, 1976, an operation was about to take place in the 301 Hospital, and all the medical staff were prepared.
This is a strictly confidential operation.
Because the target of the surgery was none other than Deng Xiaoping, Vice Chairman of the Central Committee.
According to regulations, operations on chiefs must be approved by superiors, and only those involved in the operation and nursing staff can know about it.
Before the operation, Deng Xiaoping told the doctor, that he believed in the hospital and that the medical staff would do their best to treat him, but there were no absolutes. If anything went wrong, he would be solely responsible for it.
Although these words were meant to comfort the doctors, they also showed Deng Xiaoping's trust in the hospital.
01What kind of place is a hospital?
Like all hospitals, it is a place responsible for saving lives and healing the wounded, but many of the patients here are important officials of the central government and the army, which makes it full of mystery.
To understand 301, we have to start with an important figure...
301: The hospital established by the general
After liberation, Peking Union Medical College Hospital was taken over by the army. With the changes in the diplomatic situation, the reputation of Xiehe has become increasingly famous, and more and more foreigners are coming here to see a doctor.
This proves from one side the strength of Union Medical College’s level and technology, but on the other hand it also brings hidden dangers.
It is inconvenient for the military to manage foreigners. More importantly, it is not conducive to confidentiality for soldiers and foreigners to see a doctor together.
In 1955, Premier Zhou Enlai thought about this problem and found a person to solve it.
He is Hong Xuezhi.
Hong Xuezhi
Hong Xuezhi, as the deputy minister and chief of staff of the Ministry of Logistics of our country, is the most suitable candidate.
He participated in the revolutionary uprising in 1929 and experienced the Anti-Japanese War and the War of Liberation. With his resolute and courageous fighting style, he made great achievements in every command position.
How did he, who had been engaged in military work before the founding of the People's Republic of China, transfer to the army's logistics work?
On October 19, 1950, the Chinese People's Volunteers crossed the Yalu River and headed for the Korean battlefield.
In order to meet the needs of the war, Hong Xuezhi, then deputy commander of the Chinese Volunteer Army, also had to take care of logistics work.
This job is not easy, and it has brought unprecedented challenges to Hong Xuezhi.
The volunteers entered North Korea in a hurry and did not set up a special logistics department. As the war progressed, the troops had to stop the attack due to lack of food and ammunition.
For this reason, Hong Xuezhi made a special trip back to Beijing in April of the following year to explain to Premier Zhou the urgency of establishing a logistics department.
A month later, the Central Military Commission decided to establish the Volunteer Army Rear Service Command, with Hong Xuezhi serving as the concurrent commander.
In July 1951, flash floods occurred in North Korea. The enemy took advantage of this to launch a fierce attack on our army, and strangled the volunteers in the rear, blocking the supply of supplies.
While fighting against the flood, the rear troops must do everything possible to counterattack the enemy.
Hong Xuezhi left
For this reason, Hong Xuezhi created "one-sided transportation", "backing a cow across the river", "underwater bridge" and other transportation tactics to cope with floods and damaged railway bridges to ensure smooth transportation.
When the grain became wet with water, he mobilized more than 300,000 people to participate in the action of drying the grain. When there was not enough food, he went to Pyongyang to borrow grain supplies from Kim Il Sung.
After autumn cooled down, the enemy tried to rush to transport our army's winter clothes. While Hong Xuezhi strengthened air defense alert work, he did not forget to increase the maintenance and protection of bridges and railways.
Under strict organization and precautions, only 0.52% of the 1.43 million sets of winter clothes in the rear were lost, and all volunteer commanders and fighters wore cotton-padded clothes.
In addition, with the joint efforts of the rear troops, the army and the Korean people, it took more than ten months to build a steel transportation line that was constantly bombing.
Even the American commander Van Fleet couldn't help but sigh that the Communist Party's logistical work had created amazing miracles.
The volunteers relied on their miraculous and powerful logistical support to overcome obstacles and completely crush the ambitions of the US military.
In 1953, after receiving North Korea's most advanced first-class National Flag Medal , Peng Dehuai said: "If you really want to reward based on merit, the medal should be awarded to Hong Xuezhi."
In view of his outstanding performance in the logistics department, after returning to China, the Military Commission decided to let Hong Xuezhi continue to engage in logistics work.
Therefore, in 1955, Premier Zhou came to Hong Xuezhi to discuss the establishment of the People's Liberation Army General Hospital.
The final result of the discussion was to put Union Hospital under the control of the Ministry of Health and then re-establish it as a military hospital.
Uncovering the Mystery of 301
After the matter was finalized, Hong Xuezhi started planning and building the People's Liberation Army General Hospital without stopping.
First of all, considering the time and economic cost, he decided to expand and enrich the existing 301 Hospital.
Therefore, after the completion of the hospital, it continued to use the name 301 as the People's Liberation Army 301 Hospital until 1957, when it was officially renamed the Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital.
In the design of the ward building, Hong Xuezhi chose the typical Soviet model .
The logistics experience he accumulated on the Korean battlefield may not necessarily be fully applicable to work in peacetime.
At that time, the central leadership had clear instructions that the logistics of New China should be based on the Soviet system to establish complete standards.
After completion, the 301 ward building has a typical Soviet-style concave shape. In the middle of the concave center is the main entrance, and on one side are offices, various laboratories, and lecture theaters.
On the other side are the wards, with a total of seven floors and sixteen wards. Each ward has an average of more than 40 beds, and a rough estimate is that there are nearly 700 beds.
There is also an underground passage extending in all directions downstairs, which can connect the outpatient building and the surgical building, which combines convenience and safety. After the completion of the
301 hospital, it became the largest general hospital in the entire military.
In order to better serve important national leaders, senior intellectuals, and high-end technical talents, 301 Hospital has specially opened a ward building with tight defense.
It is the famous "South Tower".
South Building
There are guards on both sides of the entrance to the South Building, and there are mobile sentries in groups of three around. You must have a voucher to enter and exit.
Except for medical staff with treatment and care tasks, no one else can come here. After the infrastructure construction of
was implemented, Hong Xuezhi started the second step - the allocation of talents.
At that time, there were 80 key medical technicians in the army studying at Union Hospital.
Hong Xuezhi originally wanted to transfer these backbones to work in 301, and at the same time transfer some backbones from Union Hospital.
However, things have changed. Union Medical College was reluctant to let him go. Not only was the backbone of the Union Hospital not given, half of the backbone of the army was also left.
The army once had a fierce dispute with Concorde over this.
In the end, Hong Xuezhi gave in. At that time, there was a shortage of talents, and Xiehe was also eager to love talents. The motherland was in a difficult period, and everyone should unite to overcome the difficulties.
Whether it is Xiehe or 301, they are our country's hospitals. Since there are many foreigners in Xiehe, there should be stronger power to support the country's image.
Just like that, in addition to dozens of doctors transferred back from Xiehe University, 301 Hospital also transferred a group of people from various military medical universities to train, which solved this problem. After the establishment of
01 hospital, it welcomed patients from military regions all over the country and admitted famous figures such as Ye Jianying, Nie Rongzhen, Qian Xuesen, Ji Xianlin.
Even Hong Xuezhi himself stayed in the South Building twice for treatment.
Hong Xuezhi and Deng Xiaoping
The most unforgettable patient for 301 medical staff is our chief designer Comrade Deng Xiaoping.
301 Hospital’s special patients
At the end of 1976, Comrade Deng Xiaoping was admitted to the 301 Hospital.
The medical staff who saw him for the first time were a little surprised. He did not have the seriousness and depth of a politician at all, and even the staff around him were very kind.
When he learned that surgery was needed, Comrade Deng Xiaoping also said boldly, "It's okay!"
Seeing this, everyone's hearts dropped. This leader, who was wearing a Chinese-style cotton-padded jacket and had a kind face, was no different from the patients they usually interact with.
Nonetheless, he was no ordinary patient.
The country has regulations that require the chief to report the situation to his superiors and keep it strictly confidential. Only those involved in the surgery and care knew about Deng Xiaoping's surgery.
Therefore, the first job of the hospital is to arrange confidentiality.
The ward of important leaders must be in the south building. Deng Xiaoping lived on the fifth floor. He was the only one living on the entire floor. The ward was also equipped with a dedicated elevator.
In order to ensure all-round privacy and security issues, this floor is equipped with workroom, conference room, activity room and consultation doctor's office . The supporting facilities can be said to be quite comprehensive.
Everyone attached great importance to this operation. The dean and director personally gave guidance in the audience, and seven top doctors escorted Comrade Deng Xiaoping.
Such careful and thorough preparation also gave Deng Xiaoping great confidence. He believes in the country's top hospitals and the strength of the motherland's medical technology.
That's why before the operation, he said that he completely trusted the hospital and that he would be responsible for anything that went wrong.
Fortunately, the operation went very smoothly. Everyone had a clear division of labor and a tacit cooperation. Deng Xiaoping did not even need to lose blood.
This is due to Comrade Deng Xiaoping's good physical fitness, and his strong willpower is even more admirable.
During the operation, he did not undergo general anesthesia because he did not want to sleep. He remained silent on the stage and went through the whole process very calmly.
After the operation, any painkillers were useless. Although it was very uncomfortable, he lay down and endured it.
On the third day, with two tubes still in his body, Deng Xiaoping insisted on standing up on his own. Everyone was sweating. Unexpectedly, he actually did it, which was a miracle.
Smoking was not allowed during the recovery period, but Deng Xiaoping was a long-time smoker. It would be even harder for him to quit smoking, but he did it.
He said he would not smoke, not even a cigarette. The doctor also asked him if he wanted to eat some candy to quit smoking, but Deng Xiaoping said : "No, you are fooling yourself. Why should you eat candy after quitting smoking? The main reason is that you don't want to quit."
Medical staff were all moved by Deng Xiaoping's self-improvement and strict self-discipline. He had experienced several political turmoils before. Just as he miraculously stood up, no matter what situation he fell into in life, he could still get back up.
A doctor jokingly asked the chief how he would lead everyone after he was discharged from the hospital.
At that time, the country's economic development was relatively lagging and the current situation was not stable. Premier Zhou passed away, Marshal Ye was old, and Chairman Mao was in poor health. Everyone hoped that Comrade Xiaoping would take charge of the overall situation.
Hearing this, Deng Xiaoping categorically stated that he should do his own thing, otherwise it would just fail again.
A simple sentence, but it has firm power. Decades of revolutionary experience did not make this leader frustrated and retreated, but instead became more magnanimous and calm.
The construction of a new era was imminent. Less than three weeks after the operation, Deng Xiaoping went to a meeting despite being ill.
After the Spring Festival in 1977, Deng Xiaoping was discharged from the hospital after recovery, and arranged for doctors from the 301 Hospital to come to his side to provide medical care.
20 years later, Chairman Deng Xiaoping suffered from Parkinson's disease and was admitted to the 301 Hospital again.
This time the ward is on the top floor of the south building, and he is usually accompanied by medical staff.
At that time, his eyes could not see clearly and his ears were blocked.
Once, CCTV was broadcasting the "Deng Xiaoping" documentary.
After watching it for a long time, he realized that he was playing the role. He moved his lips without saying anything, smiled, and continued reading episode after episode.
couldn't hear, so the medical staff repeated to him the words that praised him on TV, but the 93-year-old man showed a look of embarrassment.
However, such a cute leader became increasingly ill and couldn't even watch TV.
But even though he was suffering from the disease, he was still strong and calm, which made everyone feel even more distressed. The medical staff of
301 and the chief's staff accompanied him from the severe winter to the New Year. Everyone is praying that his condition will improve.
They wrote a couplet and posted it on everyone's door. The upper couplet: "Eating, living and having fun together in the same space", the second couplet: "Love the country, love the family and love the career are the same wish", and the horizontal line: "Everything is for the chief."
On the first day of the first lunar month, no one went home and voluntarily stayed by the chief's ward. The security secretary gathered everyone together to celebrate the New Year. They raised their glasses in front of everyone, but the words could not be spoken, and only tears continued to remain.
Everyone hopes that a miracle will happen and that this proud leader can lead China to move forward.
Unfortunately there was no miracle. 2 days later, Deng Xiaoping suffered from respiratory failure and passed away.
Deng Xiaoping donated his corneas and body before his death. According to his request, the funeral was simple and his ashes were scattered into the sea of the motherland. He left nothing behind, but he stayed in everyone's heart forever. He stayed in the mountains and rivers of the motherland and the last line of defense of the motherland. Maybe he always remembered it and wanted to see with his own eyes the child who left home "come home".
Conclusion
On March 16, 2003, the emergency department of the 301 Hospital promptly diagnosed the first SARS patient in Beijing, sounding the alarm in Beijing's fight against SARS.
In the face of the raging virus attack, 301 Hospital took practical actions as a pioneer, shouldered heavy responsibilities, and created miracles with love and technology.
None of the patients treated in the emergency department died, and no medical staff in the general department was infected.
When the new coronavirus struck in 2020, 301 Hospital remained highly vigilant, screened out the first patient in Beijing, rushed to the front line of epidemic prevention, and fulfilled its mission as a soldier. As a frontline hospital in the military,
301 has always upheld the true nature of soldiers. If there is a war, they will be called upon. Whether it is the Wenchuan earthquake, the Tianjin Port explosion or the virus, they will be there wherever there are difficulties.
In the "war" of epidemics or disasters, they are the country's most solid logistics department, fully ensuring the safety of people's lives.
The spirit is there, and the blood is here. This hospital established by the military has inherited the gene of perseverance and guarded the red roots. It is a well-deserved people's hero.
Reference:
Jinzhai County Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Anwei Province. Jinzhai Literature and History No. 8 [M].1993
Li Yantang's Oral Narration, compiled by Xiao Sike. Past Events in the South Building: Memories of the Health Care Doctors of 301 Hospital [M].2008
Hong Xuezhi. Hong Xuezhi's Memoirs [M]. People's Liberation Army Press, 2002.10
Wu Zhifei. Deng Xiaoping's final moments and posthumous affairs [J]. Essence of Literature and History, 2004.08
How the leaders of the Republic faced illness [J]. Everyone's Health, 2013.05
