The following article originally appeared in the
June 13, 2011, issue of China Daily. It is reprinted here with
permission.
By Huang Ying, China Daily
The rough and steep mountain roads in Mentougou district,
Beijing, have not hindered Li Yan's visits to families with newborn
babies over the past years. On the contrary, she has found it to be
a great pleasure.
Li is a health worker at the community health service center in
Yanchi township, Mentougou district, and has lived in the area for
41 years. Visiting the families of newborn babies twice after they
leave hospital has been her main job since six years ago. Her task
is to teach the principles of babycare and provide guidance on
ensuring the infant remains healthy.
"I am gratified and happy when I experience feeling the sheer
trust of their mothers and see the sweet smiles of the babies,"
said Li, adding that she has become so accustomed to the mountain
roads that she can't remember how many times she has walked up and
down them.
Thanks to the "Touch of White Angel" campaign jointly launched
by the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) and Kimberly-Clark
China, many more health visitors like Li could have access to
professional training in terms of both medical knowledge and
communication skills between patients and healthcare
professionals.
ACWF is a member of the National Working Committee on Women and
Chinese under the State Council, and Kimberly-Clark is a US-based
personal care products giant that makes personal care brands
including Kleenex tissues, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex, Poise and
Depend.
The "Touch of White Angel" campaign was launched on March 2. It
was intended to support female healthcare professionals both in
cities and rural areas in their vocational development and help
them relieve the pressure experienced at work.
According to research by ACWF, healthcare professionals from
cities and rural areas suffer high risks and intense pressure.
The campaign is not simply about donating hygiene products or
giving professional training. For example, under its aegis there
will be publicity campaigns in cities such as Shanghai, Nanjing and
Shijiazhuang. The organizing committee will also declare the winner
of the Most Admired White Angel Award to encourage medical workers
to perform better.
Angels Home - the training and communications center of the
campaign - will focus on places where there is a shortage of
medical resources.
This year, the organizing committee plans to build seven Angels
Homes. They will invite medical experts and professors across the
country to give lectures to healthcare professionals and impart
advanced medical knowledge to them.
Female participants will be taught how to balance home life and
work.
This year the campaign will target more than 10 major cities,
covering more than 300,000 medical professionals. It is expected 5
million female healthcare professionals will have benefited from
the program by the end of 2015.
Kimberly-Clark China said that by addressing the issues of
female healthcare professionals, it could increase its reputation
for caring for women. Moreover, the concern for women healthcare
professionals will bring better quality services and benefits to
new mothers.
"As a global health and hygiene leader, Kimberly-Clark has
always placed the concept of 'care' as a core value. While
providing women and children with hygiene products guaranteed to
the highest standards, we are also actively committed to being
socially responsible through public welfare," said Kimberly-Clark
China.
It added that the company will consistently provide long-term
support for this campaign and bring Chinese women and mothers in
need the essentials for a better life.
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