I heard long ago about cases during the socialist period where huge tumors were removed, but it wasn’t until recently that I looked into it specifically. After reading articles online about this event, I was greatly shocked. It proved that in class society, all science is class-based: either serving the exploiting class or serving the broad working people. The bourgeois scientific route can only make science serve a small number of wealthy people, while only following a revolutionary scientific route that is both Red and Expert can allow the vast poor people to benefit from advanced technology. Medicine is the same. Today, in the capitalist world, various reactionary and decayed events are happening frequently, and the broad masses are unable to afford medical treatment or get sick. But in China decades ago, during the great proletarian Cultural Revolution, a small medical team of just dozens of people, because they adhered to Chairman Mao’s revolutionary line of “serving the people,” relied on and mobilized the people, and based on maintaining the life, health, and basic labor ability of patient Zhang Qiujú, successfully removed a rare huge tumor weighing ninety jin (about 45 kg). This is a victory of the materialist view of history, a positive negation of the so-called “incurable diseases” promoted by experts and the medical community. I am reprinting the record of this event from the July 27, 1968, issue of the People’s Daily, page 3, to share with everyone. It is very worth learning from!
Note: Zhang Qiujú was an ordinary woman from the Langcun Brigade of Guocun Commune, Mancheng County, Hebei. Born in 1928, she came from a poor peasant family. Her husband, Cui Bingwu, was a railway worker. In 1964, Zhang Qiujú began to feel abdominal pain and discovered a small lump in her lower left abdomen. The tumor grew rapidly, reaching the size of a bowl after a year, gradually causing Zhang Qiujú to lose her ability to work. During 1965, she visited several large hospitals in Baoding, Tianjin, and Beijing. One hospital in Beijing diagnosed her with ovarian cysts and performed surgery, but possibly due to inaccurate preoperative examination, the tumor’s exact location was not found during the operation, and it was not removed. After consultation with surgeons, only tissue samples were taken, and the pathology report diagnosed a low-grade malignant retroperitoneal fibrosarcoma (some records refer to it as retroperitoneal sarcoma). In reality, Zhang Qiujú’s tumor was a giant retroperitoneal neurofibroma. Due to misdiagnosis and the rapid growth of her tumor, which soon became a huge mass, subsequent hospitals also dared not operate. Ultimately, Zhang Qiujú was sent home with a diagnosis of “four months to live.”
Afterwards, Cui Bingwu also wrote to the Ministry of Health, but the reply still considered it an “incurable disease” and said: “China has no way, the world has no way.”
However, four years passed, and Zhang Qiujú was still alive, but the tumor continued to grow over time.
In early spring 1968, a medical team from a unit of the Beijing Military Region of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (belonging to the 38th Army, stationed in Baoding), responded to Chairman Mao’s call to “focus medical and health work on the countryside,” and went on巡诊 (rural巡诊). They discovered Zhang Qiujú, who was already in a “waiting for death” stage. According to records, the time they found her (when her husband used a donkey cart to bring her to the medical team for treatment) was February 21, 1968. There are two versions of how her case was discovered: one says the medical team saw her kneeling on the kang (bed) with a huge tumor during巡诊; the other says her husband used a donkey cart to bring her to the medical team, and she was kneeling on the cart.
When they arrived at the medical team’s station, Zhang Qiujú’s husband, Cui Bingwu, told the medical staff: “I know your hospital is not a big hospital and has no experts. But you are the Liberation Army, loyal to Chairman Mao, and speak of class feelings. I believe you will find a way. You are our last hope.”
The medical team took Zhang Qiujú into the unit. On March 23, 1968, they removed a large tumor weighing 90 jin from her body. The health department was very cautious during the operation, inviting the famous expert Mi Yilin from Hebei Province Workers’ Medical College affiliated hospital to perform the surgery, with the unit’s doctors assisting, and the unit commander personally mobilizing the staff before surgery, assuring that if the operation failed, the unit would bear the responsibility. This reduced the medical staff’s psychological burden. Most importantly, throughout the process, they relied on the masses and mobilized medical staff to think boldly and act bravely. The operation was very successful and created a medical miracle at the time.
During the entire operation, the blood donation team composed of PLA soldiers transfused a total of 7,520 milliliters of blood into Zhang Qiujú, which was five times her blood volume, equivalent to the blood donated by 38 soldiers, replacing her blood three times.
This health department was named by the Central Military Commission as an “Advanced Health Department Serving the People wholeheartedly.”
“Mao Zedong Thought Guides Our Fight”
——Sharing our experience in removing a 90-jin large tumor
Party Branch of the Health Department of a PLA unit stationed in Baoding
In March this year, under the brilliant guidance of Mao’s revolutionary line, our health department successfully removed a 90-jin large tumor from the abdomen of female Party member Zhang Qiujú. This is a great victory of Mao Zedong Thought, an even greater victory of Mao’s revolutionary line.
Starting from the interests of the people, wholeheartedly serving the broad masses of the people
In February, railway worker Cui Bingwu took his sick wife Zhang Qiujú to our health department. When Cui Bingwu saw us, he held our hands tightly as if seeing relatives, and said: “Comrades of the PLA, I have brought a patient who was waiting to die to you!” At that time, we saw Zhang Qiujú kneeling on the cart, supporting herself with her arms. Her abdomen was terrifyingly large, and she could not reach her navel with her hands. She was also very short of breath.
At this time, Zhang Qiujú was very weak, but her weight reached 214 jin (the tumor accounted for half her weight), with a waist circumference of 154 cm. She could not clasp her hands in front of her abdomen. Due to the huge tumor pressing on her chest cavity, she had difficulty breathing and could only breathe in kneeling position day and night for several months. Her knees had become very calloused, and she was increasingly weak. It can be said that her condition was close to “life-threatening” at this point.
Seeing her suffering as a class sister, we all felt deep proletarian feelings from our hearts and immediately examined her. Her abdomen and half of her chest cavity were occupied by a large tumor. Although she was very thin, her weight was as high as 192 jin. We had never seen or heard of such a patient. What to do with her?
Cui Bingwu then recounted their medical seeking experience. He said: “In 1964, after discovering her tumor, we took her to several big hospitals for treatment. But they diagnosed her as an ‘incurable disease’ and turned her away. As a result, her condition worsened, and the tumor grew from the size of a bowl to the size of a big pot. She could not sit, stand, or lie down, and she knelt on the kang day and night, losing the ability to care for herself. Our whole family was almost shattered by this. I know you are not big hospitals and have no ‘experts’ or ‘authorities,’ but I am here to find comrades of the PLA loyal to Mao’s revolutionary line. Please take her in!’”
Cui Bingwu’s words were a bloody accusation against the counterrevolutionary crimes of Chinese Khrushchev, which deeply educated us. We felt that what was before us was not just a simple medical problem, but a severe struggle between two lines.
Chairman Mao taught us: “The question of people’s issues is a fundamental issue, a principle issue.” Now, whether Zhang Qiujú’s illness can be cured is a fundamental question before us. So, we decided to let the patient go back temporarily, study carefully, and then go to see her again.
We reported this matter to the party committee of the unit. The party committee immediately issued clear instructions: “‘Saving lives and healing the wounded’ is Mao’s teaching. Although your health department is small, you must open your doors wide to poor and lower-middle peasants. This is群众工作 (mass work) that comes to your door, and you must not disappoint the patient. Whether to accept Zhang Qiujú or not is a question of loyalty to Mao’s revolutionary line. You must hold a study class using Mao Zedong Thought to arm your minds and unify your thoughts. You must resolutely treat Zhang Qiujú’s illness with Mao’s revolutionary line, and give a heavy blow to the counterrevolutionary revisionist line promoted by the Chinese Khrushchev in the medical and health field!”
That night, we immediately held a party branch meeting to study Mao’s instructions on health work and discuss how to handle Zhang Qiujú’s case. Some comrades said: how to treat Zhang Qiujú’s illness is related to whether our medical and health work serves whom. Party member Che Liyi said: “I joined the army at thirteen. During wartime, I was young, and when marching, I was just like Zhang Qiujú, a poor peasant pulling a donkey with me. The poor peasants, like them, made military shoes and carried stretchers for us, supporting us to win victory after victory. Mao led us through blood and fire for decades, just to liberate the broad masses of the people and protect them. The counterrevolutionary revisionists like Chinese Khrushchev and others in the party do not care about the people’s lives and deaths; we must care!” At the party branch meeting, everyone agreed that to defend Mao’s revolutionary line, Zhang Qiujú should be accepted.
With deep proletarian feelings for poor and lower-middle peasants, we sent an ambulance to pick up Zhang Qiujú for hospitalization. When the ambulance arrived at her home, the whole village was excited, everyone ran to tell others: Mao’s PLA is here to take Zhang Qiujú to the hospital! Neighbors and friends, men and women, went to visit her. Some combed her hair, some helped her change clothes. At this moment, Zhang Qiujú was very happy. She said: “Hearing the PLA come to pick me up for hospitalization, my heart feels like falling into a honey jar!” The broad masses of poor and lower-middle peasants were very moved and said: “Chairman Mao truly cares about us poor and lower-middle peasants. Mao’s revolutionary line is the line for the broad masses of the people!”
Through this process of Zhang Qiujú’s hospitalization, we deeply realized: to wholeheartedly serve the broad masses of the people, having simple class feelings is not enough; we must further arm our minds with Mao Zedong Thought, elevate our simple class feelings to the highest level of unwavering loyalty to Mao’s revolutionary line, and always act in the interests of the people, wholeheartedly serving the people.
Arm your mind with Mao Zedong Thought, raise awareness of the two-line struggle
Zhang Qiujú was a patient condemned to death by the bourgeois reactionary line in medical and health work for four years, with a very serious sense of “despair” and “death.” How to make her full of confidence and strengthen her to cooperate with our treatment?
After discussion, everyone agreed that what Zhang Qiujú urgently needs now is to heal her psychological trauma and strengthen her confidence to overcome the disease. What can heal this trauma is not any medicine, but the mighty Mao Zedong Thought. So, we specially sent health worker Li Weichao to study Mao’s works with Zhang Qiujú, recalling苦难 (bitterness) and thinking about甜蜜 (sweetness), and criticizing bourgeois ideas, to arm her mind with Mao Zedong Thought. The brilliance of Mao Zedong Thought illuminated Zhang Qiujú’s heart. She realized that it was the counterrevolutionary revisionist line promoted by Chinese Khrushchev that had made her like this. She also asked Xiao Li to hang Mao’s portrait by her bed and often say to Mao’s portrait: “Chairman Mao, with your wise leadership, I will be saved.” Zhang Qiujú’s class consciousness and awareness of the two-line struggle greatly improved. Not only did she gain confidence in treatment and actively cooperate, but she also established a revolutionary view of life and death. She told her husband: “If I die during the operation, you must ask the PLA comrades to remove the tumor and find a cure. Don’t let it harm our poor and lower-middle peasants.” Zhang Qiujú eliminated her fear of the operation. This was a very important condition for the smooth progress of the operation.
Health worker Li Weichao and Zhang Qiujú studying Mao’s works together, Zhang Qiujú at this time can only kneel on the bed.
At that time, the problem before us was: what kind of tumor was Zhang Qiujú’s tumor, and could it be cured? Mao Zedong said: “You cannot solve that problem? Then go investigate the current situation and its history!” To clarify this issue, we formed a research group to understand Zhang Qiujú’s treatment process and medical records from hospitals she visited. She had undergone surgery at several hospitals, and after pathological examination, the diagnosis was “retroperitoneal fibrosarcoma (low-grade malignant).”
The comrades of the research group reported their findings to the entire team. Some said: “They cannot cure it, why should we try? Isn’t that futile?” Others said: “Performing such a big operation in a big hospital has a 99% death rate; in our small health department, isn’t it 100%?” All these opinions reflected a lack of confidence in curing Zhang Qiujú’s disease.
The party branch immediately held a meeting to study this. They believed: these opinions are not just ordinary ideological obstacles but are a reflection of the long-standing influence of the counterrevolutionary revisionist line promoted by Chinese Khrushchev in medical and health work. Only by arming everyone with Mao Zedong Thought, thoroughly criticizing the counterrevolutionary revisionist line, raising awareness of the two-line struggle, and clearing out the influence of bourgeois reactionary line in our minds, can we with heroic spirit overcome all difficulties and cure Zhang Qiujú’s disease.
The party branch immediately set up a Mao Zedong Thought study class. In the class, everyone used Mao Zedong Thought as a weapon to expose and criticize the crimes of the bourgeois reactionary line promoted by Chinese Khrushchev in health work. We first refuted the idea of “incurable disease.” Many comrades said: Mao taught us: “Humans must constantly summarize experience, make discoveries, inventions, creations, and progress. The idea of stopping, pessimism, inaction, and complacency are all wrong.” The so-called “incurable disease” does not conform to Mao Zedong Thought. Some diseases we cannot cure temporarily are not because they cannot be cured, but because our understanding is still behind reality. One day, they can be cured. Mao also taught us: “Save lives and heal the wounded, implement revolutionary humanitarianism.” The so-called “incurable disease” used as an excuse by those implementing the bourgeois reactionary line are actually turning the people away. Loyal revolutionaries following Mao’s revolutionary line have deep proletarian feelings for the people and believe that there are no incurable or untreatable diseases for us.
Then, everyone discussed whether to fight for 1% or give up 1%. They said: from the bourgeois reactionary line, based on bourgeois medical views, prioritizing “private,” fearing loss of reputation, profit, and risk, there is only a 99% chance of success and a 1% risk, which they dare not undertake. As proletarian medical workers, we should stand on Mao’s revolutionary line, with the public character as the main, not for fame or profit, wholeheartedly serving the people, even if there is a 100% risk. We only have the obligation to strive for the 1% hope of curing Zhang Qiujú’s disease and have no right to give up. With awareness of the two-line struggle heightened, our courage increased. Everyone believed that we should not blindly accept the previous diagnosis of Zhang Qiujú’s illness but should draw our own conclusions through practice. With the help of sister hospitals, we conducted a comprehensive and systematic examination of Zhang Qiujú’s condition. Then, following Mao’s teachings, we analyzed over thirty items of examination data. Finally, we boldly denied the original conclusion, believing that Zhang Qiujú’s tumor was benign, not malignant. The facts proved this was correct.
Firmly believe in the masses, closely rely on the masses
Mao taught us: “The people, only the people, are the driving force behind world history.” “We have always advocated revolution relying on the masses of the people. Everyone should take action, oppose relying solely on a few to give orders.”
Our health department colleagues realized that curing Zhang Qiujú’s disease was a major issue in defending Mao’s revolutionary line. Everyone was enthusiastic and confident. However, some doctors expressed: “Removing the tumor still depends on a few surgeons.”
The question of who should do it is not a method issue but a matter of two worldviews and two lines. The counterrevolutionary revisionist line promoted by Chinese Khrushchev in health work always advocates that treatment depends on “technology,” following the “expert” route. Mao’s revolutionary line requires us to use politics to lead technology, firmly believe in the masses, and rely closely on them. Mao taught us: “Among all things in the world, people are the most precious. Under the leadership of the Communist Party, as long as there are people, all kinds of miracles can be created.” Those armed with Mao Zedong Thought are the bravest and wisest. Relying on a few, following the “expert” route; or relying on the broad masses, following the mass line—this not only affects whether we can cure Zhang Qiujú’s disease but also determines the path our medical and health work will take.
In the Mao Zedong Thought study class, we used Mao’s teachings as a guide to fully carry out discussions from the perspective of the two-line struggle. Comrades said: “The skills of experts are limited; the wisdom of the masses is infinite; diseases that experts cannot cure, the masses may be able to cure.” Politically, we must follow the mass line; technically, we must also follow the mass line. Mao said: “The masses have infinite creativity.” Only by arming ourselves with Mao Zedong Thought, thoroughly purging the influence of the bourgeois reactionary line, and fully mobilizing people’s enthusiasm can we cure Comrade Zhang Qiujú’s disease.
Through study and discussion, everyone became more clear: to resolutely implement Mao’s revolutionary line and wholeheartedly serve the broad masses of the people, we must unwaveringly believe in and rely on the masses. After the oath to defend Mao’s revolutionary line and save lives and heal the wounded, all members of the department—from doctors and health workers to cooks, caretakers, and hospitalized patients—joined the fight. Everywhere, people discussed how to cure Zhang Qiujú’s disease. Everyone brainstormed, devised methods, and proposed many suggestions and measures. In the end, they summarized into “ten ways” and over 120 specific measures.
Difficulties abound, but with crowds armed with Mao Zedong Thought, nothing is difficult. For example, anesthesia: we did not have a dedicated anesthesiologist. Comrade Gao Jiazheng had only learned anesthesia for three months in the hospital. This time, we entrusted the anesthesia task to a three-person team led by him. They repeatedly studied the “Three Old Articles,” thought about potential problems, and prepared measures. To save the comrade, although they prepared three anesthesia machines and various measures, they still felt uneasy. Before surgery, they prepared a “soil anesthesia jar.” They said: “Better to prepare ten thousand sets of measures that might not be used than to miss a problem and delay the comrade’s life.” With collective effort, repeated study, and thorough preparation, the anesthesia team finally devised a relatively complete anesthesia plan.
To remove such a large tumor, what kind of “incision” should be used to extract the tumor completely while minimizing damage to other tissues and allowing the patient to recover quickly? To solve this problem, everyone brainstormed. Health worker Feng Xueming did not sleep for three nights, drew eight “incision” diagrams, and revised over thirty times. Through the joint efforts of all staff, a better “incision” plan was finally developed.
The health department discussing the surgical plan, using a large gourd as a model to design the incision.
It was not only our health department that did this; all cadres, soldiers, workers, and family members in the camp actively participated. Everyone thought of ways, offered ideas. The camp’s logistics staff heard we needed a semi-circular table for the surgery and made one overnight to deliver it. The military supplies department quickly made new surgical supplies after learning the old ones were unsuitable. Family members, hearing that many gauze bags were needed for surgery, sewed them voluntarily. In short, as soon as we expressed a need, we received enthusiastic support from all sides. With the collective effort of the masses, a relatively complete surgical plan and sufficient material preparations were achieved. Practice proved: once the masses are mobilized, many things we cannot think of, they can. Many things we cannot do, they can. Performing such a difficult and risky surgery on Zhang Qiujú, given our material and technical conditions, was indeed a big contradiction. In just over twenty days, we relatively fully solved this contradiction, made thorough preparations, and laid a good foundation for victory in the surgery. This is a glorious victory of Mao’s great mass line. It profoundly taught us that to defend Mao’s revolutionary line and wholeheartedly serve the broad masses of the people, we must firmly believe in and rely on the masses.
Command the battle with Mao Zedong Thought
On the morning of March 23, the battle to defend Mao’s revolutionary line and save lives and heal the wounded was about to begin. The party committee decided to send the deputy secretary of the party committee and the unit commander to the scene to command us with Mao Zedong Thought.
At 7:40 am, eight combat groups, including political command and surgery, entered their respective positions. Zhang Qiujú was also brought into the operating room. When leaving the ward, she and health worker Xiao Li recited Mao’s quotations together several times: “Make firm resolve, fear no sacrifice, overcome all difficulties, and strive for victory.” Believing that Mao’s invincible revolutionary thought armed the soldiers, and trusting that Mao’s revolutionary line would give her a second life, she lay peacefully on the operating table without fear.
Zhang Qiujú on the operating table, with a semi-circular small table made by the camp’s logistics department visible in the picture.
The surgery had not yet begun when we encountered two unexpected situations. According to the original surgical plan, the great saphenous veins on both sides of Zhang Qiujú were to be incised, transfused with blood and fluids, and an artery was to be exposed for emergency rescue. However, once the blood vessels were cut open, the blood inside the vessels did not flow out, and when the needle was inserted, blood did not flow in. At this moment, comrades from the political command group immediately recited Chairman Mao’s teachings: “All psychological dependence on accidental convenience and luck, without relying on our own hard struggle, blood, and sweat, must be thoroughly eliminated.” Mao’s words shone like a bright lamp, illuminating our hearts clearly. We quickly identified the reason why blood was not flowing in or out, boldly adopted another method, and solved the transfusion problem.
Next, anesthesia was administered. Less than five minutes into anesthesia, a crisis occurred. Zhang Qiujú had difficulty breathing, her blood pressure dropped, her heart rate increased, she broke out in virtual sweat, her face turned blue and purple, and she was about to stop breathing. At this critical moment, the deputy secretary of the party committee calmly recited Mao’s quotations and said to everyone: “What we need is a passionate yet calm mood, tense yet orderly work.” Mao’s words are truly powerful, each one equivalent to ten thousand words. The comrades carefully checked and identified the cause. Gao Jiazhen decisively replaced the ‘earth anesthesia jar,’ finally resolving the issue and ensuring the smooth progress of the surgery. Gao Jiazhen and the anesthesia comrades’ thoughtful planning was due to their unwavering loyalty to Mao’s revolutionary line and their deep love for the masses!
However, once the incision was made, another difficulty arose. The tumor was covered with a membrane on the surface. At this moment, we could not tell whether this membrane was on the tumor or the peritoneum. If it was the peritoneum, it could not be ruptured, or it would cause infection of the internal organs and affect the long-term health of the class sisters. Whether the operation was inside the peritoneum or outside was also a struggle between two lines. According to bourgeois and revisionist medical views, as long as the tumor could be removed without death during surgery, it was considered successful. We not only wanted the class sisters to survive healthily but also to continue working for socialism. Mao taught us: “Our responsibility is to be responsible to the people. Every word, every action, every policy must serve the interests of the people.” We decided to follow Mao’s instructions, be extremely responsible for our work, passionately serve the people, and strive for excellence in technology, implementing Mao’s directives down to every detail. The surgeons operated very carefully, finally protecting the peritoneal cavity and ensuring the operation proceeded smoothly outside the peritoneum.
How to remove this large tumor? We applied Mao’s military thinking: “First, disperse and isolate the enemy; then, attack the concentrated and strong enemy.” “Surround the enemy from all sides, striving for complete annihilation.” Everyone believed that if the tumor was not first separated around its periphery, the base could not be exposed. During the separation process, we had to change Zhang Qiujú’s original position from lateral to supine. However, turning over was a difficult and risky problem for Zhang Qiujú. According to Mao’s teachings, since removing the tumor was the main contradiction, we should find ways to turn over and create conditions to resolve the main contradiction. Therefore, we took a series of technical measures, and several people worked together to help Zhang Qiujú turn over smoothly.
When the surgeon began to peel off the tumor, he found that the blood vessels of the tumor were like a spider web. To avoid damaging other organs, the surgeons did not use scissors or knives but clamped cotton balls with forceps and slowly peeled layer by layer, tying off vessels as they went, trying to avoid heavy bleeding. Despite this careful peeling, due to the large area of the tumor and numerous blood vessels, bleeding was still considerable, blood pressure dropped several times, and the heartbeat was abnormal. The originally prepared 5,000 milliliters of blood was not enough. Outside the operating room, comrades heard that the blood was insufficient and rushed to donate blood. Over a hundred soldiers from the guard company, carrying Mao’s portrait and a declaration of determination, beat drums and gongs and came to donate blood. A cadre named Jiang Balong, just back from a mission, found that his blood type was suitable and lay down in the blood collection room. Others advised him not to donate, to rest well, but he said: “This is to defend Mao’s revolutionary line and save the class sister. How can I not donate blood? If you don’t draw my blood, I won’t leave!” They forcibly drew 200 milliliters of his blood, and he happily left. The head of the kitchen squad, Zhou Beihua, also lay down when he came in. The doctor saw a needle mark on his arm; he had already donated once before. The doctor advised him not to donate again, but Zhou said: “In the old society, my parents sold me because they couldn’t make a living. Mao liberated my family, brought us back together. Now Mao asks us to save the life of the class sister. How can I not donate blood? To defend Mao’s revolutionary line, even if they draw all my blood, I am willing.” In this way, 38 cadres and soldiers donated a total of 7,520 milliliters of blood for Zhang Qiujú.
To ensure the surgical blood supply, the health department mobilized 200 soldiers with the same blood type as Zhang Qiujú across the entire 113th division to form a blood donation team.
The surgery had lasted more than ten hours. The medical staff had not drunk water or eaten rice. Comrade He Siyi, who had previously suffered from gastric perforation and still had severe stomach problems, normally could only stand for two or three hours. That day, he voluntarily took on the task of moving the tumor. The tumor, weighing dozens of jin (a Chinese unit of weight), pressed on his hands, and he remained still. His arms ached, his stomach hurt, but he silently recited Mao’s quotations. It was the immense power of Mao Zedong Thought that kept him going to the end.
Under the shining light of Mao Zedong Thought, after more than ten hours of arduous fighting, the last blood vessel was severed. The soldiers who were infinitely loyal to Mao’s revolutionary line finally removed a large tumor weighing ninety jin (about 45 kg) from the class sister Zhang Qiujú in its entirety. At this moment, everyone inside and outside the operating room was excited, shouting repeatedly: “Long live Mao’s revolutionary line! Long live Chairman Mao! Long live!”
About twelve hours into the operation, the chief surgeon Dr. Xu Daoyi gave the most exciting order: “Lift it!” With this command, two medical staff members exerted force together, and the massive tumor weighing over 90 jin was finally removed from Zhang Qiujú’s body — the surgery was successful!
Zhang Qiujú woke up. She touched her stomach, was very excited, and her first words were: “Long live Chairman Mao! Mao saved me!” Mao Zedong Thought gave Zhang Qiujú infinite vitality. Despite such a major surgery, her body recovered very quickly. The 95-centimeter-long incision healed in one stage, stitches were removed starting on the sixth day, and she was able to get out of bed and move around on the eighth day. Now Zhang Qiujú is very healthy, able to do household chores and farm work, feed pigs, harvest wheat, clean, and do everything.
Outside the operating room, the soldiers of the blood transfusion team are celebrating the success of the surgery around the tumor being carried out.
The success of the surgery for Zhang Qiujú was a great lesson for all our colleagues, further raising our awareness of the struggle between two lines, and making us realize more deeply that in practical struggle, only by adhering to Mao’s proletarian revolutionary line and relying resolutely on the broad masses can we discover, invent, create, and advance in the struggle. In the future, we will raise high the great banner of Mao Zedong Thought, better learn and apply Mao’s Thought, resolutely implement and bravely defend Mao’s proletarian revolutionary line, fully carry out Mao’s latest directives, and serve the broad soldiers and masses wholeheartedly.
Note: For this miraculous surgery, the health department summarized the process into an experience report titled “Infinite Loyalty to Mao’s Revolutionary Line is Victory - Experience Report of the 113th Division Health Department on Removing a Huge Tumor from Female Worker Zhang Qiujú.”
Zhang Qiujú after surgery, studying Mao’s works with health worker Li Weichao.
Zhang Qiujú during recovery.
In September of that year, Zhang Qiujú was able to participate in farm work.
Zhang Qiujú visiting the health department to see her life-saving benefactor for the first time.
Banner awarding “Advanced Health Department Serving the People Wholeheartedly” | July 16, 1968, Beijing Military Region issued the order to commend the 113th Division Health Department with a collective first-class merit, and on August 1 of the same year, the Central Military Commission issued an order awarding the 113th Division Health Department the title of “Advanced Health Department Serving the People Wholeheartedly.” The head of the health department, Xu Daoyi, was elected as a delegate to the Ninth Congress of the CPC in April 1969 and was also elected as a member of the presidium of the Ninth Congress.
Anesthesiologist Gao Jiazhen and nurse Li Weichao received individual first-class merits.
Zhang Qiujú at the exhibition, viewing the tumor specimen removed from her body.
At the deeds exhibition at Beijing National Cultural Palace, Zhang Qiujú and Beijing Military Region leaders are viewing the tumor specimen. The second person from the left is Wu Dai, the then director of the Political Department of Beijing Military Region, and the third is Zheng Weishan, the commander of Beijing Military Region.
