Evangelical Hospital——predecessor of Central Red Hospital
There's a Central Red Hospital in the history of the PLA. It is the first
hospital taken over by the PLA after the Nanchang Uprising. The proletarian
revolutionaries of the older generation such as Mao Zedong, Wang Jiaxiang and
Chen Geng once received medical treatment in that hospital.
In 1925, after the president, doctor and priest of the hospital, who was a
British subject, fled from Tingzhou out of fear of righteous indignation of the
local people, assistant doctor Fu Lianzhang was recommended to act as president
of the hospital. In late August 1927, more than 300 wounded soldiers in Nanchang
Uprising were sent to Tingzhou, Fu Lianzhang lost no time to organize medical
strength to give medical treatment to the wounded soldiers. Since then, Fu
Lianzhang and his hospital forged an irrevocable bond with the Red Army.
Later, the Red Army established the revolutionary base area with Jinggang
Mountain as its center and Evangelical Hospital became a hospital to provide
medical treatment to commanders and fighters of the Red Army. In autumn 1932,
when Mao Zedong was directing the Red Army troops on the east flank in the
Zhangzhou Campaign, he had a relapse of pulmonary disease due to exhaustion and
had to be hospitalized in Evangelical Hospital for more than four months. Later
the hospital was renamed the Central Red Hospital at the suggestion of Mao
Zedong.
In early 1933, the Central Red Hospital was formally established in Ruijin,
and the Red Army officers and men and the local people said with elation: "we
have a hospital of our own now!" The "Red China", an official newspaper of the
Soviet Government, also published an article in congratulation of the
establishment of the hospital.
After its establishment, the Central Red Hospital gave medical treatment to
large number of patients and wounded soldiers, including Wang Jiaxiang, director
of the General Political Department of the Red Army and Cai Shufan, political
commissar of the 3rd Group Army of the Red Army. Later, the Central Red Hospital
joined in the Central Red Army to take part in the Long March.
By Liu Xin
(July 25, PLA Daily)