[Photo by Ding Xuan provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Minning Town Health Center in Yongning county, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past three decades, evolving from a rudimentary grassroots clinic into a modern health center.

Construction of the health center began in 1997, and the facility was completed and put into operation in the second half of 1999. Its medical staff has expanded from an initial team of 13 to 130 today, with 137,000 patient visits annually.

Today, residents of the town can access convenient, comprehensive medical services right on their doorsteps.

Meng Jingzhuo, a chief physician who has worked at the center for more than 30 years, recalled the harsh early days of the center's founding while talking to reporters on July 5.

"Back then, the whole center covered a mere 200 square meters with only two consultation rooms. Supplies were extremely scarce — desks, chairs and medicines were all pieced together, and wards were furnished with simple wooden plank beds. Sandstorms were rampant year-round, with yellow sand filling the sky. Every morning when we opened the door, we had to shovel away piles of accumulated sand," Meng said.

The original staff of just 13 medical workers could only treat minor ailments such as colds, heatstroke, headaches and fevers, and the range of available medicines was very limited, according to Meng.

"Transportation was inconvenient in those years. We often rode bicycles to make house calls across villages, carrying vintage medical kits. Restricted by poor medical conditions, we could only conduct basic consultations for most illnesses and could not provide comprehensive treatment," he said.

[Photo by Ding Xuan provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

From a windswept, poorly equipped makeshift medical station to a fully furnished modern central health center spanning 7,720 square meters with complete departments and advanced medical equipment, the dramatic development of Minning Town Health Center stands as the most vivid testament to the benefits brought by paired assistance between Ningxia and Fujian province.

Generations of medical professionals from Fujian have traveled across mountains and seas to offer continuous support and dedicated service.

[Photo by Ding Xuan provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Wang Tengbo, a doctor dispatched from Fujian, is one of them. He volunteered to support Minning in 2025. Before arriving, he knew nothing about Northwest China and imagined a desolate, underdeveloped land. Upon his arrival, he was pleasantly surprised by the tidy, livable town.

"Thanks to the Fujian-Ningxia paired assistance policy, the local health center boasts complete facilities, including a CT scanner rarely seen at grassroots medical institutions. Routine general surgeries can be performed here independently," Wang said.

In August 2024, the center forged a partnership with the Banzhong She ethnic town in Fu'an city, Fujian, to jointly build a traditional Chinese medicine hall.

Every early morning, deputy director Huang Qingbao, a TCM expert sent from Fujian, leads residents in practicing tai chi. In this way, the health philosophy of "prevention first" has subtly taken root in every household across Minning town.

"My wrist has been aching badly, so I came here specifically for treatment. Huang gave me seven consecutive sessions of acupuncture, combined with fumigation, medicinal plasters, electrotherapy and oral herbal medicine as part of the treatment. I'm feeling much better and far more comfortable now," Liang Qiaohong, a resident of Minning, said.