Song Zhaopu, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) doctor and president of Jingeng Rehabilitation Hospital in Ruzhou, Central China's Henan province, is affectionately called the "Angel Grandpa" among patients due to his unselfish dedication to providing free treatment to more than 3,200 children with cerebral palsy over the past 15 years.

Song Zhaopu, a traditional Chinese medicine doctor and president of Jingeng Rehabilitation Hospital in Ruzhou, Central China's Henan province, uses pulse diagnosis to learn about the rehabilitation of his patient. [Photo provided to npc.gov.cn]

Deeply rooted in grassroots TCM practice, Song has made it his lifelong mission to help others through medical care.

As an inheritor of Song's TCM Surgical Therapy, a national intangible cultural heritage, Song has developed unique rehabilitation methods that bring hope to children with cerebral palsy.

Song Zhaopu, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) doctor and president of Jingeng Rehabilitation Hospital in Ruzhou city, Central China's Henan province, leads a large free TCM clinic on Oct 28, 2023. [Photo provided to npc.gov.cn]

Born into a family deeply rooted in TCM, Song cultivated a lifelong bond with the practice under his father's influence. Throughout his medical career, his compassion for children with cerebral palsy has been particularly touching.

Leading his medical team in Jingeng rehabilitation therapy, Song has spearheaded numerous programs to treat children with cerebral palsy. He has dedicated nearly all of his savings to purchasing rehabilitation equipment, upgrading children's wards, and recruiting medical staff and caregivers.

In 2015, Song learned about the difficulties faced by children with cerebral palsy and their families in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region due to limited medical resources. Motivated by his duty as a doctor, he began accepting children from Xinjiang for treatment free-of-charge in Henan.

To help these children feel at home, Song established wards and kitchens and provided them with free milk powder, clothes and diapers. Song's efforts extended beyond immediate care, his hospital also partnered with Xinjiang hospitals to build four rehabilitation centers where they trained local staff, shared treatment techniques, provided TCM remedies and sent experts for regular guidance.

Song and his team also taught parents basic rehabilitation skills to ensure sustainable care for their children.

"Our aim is to help these children live with dignity as much as possible," Song said, "Seeing these children gradually improve through TCM treatment fills my heart with immense joy, and I’ve witnessed how TCM forges unbreakable friendship among different ethnic groups."

Song Zhaopu, a traditional Chinese medicine doctor and president of Jingeng Rehabilitation Hospital in Ruzhou city, Central China’s Henan province, chats with a young patient in his hospital. [Photo provided to npc.gov.cn]

Song has made the promotion and development of TCM his life's mission. Beyond treating patients, Song dedicates his time to researching TCM. He has compiled and published many proven TCM remedies as well as thousands of ancient medical books and folk medicine manuscripts, making these valuable resources available to more people.

When not treating patients, Song Zhaopu, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) doctor and president of Jingeng Rehabilitation Hospital in Ruzhou, Central China's Henan province, dedicates much of his time to researching TCM. [Photo provided to npc.gov.cn]

Song was elected as a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) in 2023. To fulfill his duties, he actively participated in inspections and survey activities, working to promote TCM culture.

"As a frontline medical worker, it's my responsibility to uncover the valuable cultural heritage of TCM and advocate for the protection and innovation of TCM to make it better serve the people and the nation," Song said.

During a plenary meeting of  the Henan delegation at the second session of the 14th NPC in March, where the work report of the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) was deliberated, Song underlined the need to protect TCM intellectual property rights.

The SPP issued a written response to his suggestions on the same day, emphasizing the importance of all-round judicial protection of TCM intellectual property and the role of public interest litigation in safeguarding the inheritance and development of fine traditional Chinese culture, including TCM.

This response has strengthened Song's resolve to advocate for TCM. He is particularly concerned about the lack of TCM education in primary and secondary schools, saying that early education is crucial for building cultural confidence and enhancing TCM preservation.

"Promoting TCM culture is an important way to build cultural confidence and a healthy China," he said, "Introducing TCM education in schools will help younger generations appreciate and recognize our traditional culture."