Liao Jieyuan: 'You will reap what you have sown'

I'm Liao Jieyuan, the founder of We Doctor Group. The theme of my speech this year is "You will reap what you have sown".

On Oct 17, 11 days ago, we were honored to receive the National Poverty Alleviation Award for Individuals conferred by the State Council, the only such award in the healthcare field and known as the "Great Wall Guarding the Health of the Poor". We received this award together with three martyrs. Although the martyrs have departed our world, we saw they remain with us eternally. We were deeply inspired by this scene.

Everybody knows we will build a moderately prosperous society in all respects and lift all people out of poverty by 2020. This will be an unprecedented achievement. In this battle against poverty, we have learned there are corresponding solutions to all causes of poverty except for illness. One person suffering from a serious illness can pull the whole family into poverty. Nearly half of poor people fall into poverty due to disease, and the proportion is still going up.

Last week, I wrote reports on the advanced work being carried out on poverty alleviation in various provinces, and realized the great significance and mission of my work and profession, as well as the strong expectation and appeal of the motherland and the people.

I was born in Changting county, a remote village in an old revolutionary base area. This is a land reddened by the blood of revolutionary martyrs. Near my home is a square in the western suburb of Tingzhou. On the square stands a monument for two martyrs, general Yang Chengwu and Qu Qiubai. Listening to the stories of heroes and looking at the monument in childhood, I planted a seed in my heart and filled it with respect for heroes. But as a child, I didn't know how to serve and contribute to the country like them.

When computers started becoming popular in 1998, I came up with a simple idea, that is how to "make computers speak" and improve the efficiency of the industry. Hence, I co-founded iFLYTEK with Dr. Qingfeng, and created the first speech synthesis and recognition software and the first intelligent voice computer in China. As the idea struck a nerve for customers, iFLYTEK's products quickly obtained market recognition. During this period, I met with state leaders three times. After observing them up close, I was greatly encouraged and inspired by their simple and thoughtful outlook, who serve on the front lines and always keep the people in mind. I thought I would carry out this mission with iFLYTEK.

However, an incident completely changed my life in 2010. My little nephew was diagnosed with a serious illness and his family took him to see doctors in many hospitals. One year later, it was found he had been misdiagnosed, a discovery that caused immeasurable pain to him and his family. Pure technology can't even help our relatives! So right then and there I made a wish in my heart: "As long as I can do one thing in my life, I will use technology to make it easier for people to see a doctor." So I set up the We Doctor Group, began exploring medical care available online and I'm still walking that path after nine years.

Looking back on the past nine years, we can say we have made some achievements:

When we saw it was difficult for some people to visit a doctor, we launched the hospital appointment registration network, resulting in fewer queues and fewer hardships for the people.

When we found patients were spending more time commuting to hospitals than on actual consultation, we set up the Wuzhen Internet Hospital to allow patients to see a doctor remotely and easily.

We discovered medical payment is key, and paying medical bills through medical insurance is an indispensable process for patients to see a doctor. Therefore, we are constantly striving to explore the digital upgrade of medicine and medical insurance, and constantly cultivating our abilities to become a digital health maintenance organization.

Our work continues. The reason our company has grown so rapidly is because we are in sync with the thoughts of sages. However, after further understanding, we began to realize solving the core problem of an industry was the most substantial contribution to the industry.

What is the most substantial contribution after all?

In early 2018, I had the honor to explore the thoughts of sages. While learning and understanding Chinese culture, I realized the greatest contribution we can make to the society is to solve the most difficult problems in the industry. During this process, we stimulate the energy and mental strength of users, awaken the benevolence of doctors and the conscience of prescribers to reassure the patients and put healthcare back in the spotlight, which is the most substantial contribution. We are no longer content with benefiting the health of hundreds of millions of people but aim to benefit hundreds of millions of people.

From then on, I began to dig deep to find out the biggest problem ailing the industry. When I really reflected upon it, I discovered the fundamental reason for the difficulty and high cost of medical care lies in the mechanism and system, and the core to solve the problems of mechanism and system lies in the quality of our soul.

The second step is to strengthen medical care at the grassroots level. Without that, basic medical conditions and basic supply of medicines cannot be guaranteed for more than 600 million rural people. The foundation for the health of 1.4 billion people cannot be built without a solid medical network at the grassroots level. In particular, some poor areas suffer from shortages of doctors and medicines, so people often delay visiting a doctor, making small and chronic diseases develop into serious illnesses and dragging the family to poverty because of one person's illness. Take the example of breast cancer. If breast cancer is detected early enough, the treatment cost usually comes to only 3,000 yuan. But if treatment is delayed, medical payments through insurance reaches 300,000 to 400,000 yuan for a family. This is the challenge we face.

We are also honored to keep in mind the instructions of Chinese sages that our biggest gain and greatest reward is to benefit the largest number of people.

Originally, we just wanted to solve their difficulties seeing a doctor, but gradually embarked on the road of solving major problems for society, such as healthcare system, doctor-patient trust and poverty alleviation. We have further understood rural people need not only to shake off poverty, but also revitalize the countryside. And revitalization is not only economic revitalization, but also spiritual harvest.

We relieved the pain of the poor through providing healthcare, and then launched three-hour workshops relying on trust to link our hearts. The workshops have opened a door in the hearts of the villagers, awakened them by purifying their souls and let them fully realize they will reap what they have sown. The workshops also benefit growth of spiritual qualities, stimulate life energies and plant seeds of self-improvement in their hearts that form a stable and sustainable fission mechanism, continuously nourishing them with Chinese culture and inspiring them to devote their lives to the great cause of rural revitalization.

What is the key to industry reform? It's the changing of people's minds. What is the key to poverty alleviation? It's the growth of people's souls.

Through the study of Chinese culture in the past two years, we have a better understanding of this era, the worldview of Chinese culture that everyone belongs to one family in a united world and the Chinese solution to the proposition in the contemporary era — that is, building a community of shared future for mankind. Only those who have the courage to serve the motherland, take responsibility for the country and benefit the people are worthy of being called the sons of old revolutionary base areas.