Great Love of the Great Doctor: Zhang Xingru’s Philosophy of Philanthropy (IV)

By Yibai, Jointing.Media, in Shanghai, 2011-01-10

Success Lies In People,
Letting More People See Themselves Is Also A Kind Of Public Welfare.

“We believe that people participating in GMX is the greatest support.Any problem that can be solved with money is not a big problem.”

——Zhang Xingru

“It’s not just brightness, it’s hope.”

“A little girl in Tibet went blind because of her inverted eyelashes. The locals didn’t know it could be treated and believed that seeing a doctor wouldn’t help. But we went there and helped some people regain their sight, so that they would know this disease can be cured,” said a member of the GMX team.

A certain issue of the BiMBA alumni magazine featured the “GMX 2009″ as its cover story. Volunteer Liu Sizhuang, who participated in this event, wrote an article for the same issue:

“When patients rush in for treatment regardless of obstacles, when they walk unsteadily in and out of the ward, when they receive medication with gratitude in dialects we cannot understand despite being unable to undergo surgery, I feel that what they see is not only brightness, but also hope. If it’s not their turn this time, there will be next time, and as one problem is solved, other problems are not far from being resolved.”

Zhang Xingru hopes to achieve excellent results for cataract patients with the best doctors, equipment, and materials. He said, “Some people suggest buying cheaper materials to treat more patients, but our philosophy is that patients in remote and impoverished areas need to use the ‘best’. They do not have a second chance, and this opportunity is not only for themselves but also for the hope of others – if other patients see them being cured, they will have hope of being cured as well. If it is done poorly, others will think ‘oh, it’s still like this’. This will erase the hope of others.”

It is understood that GMX selects imported international brands of high-quality folding intraocular lens, and adopts the most advanced phacoemulsification cataract extraction intraocular lens implantation. The doctors who participate in GMX are experienced chief physicians and professor experts.

Activity is contagious

Most of volunteers of GMX are middle and senior managers and decision makers in enterprises, and Zhang Xingru believes that this “donation + experience” model can cultivate a sense of social responsibility in the management of enterprises participating in GMX. “There are a lot of things that you can’t feel until you see them. We feel that being there is the biggest support for GMX. Problems that can be solved with money are not big problems,” he said.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, a famous American philosopher, said that Activity is contagious. The social value orientation of an enterprise is mainly determined by the decision-makers and managers, and Zhang Xingru chooses to influence them, so that more people can see and feel, and then inspire them to act. He believes that entrepreneurs should care more about their employees and customers than shareholders, and fulfil their corporate social responsibility.

“We are not against eating delicacies, [not] asking [entrepreneurs] to donate all this money… There are a lot of upper classes who don’t see the real bottom of society. Many Tibetans are still hungry and barefoot, but many of them do not want money. How can we help them? When entrepreneurs saw that many people were living in extreme poverty, it was a big shock to them. Our model is better suited to our national conditions. (Doing charity for the public good in this way) is easier, comes from the heart, and is a combination of charity and public good.”

Zhang Xingru and the members of GMX often talk about GMX in their respective circles and talk about their personal feelings of participating in GMX, so the publicity of it is also spread from the dinner table.

“To live, one must have a little pursuit. To be able to do something that interests you and is beneficial to others, without hurting others, is also a pursuit. People are sometimes lonely, fickle or calm. There are not many days when man is truly peaceful and happy. But one thing ignited his hope-GMX is only once a year, but many people concerned. Caring is actually kindling people’s good hearts.”

Zhang Xingru, turned 50, admitted that GMX has taken up a lot of his free time. At first, his family was puzzled as to why he was “obsessed” with this nameless, unprofitable and thankless activity. But now his family, colleagues and leaders understand him very well.

“They think this thing is really effective. Besides, it’s not about time but what you do. For example, if you go to play mahjong, your family will be unhappy. But if you do public service and charity, your family will support you. Do valuable things to guide the family, infect them. Let them feel the value of doing public welfare.”

For businesses to see, for doctors to see, for patients to see, for people who read about them to see.Being seen bring hope. GMX care more about one’s own strength, and doing well is a social improvement.

(To be continued)

中文原文

Translated by MirrorChat and Youdao Translate

Edited by Wind

Yifan Ding also contributed to this article.

Ralated: