January 2, 1938 - Norman Bethune - a podcast by Stephen Hammond

Norman Bethune leaves Vancouver for China. Born in Gravenhurst, Ontario on March 3, 1890, Norman Bethune interrupted his education when he enlisted in World War I. Following his experience there as a stretcher-bearer, he returned to complete his M.D. in 1916. As a young doctor, he became disillusioned to see patients he’d saved return to their same, filthy conditions – conditions he considered a virtual death sentence. When Bethune and colleagues pushed for socialized medicine in Canada, they were labelled radicals. That didn’t stop him from setting up a free clinic in Montreal and continuing to push for reform. In time, his work and studies took him to the Soviet Union and Spain. When he returned to Canada in 1937, Bethune embarked on a cross-country tour to raise money for humanitarian work in Spain. On January 2, 1938, Bethune left Vancouver, B.C. for China, where he set up more than 20 teaching and nursing hospitals and established the world’s first mobile medical unit. He also worked with the Red Army in their battle against Japan. Tragically, however, the great humanitarian doctor contracted blood poisoning while operating on a Chinese soldier, and died on November 12, 1939. To this day, Bethune is honoured and revered in China. In March 1990, the Canadian and Chinese governments celebrated the centenary of Bethune’s birth by jointly issuing commemorative stamps. His dream of socialized medicine for Canada came true in the 1960s.

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