Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c14.s3.t10.7

v2.c14.s3.t10.7

The doctors stayed in Guangzhou for six days and then they travelled towards the north, first to Changsha by a convoy of ambulance. They reached Changsha on September 25. Here, they were incorporated into the No. 15 Curative Unit of the China Red Cross. After spending four days in Changsha, on September 29, the medical team reached Wuhan which was then the seat of the Guomindang government. The doctors started to work in the 64 Rear Hospital in Wuhan. But soon they started for Yan’an in the north, which was the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army. In order to express their love and friendship for the Chinese people, each doctor put ‘Hua’, which means China in the Chinese language, after their names. Dr Atal’s name became Ai Dehua, Dr Cholkar was Chuo Kehua, Dr Mukherji became Mu Kehua, Dr Basu was Ba Suhua and Dr Kotnis was Ke Dihua. This gesture was suggested by Professor Tan Yunshan of Cheena Bhavana, Visva-Bharati University in Santiniketan. The five doctors worked laboriously under extremely poor living and working conditions.