A recent photo of military doctor Wang Qiuju (Photo by Li Jin)
By Sun Xingwei, Li Weixin and Zhang Mi
Military doctor Wang Qiuju, director of the Otorhinolaryngology Department of the Sixth Medical Center of the Chinese PLA General Hospital, led her team to conduct investigations in nearly 30 provinces and cities to identify the pathogenesis of auditory neuropathy. Through the in-depth analysis of relevant cases, Doctor Wang and her team identified the genetic characteristics and the rule of development and prognosis of Chinese patients with auditory neuropathy and worked out the methods of classification and location, accurate diagnosis and personalized intervention. At the same time, she completed the first Chinese clinical practice guideline of auditory neuropathy as the first author. This scientific research achievement has been granted the first prize of the Military Science and Technology Progress Award and the first prize of the Chinese Medical Science and Technology Award.
"We should thoroughly understand the pathogenesis of the disease. Technical support underlies the service to the military. Different types of hearing loss have different causes and mechanisms, which requires us to make breakthroughs during the processes of diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control, and ensure accurate diagnosis and intervention," said Wang Qiuju.
Through repeated inquiries, examinations, investigations and practices, Wang Qiuju gained deeper insights into the pathogenic mechanism of inner ear diseases. In recent years, she has successfully mapped the genetic map of hereditary deafness hearing loss in China, set up the subspecialty of otological medicine in China and the PLA, and established the replicable standardized procedures for the diagnosis and treatment of various hearing diseases, bringing hope to the patients with deafness and hearing loss.
"Prevention matters much more than treatment in terms of protecting hearing." Since being elected a member of the CPPCC National Committee, Wang Qiuju has frequently visited the primary-level units for investigation, and found that many service members didn’t place enough importance on hearing health. She said, "To protect hearing is to protect combat capabilities. This year, I wrote a proposal on the issues such as the professionalization of audiologists and comprehensive promotion of hearing protection capacity development, in the hope that through the ear protection endeavors, we can strengthen the prevention awareness of the Chinese service members and establish an efficient prevention system to better protect their wellness."
