Veteran Chinese Emergency Physician Jia Dacheng Files IPO Prospectus, Devoting Lifetime to Public First Aid Education

Yu Ying, the “Superwoman” of the Emergency Department, has become a star physician in the burgeoning mobile healthcare sector, drawing significant attention from the industry. In fact, there is an even earlier public figure in China’s emergency medicine field, known as “China’s First Emergency Physician” and “The Pioneer of Public Education in Emergency Care in China”—Jia Dacheng, an emergency physician at the Beijing Emergency Medical Center. Even Yu Ying respectfully refers to this senior colleague as a banner figure in the popularization and education of emergency care in China.

"Natural Star Quality"

Mr. Jia, a native Beijinger with an authentic Beijing accent, often reveals his open-minded and humorous nature in conversation. “I took early retirement four years ahead of schedule, and since then I’ve been free to travel across China giving lectures and appearing on television programs. I was frequently on TV before retiring, so I’m quite experienced and can improvise effortlessly without any preparation. In the past, I gained fame through television and newspapers; now, I am known through both the internet and television.” Recalling one instance, a television station invited him to host a live broadcast on emergency first aid. Before the recording, the station director, anxious about potential mishaps, gave him earnest instructions. However, Mr. Jia, confident and poised, responded generously, “How about this: I’ll jot down a list of questions, as I know exactly what the general public is most eager to learn.” With no time left, the live broadcast was about to begin. The episode was ultimately very well received. In fact, the station director had placed great importance on this interview, having collected all of Mr. Jia’s materials a month in advance and put considerable effort into the preparation.

Mr. Jia’s first public lecture took place in 1985, when the Beijing No. 2 Chemical Plant approached the Emergency Center to provide its employees with training on the rescue of chemical poisoning victims and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Mr. Jia delivered an outstanding and successful presentation. Since then, he has been frequently invited to speak at various events, such as providing early first-aid training for employees of the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China, thereby enhancing Air China’s image among international friends and facilitating its expansion onto the global stage.


Today, Professor Jia has mentored countless students across the nation. His teaching engagements have included the Red Cross Society of China, the Chinese Medical Association, the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, and various medical professional organizations. Furthermore, he has been frequently invited to deliver lectures by numerous Party and government organs, colleges and universities, large enterprises, public security systems, local academic institutions, and civic associations. In this way, Professor Jia has gradually become a renowned figure in the field of emergency medicine in China.

Whatever the public needs, Teacher Jia selflessly imparts in full. His expertise in first aid is exceptionally comprehensive, covering not only professional content for physicians but also practical, everyday knowledge. From on-site emergency response for cardiac arrest, severe hemorrhage, drowning, and other accidental injuries, to immediate care for common acute conditions among middle-aged and elderly individuals, prevention of potential hazards posed by mischievous children, earthquake evasion, escape, and self-rescue and mutual aid—Teacher Jia handles all scientific approaches to emergency injury management with ease. He explains these practical essentials in an accessible manner to both medical professionals and the general public. As he once stated, “Every second counts in on-site first aid; correct actions can save lives, while mistakes can hasten death.” This underscores the critical importance of mastering accurate and scientifically sound first-aid techniques.

Although Teacher Jia is approaching seventy, he has never shied away from novel trends. Self-taught, he has become a seasoned practitioner of contemporary new media, ranging from early blogs to today’s Weibo and WeChat Official Accounts, and has developed his own unique strategies for capturing attention. “It is essential to keep pace with current events and news hotspots, ensuring content is targeted. Only then will it attract readers; otherwise, lengthy articles written with great effort may go unnoticed. I repost high-quality articles from others, but I strictly avoid sharing anything with advertising or political overtones. My focus remains solely on technology and knowledge, steering clear of other matters. Additionally, I occasionally share humorous anecdotes based on real, entertaining incidents that occur at the Emergency Center,” Teacher Jia explained with a smile.

Embracing Self-Media: Dr. Jia Attributes It All to a Chance EncounterDr. Jia recalls that his journey into self-media began quite by accident. While he was away giving lectures, an enthusiastic young attendee helped him register a blog account. Her intention was simple: to disseminate first-aid knowledge to a broader audience via the internet. Dr. Jia’s blog quickly gained significant attention. Later, with the advent of Weibo, its concise format and character limits appealed even more to him. He has since persisted in using Weibo to share first-aid information of public interest, and his popularity on the platform has continued to grow. To date, he has amassed nearly 1.5 million followers.

In fact, Teacher Jia’s blog and Weibo account not only disseminate first-aid knowledge but also promote traditional Chinese culture. As a native Beijing resident, Teacher Jia has had a profound passion for Peking Opera, calligraphy, poetry, and couplets since childhood. He once remarked that in his 66 years of life, he has been watching Peking Opera for 67 years. Some describe him as the best Peking Opera performer among doctors and the most medically skilled among Peking Opera artists. To this day, he continues to study books on Peking Opera daily, engages in discussions with others to refine his skills, and has become close friends with many renowned Peking Opera masters.

In addition to Peking Opera, Elder Jia is also an accomplished calligrapher, praised for embodying the stylistic vigor of Mi Fu. If profound artistic attainment is inseparable from innate talent, then Teacher Jia’s calligraphy is indeed a gift of nature. “My brush calligraphy was better than that of adults even when I was a child,” he remarked. The Chinese Couplet Society once proactively invited him to join as a member. All these details can be found on Teacher Jia’s Sina Blog. Thus, it is evident that Teacher Jia approaches his hobbies with seriousness and great dedication. Yet, regarding his professional duties, he simply states, “I treat work like play.”



“Fun” Stems from Passion

Some people didn’t understand and once asked Elder Jia why he had declined lucrative offers from numerous medical institutions and prestigious universities, choosing instead to work at the Emergency Center. Elder Jia’s explanation consisted of just two words: “It’s fun!” In old Beijing dialect, the seemingly flippant phrase “it’s fun” actually conveys genuine interest and passion. It is precisely because of his deep love for this work that Elder Jia has devoted his life to the Emergency Center year after year, without regret.

“Turn your hobby into your job, and treat your job like play.” This phrase became one of Dr. Jia’s well-known sayings. His serendipitous connection with the Emergency Medical Center was also a matter of coincidence. He recalls that around the Spring Festival of 1983, an article titled “Beijing Emergency Station Refuses to Save the Dying” sparked considerable public outcry upon publication. The article stated, “The staffing and equipment at the Beijing Emergency Station are far from adequate to meet the needs arising from the capital’s political status and the practical healthcare demands of its residents.” At the time, Dr. Jia Dacheng, who was working at the Beijing Institute of Sports Science, resolutely wrote a letter offering his services. Unexpectedly, he received a phone call the very next day, underwent an interview on the same day, and the director of the emergency station promptly approved his employment. From that moment until his retirement, progressing from a young physician to a renowned senior expert, Dr. Jia worked tirelessly and with great enthusiasm in the field of emergency medicine for decades.

Jia Lao, a man of genuine character, has always been forthright in his speech. He once remarked that it was not the Emergency Center that trained him; rather, he and several senior physicians cultivated a large pool of talent for the Center. “I am deeply grateful to the fellow villagers among whom I lived during my years as an ‘educated youth’ in the countryside. They trusted me with their lives, allowing me to treat their illnesses,” said Teacher Jia. His words are not without foundation. They stem from his experience many years ago, when he was sent to a rural village in Shanxi Province. There, he provided medical care to local residents, accumulating invaluable experience over many years and thereby honing the exceptional clinical skills he possesses today. Thus, he feels profound gratitude for the weighty trust bestowed upon him by the common people.

During his eight years of rural service, he encountered a wide spectrum of medical conditions, gaining hands-on experience in managing acute left heart failure, various types of shock, diverse traumatic injuries, tooth extractions, and even childbirth. He recalls one night when a local villager knocked on his door, reporting a case of dystocia. Despite having no prior experience in obstetrics, he yielded to the villager’s earnest pleas. He quickly consulted medical textbooks, skimmed the relevant sections, and then proceeded to assist with the delivery. Fortunately, both mother and child survived unharmed. It was precisely during those eight years that Jia Dacheng purchased numerous medical books for self-study, covering traditional Chinese medicine, Western medicine, as well as internal and surgical specialties. Gradually, he became a renowned general practitioner throughout the township, successfully treating many of his fellow villagers.

In fact, Jia Dacheng’s medical career was largely built on self-study. This story dates back to 1967, during the Cultural Revolution. At that time, 17-year-old Jia was ineligible to join the Red Guards and instead devoted himself entirely to reading and studying at bookstores. On one visit to Xinhua Bookstore, he came across three medical books: Acupuncture, Chart of Acupuncture Points, and A Primer on Medications for Rural Health Workers. He purchased all three for a few jiao. “Little did I know that the moment I paid for those books, my life’s path was decided,” recalls Teacher Jia.

“Newborn calves are not afraid of tigers.” After returning home and consulting medical texts, he felt that acupuncture was not difficult to learn. He then purchased ten acupuncture needles at a cost of one mao each and began his in-depth study of acupuncture. He first practiced needling acupoints on himself, and later treated his mother. As repeated treatments proved effective, his reputation as the “little doctor” gradually spread, and neighbors began seeking him out for acupuncture therapy. Although revolutionary ideology was prevalent at the time, Jia Dacheng believed that successfully treating patients with acupuncture brought him personal satisfaction, which had little to do with political awareness; he simply found it “enjoyable.”

Later, after the Cultural Revolution ended, Jia Dacheng entered university and received systematic medical education. It was quite an interesting period. During class, when his teacher asked why he wasn’t taking notes, he replied, “I didn’t write down what you said that I already knew; I didn’t write down what was already in the textbooks; and for what you said that I didn’t know and wasn’t in the books, as you can see, I wrote it all down in my textbook.” The teacher took a look and indeed found this to be true—Jia had been concentrating fully on the lecture—so he had nothing more to say. Jia Dacheng said that at the time, he never reviewed for any exams, yet his grades were still respectable. Although he could have stayed on at the university after graduation, he chose not to. He was ultimately assigned back to Beijing, where he began working at the Beijing Institute of Sports Science.

Many people envied Jia Dacheng’s first job, but he felt far from happy. At the time, sports science research was not valued, leaving his professional expertise with no outlet. He was often assigned various menial tasks at work, such as painting walls, replacing windows, and cooking meals for colleagues’ children. On one occasion, a supervisor tasked him with addressing athletes’ hydration needs. He devoted considerable effort to compiling comprehensive formulations for sports drinks from the United States and Western Europe. He then proposed to his supervisor that they collaborate with Beibingyang (Arctic Ocean), a well-known Chinese beverage brand, with the institute providing the technical know-how for developing sports drinks. However, due to the prevailing environment and a lack of business acumen among leadership, his proposal was not supported. It was only several years later, when Jianlibao entered the market and achieved great success, that his supervisor deeply regretted not having heeded Jia Dacheng’s advice. “The greatest regret of my life is not having worked under more competent leaders,” Mr. Jia candidly admitted. Indeed, possessing exceptional skills fosters confidence; Mr. Jia stated that he never feared his superiors.

Elder Jia’s criteria for evaluating a good physician are twofold: first, exceptional clinical competence; second, strong medical ethics and personal integrity. Elder Jia believes that only those with superior technical skills are qualified to discuss medical ethics. His perspective on medical ethics is straightforward: he fully supports any action that benefits patients. In fact, Elder Jia has been quietly contributing to the current field of mobile health. For instance, he serves as a medical advisor to Huakang Medical. On his Weibo account, one can also see promotions for new healthcare apps, all of which he supports pro bono, without any financial interest. This is not only a favor to friends but also a way to do good for the general public.

In January 2016, Jia Dacheng was awarded the title of “Outstanding Online Lecturer” by the Publicity Department of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, the Capital Spiritual Civilization Office, and the Lecture Group of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee.

Jia Lao’s Weibo bio reads: “In life, I belong to 120; in death, my soul remains with 120. I will forever maintain the vitality of youth and the passion for life, dedicating my entire life to China’s emergency medical services!” This is a true reflection of Jia Lao’s life.