Mao Zedong, in a conversation with his health care provider on June 26, 1965, instructed the Ministry of Health to "put the focus of medical and health work in the countryside" to serve the masses of peasants, to solve the long-standing problem of lack of medical care in the countryside, and to safeguard the health of the people. This is the "June 26th" directive.
The directive has had a significant impact on health care in China, especially on rural health care.