China's finance and health ministries are mulling policies concerning the treatment cost of the quake injured and hospital patients.

Chen Xianyi, director of the Emergency Response Office under the Health Ministry, told a press conference in Beijing on Tuesday that consultations were in progress and the results would be submitted to the State Council, China's Cabinet.

Afterwards, a series of policies are expected to come out concerning the quake survivors' medical costs.

"We won't allow the delay in the treatment of anyone injured or sickened by the quake just because of the medical cost. That's our general principle," he said, without providing details.

In total, 361,822 people have been listed as injured as of Tuesday noon in the 8.0-magnitude quake that jolted southwestern Sichuan Province on May 12. The death toll has risen to 67,183.

Meanwhile, hospitals have treated 84,810 injured people, of whom, 54,374 have been discharged, 16,288 remain hospitalized and 6,363 have been transferred outside of Sichuan for further treatment, official figures indicated.

(Xinhua News Agency May 27, 2008)