RSSNewsletterSiteMapFeedback

Home · Weather · Forum · Learning Chinese · Jobs · Shopping
Search This Site
China | International | Business | Government | Environment | Olympics/Sports | Travel/Living in China | Culture/Entertainment | Books & Magazines | Health
Home / Government / Local Governments News Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read
Local gov'ts to oversee healthcare bodies
Adjust font size:

Medical institutions across the country are to come under the administration of local health authorities in a bid to repair a system that has been critizized for its sky-high fees, a top official has said.

The government has already agreed the basic framework of the reform, Health Minister Chen Zhu said in a report published last week.

The move will "deepen" the reform of the health system by 2020, he said.

The main issues are improving public medical care, health insurance, the drug supply, and the management of medical institutions. Until those goals have been reached, China will have a healthcare system that is no better than what is available in "medium developed" countries, Chen said.

Medical institutions in China are owned and managed by a range of different bodies, including central and local health authorities, and other government departments. This has hindered reform, the report said.

Some hospitals are overburdened with patients, while others are operating below capacity, it said.

The report also said the healthcare system was under-funded. However, the government has promised greater investment, including more funds for the control and prevention of diseases.

Figures from the Ministry of Health show that in 2004, less than 6 percent of the country's GDP was put back into the health sector, accounting for just 17 percent of the total amount spent on healthcare over the year. Of the remainder, medical insurance schemes covered about 29 percent of the costs, with patients left to shoulder 54 percent.

Spending on medicine accounted for 44 percent of the total, compared with 15 percent in Europe. The report said profits from drug sales sustained many medical institutions.

Many people struggle to pay for medical care, the report said, with a large number falling victim to the high fees hospitals charge for treatments not covered by State subsidies.

In response, the government will eventually subsidize both patients and healthcare providers, the report said.

(China Daily January 2, 2008)

Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read

Comment
Username   Password   Anonymous
 
China Archives
Related >>
- Healthcare plan to be extended
- Gov't will spend more to reform healthcare
- More urban Chinese receiving healthcare benefits
- Healthcare services to improve
- Healthcare scheme spreading in pilot areas
- Healthcare in rural area faces challenges: WHO
- Medical supplement well-received
Most Viewed >>
-Severe punishment for bribery
-China works to limit snow-related chaos
-Solution to Clean up Pollution Disgrace
-Chinese Servicemen to Wear New Uniforms
-Anti-corruption novel writer elected vice-governor of Shanxi Province
Questions and Answers More
Q: What kind of law is there in place to protect pandas?
A: In order to put the protection of giant pandas and other wildlife under the law, the Chinese government put the protection of rare animals and plants into the Constitution.
Useful Info
- Who's Who in China's Leadership
- State Structure
- China's Political System
- China's Legislative System
- China's Judicial System
- Mapping out 11th Five-Year Guidelines
Links
- Chinese Embassies
- International Department, Central Committee of CPC
- State Organs Work Committee of CPC
- United Front Work Department, Central Committee of CPC
SiteMap | About Us | RSS | Newsletter | Feedback

Copyright © China.org.cn. All Rights Reserved E-mail: webmaster@china.org.cn Tel: 86-10-88828000 京ICP证 040089号