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Chinese medical reform draft open to public debate

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-10-14 19:40

BEIJING - China's long-awaited health care reform plan, which aims at providing universal medical service to 1.3 billion people, was released Tuesday for public debate.

The country wants a health care system that covers all urban and rural residents by 2020. According to the plan, that care should be safe, effective, convenient and affordable.

The plan breaks up the health care system in to four departments: public health service, medical treatment, medical insurance and medicine supply.

Medical reform has been deliberated by authorities since 2006.

Growing public criticism of soaring medical fees, lack of access to affordable medical service, poor doctor-patient relationships and low medical insurance coverage compelled China to launch the new round of reforms.

China once prided itself for a government sponsored "socialized medicine" system, in which most Chinese, including urban and rural residents, enjoyed low-priced medical service.

However, when China began economic reforms in the early 1980s, the system was dismantled to ease government burdens and changed to a market-oriented health care system.

Insufficient government funding resulted in deficits for public health institutions, thus opening doors for hospitals to generate their own revenue by raising fees and aggressively selling drugs.

The reformed plan clarifies government's responsibility by saying that it plays a dominant role in providing public health and basic medical service.

"Both central and local governments should increase health funding. The percentage of government's input in total health expenditure should be increased gradually so that the financial burden of individuals can be reduced," the draft said.

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