Pingnan to accelerate medical reform

( chinadaily.com.cn )

Updated: 2013-04-22

Pingnan county has released its medical and health system reform plan for 2011-2015, vowing to further improve medical and health services for the public.

More than 96 percent of urban residents would be covered by the medical insurance system and more than 98 percent of rural residents by the new rural cooperative medical insurance system, according to the plan, which was released at the end of last year.

The county will reduce the financial burden of local people in receiving health services. The proportion of their health expenditure to total health expenditures of the county would be lowered to 28 percent by 2015 so that it will be less costly for local people to receive medical treatment and services, according to the plan.

By 2015, the proportion of medical staff, including registered doctors and nurses, would reach 0.395 percent, the plan said.

The county will also encourage the use of traditional Chinese medicine in treating patients. Fiscal investment in traditional Chinese medicine treatment to the total fiscal investment in medical services would be raised year by year, according to the plan.

The county will also raise the standards of medical subsidies for local residents.

Edited by Lin Hong and Michael Thai