Home / News Type Content Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read | Comment
Medical Subsidies Pledged to Rural Areas
Adjust font size:
Rural residents in less-developed western regions of China are set to receive more financial aid for health care services.

The central government yesterday pledged new sources of medical subsidies, starting from 2003.

Vice-Premier Li Lanqing, speaking at a national conference on public health in the countryside yesterday, said rural residents can access a 10 yuan (US$1.21) per capita annual subsidy from the State fiscal budget if they sign up to the rural co-operative health care mechanism.

The financing mechanism is emerging in rural areas under the auspices of local governments with a view to offering financial relief to destitute families.

Bills for medical operations and hospitalization charges are often exorbitantly high for people on low incomes.

Li said residents could receive no less than 10 yuan per person per year of financial relief from government in the local fiscal budget.

"We will also improve services using providers such as mobile medical teams to make sure people living in remote areas can secure access," said Li.

Western regions of China have the highest incidence of many of the most infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis. A similar situation exists for endemic problems such as iodine deficiency and Kaschin-Beck disease.

About 80 percent of China's medical resources are accessible to just 30 percent of the population - all living in urban areas.

Li said there was an underlying need to collect funding from various channels - namely from the State budget, donations and charities - to help more destitute families afford rising medical bills.

Beijing promised earlier this month to invest 800 million yuan (US$93.4 million), taken from national treasury bonds, to initiate a programme in 12 western provinces and regions to improve local health care services.

(China Daily October 31, 2002)

Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read
Comment
Pet Name
Anonymous
China Archives
Related >>
- Civilian Squad to Ensure Urban Poor Receive Subsidies
- China Pledges Increased Aid to Low-income Urban Citizens
Most Viewed >>
- World's longest sea-spanning bridge to open
- Yao out for season with stress fracture in left foot
- 141 seriously polluting products blacklisted
- China starts excavation for world's first 3G nuclear plant
- 'The China Riddle'
- Irresponsible remarks on Hu Jia case opposed 
- China, US agree to step up constructive,cooperative relations
- 3 dead in south China school killing
- Factory fire kills 15, injures 3 in Shenzhen
- McDonald's turns to feng shui

Product Directory
China Search
Country Search
Hot Buys