China will strictly limit the size of large hospitals so as to
lower the cost of medical treatment for the people, said Health
Minister Gao
Qiang Saturday.
To give the people an easier and cheaper access to medical
service should be taken as a historical task, which should make
breakthrough in the 11th five-year guideline, said Gao at the 2006
national health work conference.
Chinese hospitals should not follow suit, though hospitals in
developed countries purchase luxury medical equipment and use top
techniques in the treatment, he said.
This year, the Ministry of Health will tighten the control over
the expansion of large hospitals and their purchasing of large
medical equipment with bank loans and public funds, Gao told the
conference.
He urged local health authorities to provide hospital and
medicine service at a reasonable price for farmers, urban
laid-offs, jobless, migrant workers, the elderly and children.
Control over luxury hospitals and wards at special requests by
the patients should also strengthened, said Gao, noting that the
special sickbeds in a hospital should not exceed 10 percent of the
total sickbeds.
Hospitals should spend the income of special medical service in
setting up funds for saving needy people, said Gao, "The patients
with financial difficulties or in critical condition must be
treated first, instead of being charged first."
(Xinhua News Agency January 8, 2006)