China is planning to change its radical market-oriented health
reforms that have attracted much criticism.
Ge Yanfeng, an official with the China Development Research
Center (CDRC) under the State Council, said on Saturday that the
improper use of market mechanisms has resulted in a gross injustice
in the distribution of health resources.
Speaking at the preparatory meeting of the China Development
Forum in Beijing, Ge said that under the reforms, lower-end health
institutions, such as rural hospitals and community hospitals in
urban areas, are struggling for survival.
Referring to the results of a study jointly carried out by the
CDRC and the World Health Organization (WHO), Ge said the trend of
commercializing China's health reforms is wrong and must be
redressed.
Henk Bekedam, WHO representative in China, said inadequate input
and interference from the government is responsible for the
inefficient use of China's limited health resources.
He acknowledged that there are currently 11 government
departments playing different roles in health services, but there
is no overall coordinator.
He suggested the State Council should set up a special
organization to coordinate all these departments and the government
should also draw up a long-term plan for the health sector and
clearly define its roles.
Gao Weizhong, an official with the Ministry of Health, said if
the tendency of profit-seeking in health institutions is not
stopped, generations of future Chinese doctors could become
victims.
The government must play a decisive role in future health
reforms, if China is to provide proper health services to its 1.3
billion people, he said.
According to Ge's estimate, the building of a new health system
that will make health services available and affordable to everyone
will cost anywhere between US$19 billion to 25 billion, or around
1.5 percent of China's gross domestic product in 2005. This is an
affordable plan for China.
(Xinhua News Agency March 19, 2006)