Medical reform

China's State Council, or Cabinet, passed a long awaited medical reform plan in January this year which promised to spend 850 billion yuan by 2011 to provide universal medical service to the whole population, to make health care more accessible and affordable. .

Growing public criticism of soaring medical fees, a lack of access to affordable medical services, tense doctor-patient relationship and low medical insurance coverage compelled the government to launch the new round of reforms in 2006.

In his report, Wen rolled out a five-point plan that aims to "establish a nationwide basic medical and health care system for both urban and rural areas to begin providing universal coverage":

-- To expand the coverage of medical insurance;

-- To build a basic medicine system that includes a catalogue of drugs that mostly needed by the public

-- To improve the community-level medical and health service system;

-- To promote equal access for all to basic public health services;

-- To initiate reform on public hospitals.

Health Minister Chen Zhu said the government funds will go to both the medical insurance sector and the health service sector, though "the proportion has not been decided yet".

"One thing is for sure that the new type of rural cooperative medical care system and medical service in the cities will take larger share in the funds," said Chen, also member of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the nation's top political advisory body.

Ba Furong, deputy to the 11th NPC and chief of Anshan Medical Association in northeastern Liaoning Province, said: "Medical reform is a tricky issue everywhere in the world. It is also in the eye of public attention."

"We must choose the right priority in pursuing the medical reform, and the five tasks outlined in the work report provided the best point to begin with," Ba said.

"The government's increased investment in welfare, education, and medical service will relieve the burden of millions of families, shore up confidence in consumption, spur domestic demand, and promote steady and fast economic development," said Zhao Peng, deputy to the 11th NPC.

(Xinhua News Agency March 5, 2009)