China is pressing ahead with an insurance scheme to address
medical disputes.
In recent years, disputes between patients and doctors have
jumped sharply, and in some extreme cases, people have resorted to
using physical violence against practitioners accused of medical
negligence.
"To redress the situation, a third party, say the commercial
underwriter, should be largely introduced to help divert potential
responsibilities stemmed from medical disputes from the hospital
and doctor," Vice-Minister of Health Ma Xiaowei said at a
teleconference addressing China's medical administration and
services yesterday in Beijing.
"Hospitals, State-funded and non-profit ones in particular,
should feel obliged to have all their doctors under the protection
of the insurance plan, which would definitely help mend a strained
relationship between patients and medical workers."
Li Yuedong, secretary-general with the Chinese Hospital
Association, told China Daily, that under the program, the
insurance company will be also responsible for "the unsatisfactory
service and the administration of the hospitals".
"After probe into medical disputes and certain verification, the
insurance company would compensate patients instead of hospitals,"
Li said.
Currently, the insurance scheme is optional to all hospitals,
public-funded and private. However, many have dropped out it due to
a considerable annual premium.
Southwest China's Yunnan Province was the first to introduce
this kind of medical insurance in 1999, followed by Shanghai in
2002, Shenzhen in 2003 and Beijing in 2005.
In another development, the Ministry of Labor and Social
Security established the China Medical Insurance Research
Association yesterday in Beijing.
The association will offer policymakers advice on medical
insurance.
Wang Dongjin, former vice-minister of labor and social security
and the association's secretary, said an ageing population,
accelerated urbanization and diversity of employment are pressuring
China's immature urban medical insurance system.
(China Daily March 30, 2007)