The government has formulated a framework to reform the healthcare system and will soon present it to the people for their opinions, a senior health official said yesterday.
"All people in urban and rural areas will enjoy basic medical care and health services by 2020," said Vice-Minister of Health Gao Qiang at a news briefing on the sidelines of the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.
Gao didn’t elaborate on the plan, but said it centers on "coordinated and parallel" reforms of the medical services, insurance and supplies systems.
"While increasing government responsibility and spending, we will also encourage greater participation of private capital from both home and abroad in the sector," he said.
Increasing public criticism of high medical costs and a string of hospital scandals have prompted the ministry to launch the reforms which involves 16 ministries and commissions including the National Development and Reform Commission.
Eight organizations - the World Health Organization, McKinsey, the World Bank, the Development Research Center of the State Council, and four Chinese universities - have submitted proposals and the final plan is said to be a combination of the suggestions.
The reforms cover a wide range of subjects including insurance, drug manufacturing, distribution and supervision, and legislation of medical management.
"Around 1.5 billion people will benefit from the system at that time," Gao said, factoring in the expected increase in the nation's population in the coming years.
"We will have a lot of work to do. But we are confident the goal is achievable."
Before medical reforms in the 1990s, medical expenses of urban Chinese were paid for by governments and State-run enterprises.
Medical insurance now covers most urban residents, but rural dwellers have found it hard to get access to healthcare.
"The government will increase subsidies for rural people in implementing the new cooperative medical scheme," Gao said.
The rural cooperative medical insurance system, initiated in 2003 to offer farmers basic healthcare, covered 720 million rural residents, or 82.8 percent of the country's rural population, by the end of June this year, according to the Ministry of Health.
Questions:
1. According to Vice-Minster of Health Gao Qiang, when will all Chinese citizens enjoy basic medical care and health services?
2. Name two of the eight organizations that have submitted proposals to the government on reforming the healthcare system.
3. What do the reforms include?
4. Before medical reforms in the 1990s, who paid for the medical expenses of urban Chinese?
Answers:
1. 2020.
2. The World Health Organization, McKinsey, the World Bank, the Development Research Center of the State Council, and four Chinese universities.
3. Insurance, drug manufacturing, distribution and supervision, and legislation of medical management.
4. Governments and State-run enterprises.
（英语点津 Celene 编辑）
About the broadcaster:
Bernice Chan is a foreign expert at China Daily Website. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Bernice has written for newspapers and magazines in Hong Kong and most recently worked as a broadcaster for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, producing current affairs shows and documentaries.
