Heavy spending to boost medical, health development (Xinhua) Updated: 2004-03-03 10:24
All levels of Chinese government have endeavored to invest more in medical
and health development, strengthening the construction of the public health
system, rural medical system, and all early-warning and emergency systems, said
Zhu Qingsheng, vice minister of health.
Speaking at the 21st century international medical forum held in Shanghai
recently, Zhu said he believed that China's medical development and reform was
now at a new stage.
All circles of society had already realized that medical and health
undertakings were a crucial factor bearing on economic development and social
progress, Zhu said.
China has made plans to construct a nationwide disease prevention and control
system, including a State-level center and local branches with the total
investment of over 7.4 billion yuan (US$895 million).
Zhu said that China planned to invest 11.4 billion yuan (US$1.4 billion) in
establishing a number of emergency medical centers and specialized hospitals for
epidemic disease prevention and control in major cities.
In addition, the central government would allocate another 400 million yuan
(US$48.4 million) to boost the cooperative medical system in China's vast rural
areas and had put aside over 300 million yuan (US$36.3 million) for the medical
infrastructure construction in poverty-stricken areas, said Zhu.
