China to accelerate building of basic medical system

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Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang called for speeding up the building of primary medical and healthcare systems in China.

They made the remarks in two separate letters to a national conference to honor outstanding staff in the medical, health and family planning sectors on Thursday, according to Xinhua News Agency.

People read information on the reform of separating drug sales from medical treatment at Peking Union Medical College Hospital in Beijing, April 8, 2017. /Xinhua Photo

Five-pillar systems

According to a roadmap on China's medical reform during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020) issued by the State Council in January, basic medical and health care systems will be established by 2020, covering all urban and rural residents across the country.

The systems will comprise of five major pillars, namely a multi-tiered diagnosis and treatment system, a modern hospital administration system, a medical security system that covers the entire population, a "streamlined and orderly" medical supply system as well as a regulatory system.

China has already built the world's largest basic healthcare network, covering 98.8 percent of its population, or 1.34 billion people, according to a report released last month.

The country's budget for health and medical expenditure this year has reached 1.4 trillion yuan (about 207 billion US dollars).

An elder shows her social security card in Nantong, Jiangsu Province, east China, March 30, 2016. /China Daily Photo

Xi: Doctors should be respected

President Xi Jinping, also General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), said the party and the central government had attached great importance to the development of the medical and healthcare sector and improvement of public health.

He called on those working in the sector to offer better medical and health services to the people, adding that a healthy social environment that respects doctors and values health should also be fostered.

Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong inspects a health service center of Yuetan Community in Beijing, January 3, 2017. /Xinhua Photo

Premier Li Keqiang congratulated the 775 individuals and 251 groups honored at the meeting and encouraged them to make more contributions to building China into a health power.

Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong attended the meeting.