Chinese PM urges basic medical services for all citizens

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has urged that a basic medical care system be provided to all citizens as a public service. Li made the remarks in a written instruction to a national teleconference for healthcare system reform that was held Friday. Li said that the reform of healthcare system was a worldwide problem and that needs continuous, unremitting efforts. The premier said governments and relevant departments at various levels should regard the reform as an important task for improving people's livelihood, and work to provide a basic medical care system to all citizens as a public service. Liu Yandong, vice premier and the head of a leading group for the reform under the State Council, said at the meeting that significant progress has been achieved since the central government started a new round of healthcare reform in 2009. The healthcare reform is an important guarantee for realizing a well-off society and the Chinese dream, Liu said, adding that there can be no overall well-off society unless citizens are in good health. Liu asked that the establishment of an emergency aid system for illnesses be accelerated and that the function of the essential medicine system be improved. In addition to infrastructure and hardware construction for the reform, the recruitment of grassroots medical personnel and healthcare services in hospitals should also be improved, the official said. Liu called for proceeding with a pilot program for the reform of county-level hospitals, which could lead to the determination of a principle method for the reform that could be promoted nationwide. Supporting reforms in pharmaceutical production and circulation, medical education and research on domestic medical equipment should also be taken into the overall consideration for the reform, she said.