Tibet to spend more in health care in 2012

Financial authorities in Tibet said Sunday that the southwestern China region would spend 1.42 billion yuan (225 million U.S. dollars) in health services in 2012, up 31.3 percent compared with last year's spending. The government will spend 630 million yuan covering free medical services for farmers and herders and improving the medical insurance system for urban residents, said an official with the region's department of finance. Standards for medical subsidy for urban residents will be raised, said the official. The Himalaya region said in November it would, starting this year, offer pension and medical insurance policies to monks and nuns at all monasteries. Improvement in medical services has raised Tibet's average life expectancy to 67 years by the end of 2010, compared with 35.5 years six decades ago, according to a white paper issued by the State Council in July.