China steps up reforms to improve health care for urban, rural residents

The medical service in rural areas will be greatly improved, with emphasis on county-level hospitals. Large hospitals in cities should provide long-term aid to county-level hospitals in terms of clinical services, personnel training, technological guidance and equipment sharing, according to the document.

The reform will set up a new urban medical system based on community health-care services, which can help lower the medical expenses and provide more convenient service.

Chinese traditional medicine will play a bigger role in disease prevention and control, and in dealing with emergency public health incidents and medical care services, the document said.

The guidelines said a comprehensive medical insurance system composed of the basic medical insurance for urban employers and employees, basic medical insurance for urban residents and a new rural cooperative medical care program will cover 90 percent of the population by 2011.

In 1998, China began to establish a medical care system, aimed to cover all employers and employees in urban areas. The country introduced a comprehensive medical insurance program, which covers all urban residents, including children and the unemployed, in July 2007. A total of 79 cities were selected to launch the pilot program.