Expanding Access to Quality Medical Services in China
A national political advisor has emphasized the need to allocate resources to less developed regions and strengthen collaborations between major hospitals and county-level institutions to expand access to high-quality medical services in China.
China has established 13 national medical centers dedicated to handling rare and severe cases of specific disease categories, along with 125 regional medical centers aimed at providing quality healthcare services closer to patients' homes. Additionally, nearly 2,190 county-level medical partnerships have been formed to address the increasing healthcare needs of the population.
However, challenges remain, including inadequate designs and low efficiency of some medical partnerships. To address these issues, the advisor suggests directing more resources toward the central and western regions, northeastern provinces, as well as cities with a large population.
Regional medical centers should focus on enhancing disciplines with high patient transfer rates to build trust among patients and reduce interprovincial hospital visits. China currently has 1,795 tertiary-level hospitals and 2,846 county-level medical facilities.
Following the principles of voluntary participation, spatial adjacency, and prioritizing the central and western regions, each top-tier hospital should be paired with one to three county-level counterparts. This would allow for the dispatching of more medical professionals from larger institutions to improve medical expertise at the grassroots level.
Local governments should concentrate on establishing systems to ensure scientific and efficient management of regional medical centers. This includes providing subsidies for medical experts deployed to smaller hospitals and supporting the training of young healthcare professionals.
By implementing these measures, China can strive to provide equitable access to high-quality medical services for all its citizens.
8 Comments
Marishka
Subsidizing experts to assist county-level hospitals sounds effective and sustainable.
Pupsik
More emphasis on localized care means faster treatment and better patient outcomes—great idea!
Marishka
Targeted measures like these will truly strengthen China’s overall medical infrastructure.
Pupsik
Focusing on central, western, and northeastern regions demonstrates genuine concern for fair healthcare distribution!
Marishka
More partnerships won't resolve poor-quality healthcare unless fundamental personnel training issues are addressed.
Coccinella
Prioritizing based on geographical location might neglect actual patient needs elsewhere.
Comandante
Why focus only on tertiary hospitals? Better improve primary healthcare first to reduce hospital visits entirely.
Coccinella
The government should instead concentrate on improving existing hospitals rather than creating new centers.