Improving access nationwide
(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-03-14 07:16

Proposals and suggestions on medical care sector by NPC deputies and CPPCC members:

Health plan for migrants

A health insurance policy designed for the country's 200 million migrant workers should be introduced to ensure that they get easy access to medical services, regardless of where they are.

Currently, a great number of migrant workers are excluded in any health insurance policy. Fearing high medical costs, many do not go to doctors, and minor diseases develop into serious ones.

With rural hukou registration, migrant workers are eligible to take part in the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme, which helps foot part of their medical bills incurred at local hospitals.

However, when they are working in cities, they are denied access to the insurance scheme that is available to urban residents.

Proposed by: Fan Li

CPPCC member and deputy director of the China PLA General Hospital.

Insurance for disputes

The government should establish a compulsory medical liability insurance system to better handle medical disputes.

Due to a continuous increase of medical disputes in recent years, hospitals and doctors are facing heavier pressure and more compensation liability.

The proposed system helps reduce the risk of such compensation by hospitals and doctors, prevent and decrease medical disputes, and protect patients' interests.

Doctors can be liberated from the complicated disputes and devote their time to raising their medical skills and providing better services for patients.

Proposed by: Wen Jianmin

CPPCC member and director of Wangjing Hospital's orthopedics department.

Equity for rural areas

The central government should enact an evaluation standard to include the setting up of a rural medical care system as part of a local government's performance.

Nearly three-quarters of medical resources are in the urban areas, which add to difficulties experienced by people in rural areas in accessing basic healthcare.

It should be part of a local government's responsibility to grant adequate support in policy and investment for the development of a medical care system in rural areas.

More preferential policies and funds should also be made available to rural hospitals and clinics to attract more doctors.

Proposed by: Lu Yiyu,

NPC deputy.

Attracting talent

The government should devise a whole set of measures to attract more medical talent to serve people in rural areas, through grassroots medical care centers.

Economic incentives and professional training opportunities should be made available to encourage rural medical workers.

Competent "barefoot doctors" should be encouraged through legal medical certificates provided by the health authority.

Proposed by: Xie Ru

Deputy governor of Jiangxi province.

(China Daily 03/14/2008 page7)