National Health Commission aims to improve grassroots healthcare

The National Health Commission has stepped up efforts to offer convenient and high-quality grassroots healthcare services for local residents, a health official said on Friday.

Fu Wei, an official at the commission's department of primary health, said during a news conference that the commission has recently released ten measures that aim at upgrading grassroots healthcare from this year to 2025.

Specific measures include asking high-level hospitals to reserve 20 percent of their outpatient appointments for grassroots clinics in their jurisdiction, encouraging community and rural clinics to write long-term prescriptions for chronic patients in stable conditions, extend service hours of major community health centers and offer vaccination services during weekends.

Fu also noted that local authorities should implement these measures gradually and make adjustments based on local condition.

"Localities are not required to adopt a one-size-fits-all approach, and those in more developed areas are encouraged to improve specific measures," he added.