Government and Policy

Health inquiry's first live broadcast

By Zhao Yinan (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-12-25 09:49

BEIJING - China's top legislature on Friday conducted its largest special inquiry of central government officials - and the first broadcast live - as a major effort to improve its supervision.

Senior officials from the National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Health and other central government departments attended the question and answer session to face inquiries about the country's medical reform from members of the National People Congress (NPC) Standing Committee.

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Li Jianguo, vice-chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, said the State Council, or the Cabinet, values the inquiry "as a way to respond to public concerns and the prominent problems occurring in the medical reform".

During the three-and-a-half-hour inquiry, lawmakers asked 10 questions ranging from the hefty prices of medicines, the basic national medical system and the establishment of an urban-rural coordinative medical care system.

The legislative body has conducted two inquiries after the Supervision Law, which authorized lawmakers to question government officials, took effect in 2007.

Friday's inquiry, however, marked the first broadcast live on television and Internet.

Yan Xuhui, a grassroots deputy to the people's congress and a Henan-based researcher of China's legislative system, said the special inquiry, which addresses prominent social problems, is an effective way for the NPC Standing Committee to exert its right of supervision.

Cong Bin, an NPC Standing Committee member who attended Friday's meeting, hailed it as a "scientific and efficient" approach to help improve the government's work.

"The topics of all the three inquiries that had been conducted are of vital interest to the general public, reflecting the determination of the State Council to address the issues that may affect the basis of governing if neglected," Cong said.

Cong also said the inquiry would work better if the answers were more concise and focused and allowed for more interaction.

"Each answer takes an average of 10 minutes. It may be more interactive if the answer could be more succinct to allow more committee members to raise questions," he said.