Beijing to step up medical reform

To provide better medical services at reasonable costs, Beijing plans to set up a modern hospital management system this year in addition to introducing other medical reform measures, officials said yesterday.

"Changing the present hospital management system is our priority as medical reform is impossible without an efficient hospital management system," Beijing vice-mayor Ding Xiangyang said at the municipal annual health meeting yesterday.

He said the government will improve the medical service standards, medical staff management system and hospital management model. "The system will be based on the principles of 'safe, effective, convenient and inexpensive' healthcare."