Plan to improve 550 psychiatric hospitals

BEIJING - China's health authorities are taking urgent steps to address the growing risks of leaving severe mental patients untreated following a spate of violent assaults in recent months.

Vice-Minister of Health Yin Li said the ministry is planning to renovate or expand 550 psychiatric hospitals and departments across the country in two years.

Other measures include establishing a registration system and free mental health counseling hotlines for patients, improving access to mental health services particularly at the grassroots level, and seeking to provide free treatment for those whose condition is serious, Yin said.