Injection of cash helps healthcare

BEIJING - China will increase its funding for basic public healthcare services by two-thirds this year - to more than 30 billion yuan ($4.62 billion) - something that will improve coverage for vulnerable groups, including children, pregnant women and the elderly, the Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday.

The change means government funding for basic healthcare services will rise to 25 yuan per person this year from 15 yuan in 2010. The new funds will be used to enlarge beneficiary groups, improve effectiveness and expand available services, said Qin Huaijin, acting director of the ministry's department of maternal and child health and community healthcare.

From this year, basic medical services that used to only cover children under 3 will be provided to everyone under 6, making 48 million more children eligible. By the end of 2010, 81.5 percent of children under 3 had received services, including doctors' home visits to families with newborn babies, vaccinations and health check-ups, Qin said at a news conference.