First rural doctors graduate

Most of China's first group of doctors specifically trained for work in rural areas have been assigned to hospitals and clinics in the country's less-developed regions, health and education officials said on Wednesday.

The 5,000 medical college graduates, who earned bachelor's degrees, are expected to work for at least six years in central and western China. As more such graduates join rural medical institutions over the next several years, healthcare in rural China is expected to significantly improve.

Rural areas have long had a severe shortage of medical staff.