China seeks new deal in health reforms (Xinhua) Updated: 2006-03-19 09:48
China is planning to change its radical market-oriented health reforms that
have attracted much criticism.
Ge Yanfeng, an official with the China Development Research Center (CDRC)
under the State Council, said on Saturday that the improper use of market
mechanisms has resulted in a gross injustice in the distribution of health
resources.
Speaking at the preparatory meeting of the China Development
Forum in Beijing, Ge said that under the reforms, lower-end health institutions,
such as rural hospitals and community hospitals in urban areas, are struggling
for survival.
Referring to the results of a study jointly carried out by
the CDRC and the World Health Organization (WHO), Ge said the trend of
commercializing China's health reforms is wrong and must be
redressed.
Henk Bekedam, WHO representative in China, said inadequate
input and interference from the government is responsible for the inefficient
use of China's limited health resources.
He acknowledged that there are currently 11 government departments playing
different roles in health services, but there is no overall coordinator.
He suggested the State Council should set up a special organization to
coordinate all these departments and the government should also draw up a
long-term plan for the health sector and clearly define its roles.
Gao
Weizhong, an official with the Ministry of Health, said if the tendency of
profit-seeking in health institutions is not stopped, generations of future
Chinese doctors could become victims.
The government must play a decisive
role in future health reforms, if China is to provide proper health services to
its 1.3 billion people, he said.
According to Ge's estimate, the building of a new health system that will
make health services available and affordable to everyone will cost anywhere
between 19 billion to 25 billion U.S. dollars, or around 1.5 percent of China's
gross domestic product in 2005. This is an affordable plan for
China.
|