Editorials

Set new local criterions

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-03-10 07:59
Large Medium Small

It isn't the lack of money but a lack of concern on the government's part that matters when it comes to its input in healthcare, said Minister of Health Chen Zhu at a Monday press conference at the ongoing National People's Congress.

It is indeed a matter of governing concept, as he said. Local governments would be more than happy to invest in economic projects, which could have huge economic benefits and increase revenue for a local government.

Related readings:
Set new local criterions More healthcare spending to enhance services
Set new local criterions Rural healthcare system has cracks to fix
Set new local criterions Healthcare reform may need rebalancing act

A high economic growth rate and increasing revenue, as the most important benchmarks of a government's performance now, influences the promotions of local government leaders. So why bother about input in healthcare?

What this all boils down to is the yardstick the central government uses to measure the performance of their local counterparts. It is high time that more major criterions other than economic growth rate were used to judge how good a locality is governed.

Among other things, too much concern for growth rate will estrange a local government and its leaders from the residents they govern, and will likely distract them from attending to the livelihood of local people. Unwillingness by local government to invest in healthcare is a typical example of how they place economic growth before everything.

Only when the performance of a government is judged by how well it serves the interest of local residents can we expect its leaders pay enough attention to the well-being of residents.

(China Daily 03/10/2010 page9)