Free health care vital

The government should provide more free public health services, says a commentary in Beijing News. An excerpt follows:

The Ministry of Finance is studying a policy to implement free treatment for serious contagious diseases. This includes expanding the planned immunization program and increasing the number of diseases treated for free. Statistics show that the national expenditure on public health was 118.515 billion yuan ($15.39 billion) last year, 15.4 percent higher than in 2005.

The further expansion of free medical treatment for serious contagious diseases is a gift to the public in the new year.