China improves basic health services for the public

China's Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Tuesday that the country will inject 30 billion yuan (4.6 billion U.S. dollars) this year to fund basic public health services.

Qin Huaijin, director of Women/Children Health and the Community Health Department under the MOH, said at a press conference that the funds will be used to upgrade 10 programs and offer more free health services for the public.

The new programs will provide basic health care services such as regular physical examinations and vaccinations for all children under age of 6, while the previous services only benefited children under age of 3, Qin said.

The programs also offers free services to pregnant women and people over age 65, such as regular and comprehensive physical examinations, according to Qin.

He emphasized that the above-basic health care services would benefit all of the public, including migrant workers and their families.

Moreover, the funds will also be used to improve the food safety monitoring system of grassroots medical institutions in communities, villages and towns.

"To find and report food safety information will be a major duty of grassroots medical institutions because they have more contact with everyday people," Qin said.

In April 2009, China unveiled a three-year plan for national health care reform with an investment of at least 850 billion yuan and an emphasis on the nature of public benefits.

The government announced it would increase the per capita funding for basic public health services from 15 yuan to 25 yuan this year.


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