'Sense of gain' shows China's progress in economic and social fields

A Chinese doctor talks with family members of a young patient as he examines him with a Type-b Ultrasonic Diagnostic Instrument at a hospital in Beijing, Sept 11, 2013. [Photo/IC]

China, which has already made impressive achievements in healthcare reform and rapid progress towards universal health coverage, is further reforming its system with a number of critical steps to meet the growing needs of the population and further control spending, according to a report released in July.

These include systemic and institutional reforms and innovation, adoption of a tiered service-delivery system, a return to greater reliance on community health care and less on more expensive hospital care.

Since the launch of the 2009 health reforms, China has made much progress in this field, including achieving near-universal health insurance coverage in a relatively short period and reducing the share of out-of-pocket expenses - a major cause of disease-induced poverty - in total health spending.

China is reforming the system into one that makes medical services more accessible to the general public and reduce overall medical costs, improve the quality of basic health services.

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