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Health Care Woes Threaten China's Stability, Lawmaker Warns

Posted on: Tuesday, 6 September 2005, 12:00 CDT

Text of report entitled: "Health-care woes threaten stability, lawmaker warns", published by Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post website on 6 September

A top lawmaker has warned of the urgent need to reform the mainland's ailing health system, saying failure could pose a threat to social stability.

"The success of health-care reform has a direct bearing on the interests of the people, stability of the country and society, and sustainable development," National People's Congress [NPC] Vice- Chairman Han Qide said in a statement issued at an industry conference in Shanghai.

A Ministry of Health official, who spoke at the forum organized by the China Europe International Business School [CEIBS], said the government should do more to provide basic medical care to underprivileged groups such as rural residents, the urban poor and migrant workers.

"The public health sector is an important indicator of the credibility of the government and the Communist Party," said Lei Haichao, head of the ministry's Policy Study Office.

The comments follow an unusually critical report by the State Council's Development Research Centre that pointed out the failings of the system.

Critics say health care is being priced beyond the reach of common people as hospitals over-prescribe drugs and recommend expensive procedures in the push to turn a profit after a reduction in government funding. Hospitals typically make more than half of their revenue from pharmaceutical sales.

"Residents complain it is difficult and expensive to see doctors. We must try to narrow the gap and try to achieve more fairness and equality in the provision of health care," Mr Lei said.

He said the country also needed a better mechanism to cope with urgent threats to public health in the wake of the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak two years ago. Since SARS, the mainland has grappled with bird flu, an outbreak of streptococcus suis in pigs and several scares related to food safety.

Mr Lei said the government should focus on prevention, instead of just treatment, of diseases such as AIDS, hepatitis, tuberculosis and schistosomiasis, or snail fever. Chronic, non-contagious diseases such as diabetes and cancer were also a growing concern.

Officials have given few details of planned health-care reforms because of continuing debate at the highest levels of government. But Mr Lei said the government should try to improve the provision of basic health services by separating the needy from those who could afford to spend more.

"While satisfying the premium market segment for people who have purchasing power, we should not neglect those who need basic health care. Actually, priority should be given to them," he said.

In another statement delivered to the forum, Health Minister Gao Qiang said the goal was to make health care more affordable for those on low incomes. He said China could not meet its stated goal of achieving a "well-off society" without reforming the system.

Mr Lei said the government should reconsider its dual role in health care, which allowed it to be both regulator and operator of some hospitals. The government had half a dozen or so bodies managing the sector and he called for a more efficient system.

Source: BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific

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