Premier Wen sees how urban medicare works
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-07-22 08:29
BEIJING - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on early
Saturday morning visited a community medical service center to see how the basic
medicare for urban residents worked.
Chinese Premier Wen
Jiabao on early Saturday morning visits a community medical service center
to see how the basic medicare for urban residents works.
[Xinhua]
|
"It's weekend today.
I plan to do a fieldwork research (about medicare)," said the premier at the
beginning of a symposium attended by workers, officials and residents in a
Beijing residential area.
Wen's questions include how many people in the community could enjoy
medicare, whether residents could see doctors in the community, whether doctors
of big hospitals could help with community medical services, and the piloting of
the medicare system for urban residents.
The capital initiated a mechanism of basic medicare. Under the mechanism to
promote community medical services in the city, large hospitals must support
community health centers with facilities and manpower, and a "medical unity
platform" for data-sharing was set up.
Wen said that establishing medicare and community medical services, a big
part of the country's medical reform, was an arduous task that needs
participation of the public.
"The medical system, medicare and purchase and sale of drugs should be
planned as a whole," said the premier, adding different regions can have
different paths in line with the actual conditions.
In a medicare service center, the premier asked whether 77-year-old Ma
Yingjie, not covered by medicare yet, wanted to joined the medicare against
major illness.
"Sure. My nephew can help me submit the 300 yuan premium, and the government
will chip in another 1,100 yuan for me, with which I don't need to worry about
seeing doctors in the future," said Ma, referring to the pilot medicare program
for the elderly and children which is being promoted across the country this
year.
"We are doing it at the very beginning and must gradually improve it," said
the premier, adding the elderly and children should enjoy special care of the
society.