Leaders address healthcare woes
By Erik Nilsson (China Daily)Updated: 2006-12-06 09:29
"When it comes out, it will set the tone and set the direction of Chinese
healthcare for years to come," Li said. "For many, many years, this will
potentially be the one that will really form the basis of Chinese
healthcare."
Ministry of Health spokesman Mao Qun'an said the ministry
has been working actively to develop a plan to facilitate exchange between
experts, members of the business community and the public.
"In this way,
we can improve people's awareness about their own health," he said.
Li
said that because of its power to shape the future landscape of Chinese
healthcare, it is important for providers and the public to get involved in the
process.
"It's great that the government actually wants to hear from us
and they actually have gone out and issued this invitation for input," he said.
"Here, really, is an opportunity to participate in something that is going to
have a major impact on the society and on our businesses Like it or not, when it
comes out, (healthcare) will be something that will really affect everyone's
business."
One of the major considerations the government must make for
both healthcare businesses and citizens is the amount of money it will invest in
healthcare for its people.
WHO Representative Henk Bekedam said that the
government currently spends less than 1 per cent of its GDP on healthcare, while
most of the 6 per cent overall expenditures come from people's pockets and
insurance.
He said that according to research conducted by the WHO in
co-ordination with the Ministry of Health, it would only cost China 1 per cent
more of its GDP to ensure that everyone would have access to at least essential
services.
However, he pointed out that accessibility and affordability
are two different things.
"In the rural areas indeed, we need to move toward
a compulsory way of moving forward to make sure everybody will have access,"
Bekedam said. "At this very moment, the rural schemes, they require cash. The
poor do not have cash."
Bekedam pointed out that most of the current
reimbursement schemes in rural areas only provide 30-40 per cent co-pay, which
is not enough to make healthcare affordable for most rural citizens.
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