Bureaus Exclusive

Cheaper medical services in Chengdu

By Huang Zhiling (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2011-03-10 18:54

CHENGDU: Thanks to the introduction of medical examination outsourcing, residents of the Chengdu Hi-tech Zone in this capital of Southwest China’s Sichuan province are entitled to better, cheaper medical service.

According to Tang Liang, deputy chief of the zone’s social affairs bureau, they are building so-called “15-minute health circle.”

In other words, residents are entitled to examinations and the service standards of large hospitals without leaving their communities, but at a lower cost, he said.

To achieve this aim, the zone has introduced medical examination outsourcing, letting its community health service centers be responsible for sampling and the medical examination center of Sichuan University for test results.

But residents need to pay fees in line with the standards of local community health service centers. As a result, they enjoy a fee discount of about 30 percent, he said.

In order to provide its residents with better medical services, the zone is encouraging private firms to invest in medical institutions there.

According to Tan Junlu, deputy chief of the technology innovation division under the zone’s science and technology bureau, the zone plans to introduce 10 to 12 major private firms specializing in traditional Chinese medicine and rehabilitation each year.

It will also vigorously promote the establishment of joint Sino-foreign jventures, and cooperation, actively learn from advanced foreign technology and management experience to benefit local residents, he said.

According to Tang Liang, his zone will provide the “one to one” health service mode by turning specialists into general practitioners and shifting from treatment to health management in 2012.

It will provide free rehabilitation services for handicapped people, he said.