Minister of Health Chen Zhu commended Shanxi’s efforts to reform its healthcare system during a two-day inspection tour there.

From Oct 14 to 16, Chen made an inspection tour to Shanxi. He visited some provincial hospitals in Taiyuan and then made a special trip to county-level medical institutes in poverty-stricken areas around Lvliang city, Shanxi Daily reported.

Chen said he appreciated the outstanding achievements in Shanxi’s healthcare reform. He added that it set a good example for the rest of the nation and asked institutes in central China to learn from Shanxi’s experience.

Chen said that the Ministry of Health will give more support to the poverty-stricken Lvliang mountainous area in terms of healthcare development and poverty alleviation projects.

Accompanying Chen were Liu Qian, vice minister of health; Fan Xiaojian, vice director of the State Council Leading Group of Poverty Alleviation and Development; and Zhao Donghua, vice president of the All-China Women’s Federation.

Zhang Jianxin, vice-governor of Shanxi, speaking on behalf of Shanxi’s medical institutes, expressed his gratitude to the central government for its support and promised to do a better job in healthcare reform.