Eight Beijing-based hospitals that offer high-quality medical
services and also charge high fees made their debut in Beijing
Sunday with permission from Beijing's medical administration
departments.
Being the first group of commercial hospitals in this capital city
of China, the eight can both decide how to serve patients and fix
medical service prices, according to regulations drawn up by the
Beijing Municipal Public Health Bureau (BMPHB).
The commercial hospitals will offer more comprehensive and
considerate services than the government-run ones, including free
consultation and follow-up medical treatment, according to a doctor
at one of the eight hospitals. As a result, the service prices will
become much higher.
Patients of the eight hospitals have to pay their medical bills
themselves even if they have medical insurance for government-run
hospitals.
Non-profit hospitals
Beijing has some 80 government-run hospitals that enjoy government
subsidies. The medical service prices of such hospitals, which
provide basic medical treatment, are also decided by the
government.
Government-run hospitals will continue their dominant position in
Beijing's hospital system, and sustain the duty of offering basic
medical treatment services to the masses, said Jin Dapeng, deputy
director of the BMPHB.
(
December 31, 2001)