The State Council decided Wednesday to accelerate the
construction of rural cooperative medical system for its more than
800 million rural residents, which has so far proved successful in
pilot areas.
Begun in 2003, the medical system focuses mutual-help organized,
guided and supported by the government, and farmers are supposed to
participate on a volunteer basis.
According to an executive meeting of the State Council
held?in Beijing?Wednesday, the promotion of the system
should follow the principles of voluntariness, mutual-help,
openness and service.
"Farmers can join the system with their families as units but
should never be forced to do that," it said, praising it as a major
part of the country's medical system reform.
It said China will increase the number of pilot areas in the
following two years and try to basically establish a new kind of
rural cooperative medical system by 2008.
According to the meeting, China will further strengthen its
central and local financial support so that the number of pilot
counties and cities will increase from the current 21 percent of
China's total to 40 percent in 2006.
At the same time, the central government will double its
subsidies for farmers to 20 yuan (US$1.2) per capita annually.
An effective supervision network should also be launched to
ensure farmers have safe, effective and cheap medical services,
said the State Council.
(Xinhua News Agency August 11, 2005)