Chinese medical experts suggested that people with infectious diseases receive outside-hospital treatment, if their condition is stable and not life-threatening.

With the deepening of medical insurance and system reform, doctors and patients are more concerned with medi-care expenses. Experts said that outside-hospital treatment will reduce the likelihood of cross infection, which is very common during hospitalization.

Outside-hospital treatment includes the administering of injections and medicine by clinic doctors and nurses, and treatment at community transfusion centers.

Professor Chen Minjun from Beijing Union Medical College Hospital said that outside-hospital treatment can help patients avoid cross-infection and drug-fast bacteria in hospitalization. Outside-hospital treatment is also less expensive and not as time-consuming.

Chen also pointed out that outside-hospital treatment expenses are limited within the medication cost, which is in accordance with the newly implemented medical insurance and system reform.

Professor He Lixian from Shanghai Zhongshan Hospital noted that the latest statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) said that of the death population suffering diseases in the world, one third are related to infectious diseases.

He said that outside-hospital treatment of infectious disease is common in developed countries, and it is also accepted in Shanghai where community services have matured.

(Xihua 01/03/2001)