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Development
After the
founding of New China in 1949 the Chinese government put the emphasis
of medical work on the rural health services, disease prevention
and health care and giving a boast to traditional Chinese medicine.
Great efforts were devoted to setting up medical and public health
institutions. A nationwide public health network has now been basically
formed and an adequate contingent of medical personnel has been
established. China??s medical education system is complete, and a
large group of medical experts has been trained. By the end of 1999,
there were 310,000 public health institutions (including clinics)
with 3.16 million beds, of which 2.93 million beds were in hospitals
and clinics. There were 4.46 million medical personnel, including
2.05 million doctors and 1.25 million nurses. The public health
institutions, hospital and clinic beds and medical personnel increased
by 83 percent, 58 percent and 81 percent, respectively, compared
with those in 1978.
The technical level
of public health has improved greatly, and the management and supervision
of medical work have been strengthened. An urban and rural medical
insurance system combining state planning and fee paying has been
established. Traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine have
been promoted simultaneously. The incidence of many epidemic diseases
has dropped considerably, and some endemic diseases are now under
control. Rural health work has been improved, greatly contributing
to the overall health of the population. The average life expectancy
of Chinese people, the death rate of infants and childbirth death
rates have almost reached the levels of developed countries. |
|
Development
of Medical and Health Institutions, Hospital beds and Medical and
Health Personnel
|
|
Year
|
1949
|
1978
|
1985
|
1990
|
1998
|
|
Medical
& health institutions
|
3,670
|
169,732
|
200,866
|
208,734
|
310,000
|
|
Hospital beds (1,000)
|
85
|
2,042
|
2,487
|
2,925
|
3,140
|
|
Medical
& health personnel (1,000)
|
505
|
2,464
|
3,411
|
3,898
|
4,420
|
|
|
