China's Vice Premier Li Lanqing says each rural dweller in central and west China will enjoy subsidies worth over 20 yuan annually next year through a cooperative health care program.
Half of each person's subsidy would come from the central government's budget and half from the local government, Li said atthe national conference on public health in rural areas held in Beijing on Wednesday.
China is upgrading its rural health care programs and the government is focusing on cooperative health care for rural dwellers.
The authorities would also provide subsidies for rural patients nationwide who needed expensive medical treatment or those from low-income families, he said.
China would continue targeting disease prevention, especially of fatal and epidemic diseases, Li noted.
The government plans to finish building and refurbishing hospitals and medical services in all counties and townships by 2010.
China would ensure there was at least one public hospital per township, Li added.
Colleges were asked to offer specific training for rural medical workers and doctors in urban areas were required to work in rural areas for one year if they wanted promotion, Li said.
(Xinhua News Agency October 31, 2002)
