Vice Premier Li Keqiang said Friday that the basic health-care system should be provided as a public service to the people to ensure and improve people's livelihoods.

Li made the remarks during a meeting on deepening the reform of the health-care system, stressing that the public health-care system should be conducted for public good and urging the gradual establishment of a basic health-care system to cover all Chinese citizens.

Carrying out the health-care system reform is of great significance to improving people's livelihoods and promoting social harmony, as well as boosting domestic demand and keeping a sound and rapid economic development, Li said.

The reform of the health-care system is a social systematic project, which is time-consuming, challenging and complicated, he said. By 2020, China should have a basic health-care system that covers urban and rural residents, Li pointed out.

Health-care reform in the next three years should be focused on relieving people from expensive and hard-to-get medical care, he said.

Li also said that reforms should be carried out in five areas, including providing universal access to basic health insurance, introducing an essential medicine system, improving primary health care facilities, offering equitable access to basic public health services and establishing pilot reform of state-run hospitals.

(Xinhua News Agency April 11, 2009)