Deepening Medical Reform for the Benefit of All

III. Ensuring the Continuous Deepening of the Reform of the Medical and Health Care System

We have now reached an important period for the deepening of the reform of the medical and health care system. This period is also crucial to the completion of the five major short-term reform tasks and links the initial and full implementation of the 12th Five-Year Plan.

(I) Pursue the goal of expanding the basic medical security system, making it accessible to all, thereby delivering greater benefits to all. Basic medical security is of great importance to the country. It will bring real benefits to the people and have a positive influence on the country going forward. It concerns both "consumers" and "suppliers" and has a close connection with the medical care system, public health care system and medicine supply system. It is central to the reform of the medical and health care system.

(II) Regard implementing an essential medicine system as being of primary importance and set up a new operation mechanism for grassroots medical and health care institutions. In the past, hospitals tended to make a profit from prescribing medicines. This practice has become a widespread problem and been a major stumbling block to the positive development of the medical and health care industry. In the reform, we must first set up an essential medicine system in government-funded grassroots medical and health care institutions. To do so, we must go down to the bottom and gradually address the problems caused by profit-oriented medicine prescription. The establishment of a national essential medicine system is a major institutional innovation. It concerns the production, distribution and use of medicines, the operation of grassroots institutions and the distribution of medical professionals' salaries. The slightest change in any one area may affect the overall situation. If we rely too much on one area, problems may crop up and result in new conflicts, and the newly established system would be short-lived in such circumstances. Given this fact, we should regard implementing an essential medicine system as the starting point, promote the comprehensive reform of grassroots institutions and establish a new operation mechanism so that grassroots institutions can maintain their non-profit nature, be invigorated and guarantee sustainable development.

(III) Regard pilot reforms as the starting point and seek new ways of running public hospitals. Public hospitals are the main aspect of China's medical and health care system. At present, the number of beds in public hospitals accounts for 89 percent of the national total. The number of people treated by outpatient services of public hospital clinics and the number of people discharged by public hospitals both account for 92 percent of the national total. However, the development of the medical and health care industry revealed many problems in public hospitals. The results of the reform of grassroots institutions also need to be consolidated by the reform of public hospitals. If public hospital reform fails to meet its original goal and we are unable to address the issue of expensive and inadequate access to doctors for some people, the knock-on effects would be considerable: the results of the reform of the medical and health care system, government investment, the benefits people would receive and public opinion would all be significantly affected. As a result, the reform of public hospitals has attracted great social attention and become a barometer for the reform of the medical and health care system. In the pilot reform of public hospitals, the major task is to find suitable reform methods. We should adhere to the principle of coordinating the grassroots with higher levels, boosting internal powers and offering external stimulation. We should accelerate the pilot reform of public hospitals, strive to make institutional innovations, improve hospital management and enhance service quality. We should also seek an effective method of separating government agencies and public institutions, government administration and business operation, medical and pharmaceutical services, and profit and non-profit functions. In addition, we should improve public hospital administration, develop a basic plan to reform public hospitals and make progress in expanding, deepening and advancing public hospital reform.

The reform of the medical and health care system has posed a challenge to the whole world. Seeking a way to tackle it in accordance with China's special conditions is a pressing issue and will be a long-term and arduous task. The forthcoming completion of the five major reform tasks indicates that China has achieved a success with regard to this reform. At this new historical starting point, we should continue to pursue the ultimate goal of deepening the reform of the medical and health care system up until 2020. We must do our utmost to improve the standard of public health and gradually realize the goal of providing basic medical and health care services for all.