German industrial giant Siemens kicked off a five-year rural healthcare project in China on Thursday, with a total investment of US$10 million.

The project will be initially rolled out in Luochuan County in Yan'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

Siemens will equip the county-level hospital with a full range of diagnostic imaging equipment including ultrasound, X-ray and CT machines.

The project aims to improve access to good quality healthcare services for people in rural areas of China.

"Since rural healthcare improvement has become one of the top priorities of the Chinese government, Siemens, as a leading global healthcare solutions provider, with its strengths and competencies in this field, is lending a helping hand to reach this important goal," said Richard Hausmann, president and CEO of Siemens China.

The company will provide medical and other training to support the education of physicians at the hospital.

It will also install water treatment equipment to prevent health threats to the environment from the hospital's wastewater.

X-ray and ultrasound equipment will also be provided to six township health centers around the county-level hospital.

The company said it would develop the hospitals into a rural healthcare network with the technical infrastructure to provide good quality healthcare services to the rural population.

The Ministry of Health will support the project with policy guidance. China's Association of Medical Equipment, a project partner, will also support its design and implementation.

The project is part of Siemens' contribution to the Clinton Global initiative to support the development of poorer areas in emerging countries.

(China Daily April 6, 2007)