China.org.cn | October 18, 2024
Farmers' Daily:
In recent years, the NHC has prioritized the development of closely integrated medical and health consortia at the county level. This approach aims to integrate and connect various medical and health institutions across multiple levels within counties. What tangible benefits does this bring to residents? How exactly are these medical and health institutions being integrated and connected? Thank you.
Lei Haichao:
Thank you for your questions. I will answer them. The comprehensive advancement of closely integrated county-level medical consortia is a decision and arrangement by the CPC Central Committee and State Council. We have also carried out pilot programs in this area for several years. The purpose of promoting tightly knit county-level medical consortia is to build connections between medical and health institutions at different levels, ensuring the free flow of information and personnel. Additionally, we aim to create an organically integrated management structure. This allows resources and management expertise from higher-level health institutions to support and promote the development of medical and health institutions at the grassroots level. Ultimately, our goal is to enable people to conveniently access higher-quality medical and health services in their local communities.
In 2019, we launched a pilot program for building closely integrated medical and health consortia, accumulating several years of experience. After careful analysis and assessment, we decided to promote this initiative, which benefits people's livelihoods, into a unified national action. Consequently, at the end of last year, 10 departments, including the NHC, jointly issued a document to comprehensively advance the construction of these consortia. The work has also been highly valued by local governments and has been advanced at a fast pace. I'm pleased to report that by the end of August this year, the number of closely integrated medical and health consortia reached 2,171. This progress aligns with our expectations, and we anticipate achieving our projected target ahead of schedule, providing more convenience to the public. We've also prioritized the application of information technology in promoting these consortia. During our investigations and research, we found many areas have adopted a system where examinations are conducted at the grassroots level, and diagnoses are made at higher-level facilities, with results mutually recognized. This approach improves and better guarantees diagnosis at the grassroots level. We will continue to advance this popular initiative.
Here, I want to share with you that 90.9% of counties have achieved full coverage in dispatching medical personnel from county-level hospitals to township-level health centers. This means nearly 91% of counties have sent staff from county-level units to townships for extended stays. According to our requirements, medical personnel dispatched to township-level health centers should stay for at least six months and rotate regularly. This ensures township-level health centers have sufficient capable professionals to serve the public. Additionally, methods such as touring medical services and telemedicine, which I mentioned earlier, are widely used at the county level and are popular among residents. Our monitoring shows that the "examination at the grassroots level, diagnosis at a higher level" approach is now applied in two-thirds of township-level health centers. After several years of exploration, we've developed an effective path and implementation measures in this field. According to our work plan, by the end of next year, more than 90% of counties will establish medical and health consortia at the county level, with improved integration. This means better coordination between higher-level and lower-level institutions, more integrated information systems, and more frequent personnel exchanges, continuously improving service capacity and quality at the grassroots level.
That's all from me. Thank you.