Liang Weiguo is a 76-year-old resident of a remote village in northwest China who never thought he would be able to receive medical services at home by making a simple phone call. However, thanks to a family-doctor service system in his area, Liang’s anxieties about his old age have eased, despite suffering from multiple health conditions such as hypertension and prostatic hyperplasia.
Liang is amazed at how far medical services have come in the last decade. “I couldn’t have imagined 10 years ago that I could call someone on the phone and see a doctor at home,” he said. Before the advent of this service, it used to take Liang at least a day to go and see a doctor. Now, he can receive medical attention from the comfort of his own home.
Furthermore, Liang is pleased with the convenience of this new service. He no longer needs to travel far to receive medical attention, which can be challenging for elderly individuals with mobility issues. The family-doctor service system has brought healthcare closer to home, making it more accessible for individuals living in remote areas.
Finally, the cost of medication has also been significantly reduced, which is a significant relief for Liang, who is on a fixed income. He no longer has to worry about the financial burden of healthcare and can focus on his recovery and overall well-being. The family-doctor service system has helped to improve the quality of life for individuals like Liang, who are living in remote areas and have limited access to medical services.
The family-doctor service system has been a game-changer for individuals living in remote areas like Liang Weiguo. The convenience, accessibility, and affordability of medical services have all been significantly improved, resulting in an overall improvement in the quality of life for patients like Liang. This service is an excellent example of how technology can be used to bridge the gap between healthcare and individuals living in remote areas.
The family-doctor service has been an essential part of rural public healthcare services in China. This service has been implemented in all city and county-level places, and more than 420,000 family-doctor teams have been formed to provide medical and health services, including long-term prescription and on-site services. This achievement has resulted from the government’s strenuous efforts at different levels in the country, and it has made receiving medical services more accessible to people living in isolated areas.
To commemorate this year’s World Health Day, China set a domestic theme of “channeling quality medical resources down to the community level to ensure health for all.” The goal of this theme is to facilitate people’s convenient access to health services. This initiative aims to ensure that people can access healthcare services, regardless of where they live, by channeling quality medical resources to the community level. This will ultimately help to improve the overall health of the population.
In the past, receiving medical services was a challenging task for many Chinese people living in isolated areas. However, due to the government’s efforts, things are very different now. The implementation of the family-doctor service has brought medical services closer to people’s homes. This has made it easier for people to access healthcare services, improving their overall well-being.
In some areas, new technologies have been introduced to improve the quality of medical services further. For example, a medical facility on a small island in east China’s Zhejiang Province has introduced glasses with 5G and AR technologies. These technologies have enabled people to receive diagnosis and treatment from doctors based in big cities. This is an excellent example of how technology can be used to bring healthcare services closer to people living in remote areas.
China has made significant progress in making healthcare services more accessible to people living in isolated areas. The family-doctor service has played a crucial role in this achievement. By channeling quality medical resources down to the community level, the government has made it easier for people to access healthcare services. Additionally, new technologies have been introduced to improve the quality of medical services further, helping to bridge the gap between healthcare and people living in remote areas.
In some parts of China, medical experts from higher-level hospitals have been dispatched and stationed in township hospitals to provide medical services for locals. This initiative aims to address the imbalance in the allocation of medical resources between urban and rural areas in the country. The vast rural areas have been identified as a weak link in China’s public health system, and this measure seeks to improve the situation.
The presence of medical experts from higher-level hospitals has brought about significant improvements in the quality of healthcare services provided in township hospitals. For instance, when village doctors meet difficulties in treatment, the higher-level hospitals can provide remote guidance, make home visits, or arrange transfers to ensure that every villager can receive effective treatment. This has been a game-changer in the provision of healthcare services in rural areas.
To improve the situation further, China has introduced a slew of measures as policy support. The country is optimizing the allocation of resources, strengthening rural health service capacity, and expanding the supply of high-quality medical resources. Additionally, the government is selecting and setting up new national medical centers and regional medical centers to expand the supply of high-quality medical resources further.
The country’s efforts to improve the provision of healthcare services in rural areas are bearing fruits. For instance, residents of rural areas can now receive medical services at home by making a simple phone call, thanks to the family-doctor service system. Similarly, the deployment of medical experts from higher-level hospitals to township hospitals has brought significant improvements in the quality of healthcare services provided in rural areas.
The deployment of medical experts from higher-level hospitals to township hospitals has been a game-changer in the provision of healthcare services in rural areas. Additionally, the government’s efforts to optimize the allocation of resources, strengthen rural health service capacity, and expand the supply of high-quality medical resources are bearing fruits. These measures have brought healthcare services closer to the people, improving their overall well-being.
In late February, the Chinese authorities issued a set of guidelines to promote the sound development of the medical and health system in the country’s rural areas. The guidelines highlighted the importance of building a high-quality and efficient rural medical and healthcare system that is suited to the countryside, to enable residents to enjoy access to fairer and more systematic medical services in their vicinity.
The guidelines are part of the government’s efforts to address the imbalance in the allocation of medical resources between urban and rural areas in the country. By the end of 2021, China had 23,000 county-level medical institutions, 35,000 township hospitals, and 599,000 village clinics. These facilities have helped to bring healthcare services closer to rural residents.
The government’s efforts to improve the provision of healthcare services in rural areas are yielding positive results. Local hospitals have shown remarkable flexibility and resilience in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, they have set up isolation wards and treatment centers to manage COVID-19 patients. These measures have helped to contain the spread of the virus in rural areas.
The Chinese government is committed to optimizing the allocation of resources, strengthening rural health service capacity, and expanding the supply of high-quality medical resources in rural areas. The guidelines issued in February are part of a broader strategy to improve the provision of healthcare services in rural areas.
The Chinese government’s efforts to improve the provision of healthcare services in rural areas are commendable. The guidelines issued in February are a step in the right direction. They underscore the importance of building a high-quality and efficient rural medical and healthcare system that is suited to the countryside. With continued government support, healthcare services in rural areas will continue to improve, bringing healthcare services closer to the people and improving their overall well-being.
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