China has set targets for its nurturing of trained doctors in order to better serve the country's huge rural population, according to a plan publicized by the National Health and Family Planning Commission.
Â
The plan, which was jointly issued by several government departments, urges improvements to the country's education and training system for rural doctors, in a bid to ensure that 60 percent of such doctors hold degrees from secondary technical schools or above by 2015.
Â
In addition, all rural doctors are expected to be qualified as medical practitioners by 2020, under the plan.
Â
The number of rural health workers in China reached 1.2 million by the end of 2010, marking an 18.1-percent jump in comparison with the number in 2000, according to the commission. The plan also called for the creation of a strict training mechanism for rural doctors in order to improve their education level.Â