The Chinese government has pumped around three trillion CNY (about 488 billion USD) into its medical care reform in the past five years, the nation's health authorities said on Tuesday.
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The investment was made both by the central government and local authorities, Mao Qun'an, spokesman for the National Health and Family Planning Commission, said at a press conference.
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After years of effort, China's public hospital reform has reached more than 1,000 counties across the country, covering a population of 500 million, said Mao. "To put it simply, the framework for a national basic medical insurance system has been comprehensively established," he said.
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Mao noted that a key factor to further China's healthcare reform is to increase salaries for medical staff and cut the link between doctors'Â income and medicine sales.
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Salaries are generally low for staff in public hospitals, which dominate the nation's health service market. Thus, many doctors have colluded with pharmaceutical companies and earned "gray income" by over-prescribing drugs or prescribing unnecessary drugs.
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Solving the problem is an urgent task for the commission and it has been taking action, according to Mao.
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The spokesman also said the commission will strengthen protection for medical staff after a spate of patient violence against such personnel.Â