China Daily Global Edition (USA)
Region ramps up initiatives to improve public health
Liaoning will focus its health work on disease prevention, putting equal attention on traditional Chinese and Western medicines and developing advanced healthcare, the province’s health authorities said.
They presented their achievements during the 13th Five-Year Plan (201620) as well as their priorities for the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), at a recent news conference.
The health of local people was steadily enhanced over the past five years, authorities from the Liaoning Health Commission said, and the average life expectancy increased to 78.97 years.
It has become more convenient for patients to be hospitalized as the number of beds and professionals at health facilities increased 17.8 percent and 19.38 percent during the period.
Liaoning aims to make breakthroughs in seven aspects during the 14th Five-Year Plan, authorities said. Among them are developing quality and efficient healthcare service systems, establishing a strong public health system and promoting reform and institutional innovation.
It first centers on six aspects to guarantee people’s health this year, authorities said.
It will highlight disease prevention, including pandemic prevention and control and development of the public health system.
Local health authorities will emphasize items such as ensuring sufficient supply of COVID-19 vaccines, shoring up construction projects in several infectious disease hospitals and enhancing nucleic acid testing capacity.
Liaoning’s health work will shift focus from healing to health, the authorities said. The province will implement measures to prevent and control key infectious diseases, such as AIDS and tuberculosis, and promote early screening and comprehensive intervention for chronic diseases.
It will also enhance standardization of health institutions for women and children while improving comprehensive services for early childhood.
Local health authorities will also promote the development of public hospitals and consolidate their principal position.
They will develop four to six nationally leading hospitals and make efforts to establish regional medical centers on respiration and infectious diseases.
Hu Miao, an official from the provincial health commission, said Liaoning will promote the development of regional medical centers and make it an important measure to help to balance quality medical resources among regions during the 14th Five-Year Plan.
Liaoning will further its public hospital reform and enhance the quality of medical care, efficiency and salaries of medical staff. Inheritance and innovative development of traditional Chinese medicine is also a priority for the Liaoning Health Commission this year.
It will further improve management and policy systems for promoting medicine development, train related professionals and organize overseas communication events.
It will promote integrated development of traditional Chinese and Western medicine. Concrete work includes the enhancement of traditional Chinese medicine in comprehensive, maternity and child and infectious disease hospitals.
The province plans to take measures to deal with its aging population. It will continue to improve major policies on raising children and providing for the elderly, while building medical establishments that provide convenient services to the elderly.
Liaoning will also improve digital technologies related to healthcare. It will help to realize the digital storage and transmission of medical image data and promote medical services by appointment in large comprehensive hospitals.